Inspiration in colour - Machair

To see this thriving natural habitat that supports such an abundance of life, and brings so much colour to these islands, is for us, one of the most inspirational of experiences.  Each year it reminds us of just how spectacular nature is, in its beauty and its rich diversity. The colours of the machair change through the season with yellows dominating in late June, and then fading into reds, whites and blues towards the end of August.

Machair is a Gaelic word meaning fertile low lying grassy plain. This is the name given to one of the rarest habitats in Europe which only occurs on the exposed western coasts of Scotland and Ireland. There are beautiful machair habitats throughout the islands, where sand, largely made up of crushed shells, is blown ashore by the high winds and Atlantic gales. Over time, the calcium rich shell sand and Hebridean crofting practices have led to the development of this mosaic of fertile grassland habitats, where wildflowers, birds and insect life thrive.