Britain's quietest beaches

If you want to avoid the crowds, here's where to head for

St Ives in Cornwall has been voted Britain's best beach resort by Trip Advisor users. But what if you want to avoid the crowds? Here's our pick of the UK's unspoilt beaches:

1 Luskentyre Beach, Isle of Harris, Outer Hebrides: a sweep of Maldives-style white sand

2 Great Bay, St Martins, Scilly Isles: beautiful, remote, subtropical

3 Oldshoremore, Sutherland: two miles from the nearest village, fringed by marram grass dunes

4 Porthcurno, Cornwall: gorgeous cove near Land's End

5 Barafundle Bay, Pembrokeshire: no vehicle access, crescent of white sand

6 Bamburgh Beach, Northumberland: huge, with a castle

7 Brancaster Beach, Norfolk: desolate but stunning, in an area of outstanding natural beauty

8 Oxwich Bay, Gower Peninsula: three miles of golden sand dunes to run down

9 Lannacombe, South Hams, Devon: tiny but lovely ? and barely visited

10 Portstewart Strand, Northern Ireland: you can always find a quiet spot on this long stretch

Gemma Bowes

guardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2011 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds

Source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2011/apr/05/britains-quietest-beaches

Students Cancún climate change conference 2010 | COP16 Occupational pensions Nuclear weapons Savings rates Liza Minnelli