Machair is a Gaelic word meaning a fertile low lying grassy plain.

 

The machair land is special to the islands, it is very unique and in fact one of the rarest in Europe.

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The sand and small shell fragments are high in calcium and therefore is very fertile, this is why we plant corn to produce feed for the animals in the winter. The machair also consists of sand dunes which are a great place for the cows to shelter in the winter.

 

During the winter months the machair looks rather bare and bleak, whereas in the summer its the complete opposite as the ground is usually blooming with the beautiful machair flowers.

 

Some visitors come from across the world to see the machair orchids as they are popular around the Outer Hebrides.​ 

There is an abundance of plant species across the machair you can find up to 40 different kinds around a small area of one square metre. This is why its very important to protect the machair land and habitats, the development of the campsite will assist this by containing the visitors to one area. 

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Throughout the spring and summer machair land is also a haven for ground nesting birds such as corncrakes, waders, lapwings, oystercatchers. This is why the farm animals come off the machair in the summer so that the habitats are safe for the ground nesting birds to breed.