A barely perceptible path

South Uist Wind has hurled loose grains of sand into the air, scouring the steeply sloping face of the ridge

From a distance it appears as if a freak blizzard has left a layer of snow on the landward side of the dunes and the edges of the neighbouring fields. But what has been deposited by the wind is actually sand, the fine white sand that makes up the island's beaches and is a key component of its coastal soils.

With the exception of one or two small rocky headlands, South Uist's western coast consists of almost unbroken beach backed by a line of dunes. These are the machair's line of protection but they face constant onslaught from the sea and the weather.