The "Coral" sand in fact is not made up of corals but of the bleached skeletons of the red algae, Lithothamnium calcareum. This grows in relatively deep water and is coloured red to absorb the blue light which is only able to penetrate to that depth. Lithothamnium is a calcareous alga and its "skeleton" forms 95% of its weight. It is mainly composed of calcium and carbonated  magnesium carbonates. Most of the sand on the beach is composed of its skeletons. When it is dry, the upper beach  is dazzlingly white.

Neist Point Lighthouse was built in 1909 by David and Charles Stevenson and was automated in 1990. The tower is 19 metres high and has a range of 16 miles

Several scenes of Breaking the Waves were filmed here. A graveyard was built for the movie and was left in situ after filming for some time.

Note the Outer Isles in the background.