Machair is fertile soil formed by windblown sand, and is only found in the north and west of Britain and Ireland. In Bragar many of the machair plots are still traditionally cultivated, creating a patchwork of habitats - this makes for great species-diversity, including the full range of colourful machair flowers, for example orchids, yellow rattle, wild carrot, eyebrights, knapweed, trefoils, vetches, bugloss, clovers and corn marigold. 

 

This is an important area for breeding corncrakes. Corncrakes were once widespread but their numbers declined dramatically with the mechanisation of farming, and they are now mainly confined to the far north-west of Britain and Ireland. Their rasping call can be heard throughout the summer months. Look out for the Great Yellow Bumblebee, one of Britain’s rarest bees, and for otters on the shoreline and around Loch Ordais. Loch Ordais and the adjacent shoreline are important feeding grounds for wading birds and waterfowl.

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Port Mhòr Bhràdhagair has a shingle beach with a low-tide sandy beach. It is popular with surfers and windsurfers, and there is a slipway where small boats can be launched. There is another small beach at Manaisiadar, a short walk from the machair along a rocky coastline with low cliffs, perfect for wave-watching.