An aerial view of Alum Bay on the Isle of Wight
© Matt Cooper/Gallery Stoc
Collecting coloured sands. Twenty-one shades of Alum Bay
The picturesque Alum Bay, situated at the most westerly tip of the Isle of Wight, is famed for its multi-coloured sands, which have been collected and made into souvenirs since early Victorian times. There are 21 recognised shades of colour, and many holidaymakers will bring home a glass object filled with different layers of the sand as a memento of their visit. The tradition started when Queen Victoria, who built her much-loved summer residence and final home Osborne House at East Cowes in the north of the island, was presented with gifts created from the unique sands in 1860.
Related Images
Firefall at Horsetail Fall, Yosemite National Park, California, USA
The Glenfinnan Viaduct in Scotland, made famous by the Hogwarts Express in Harry Potter
The National Wallace Monument overlooking Stirling in Scotland
The city of Bath, Somerset
Mua Caves in the Ninh Bình province of Vietnam
The village of Aguerd Oudad and the larger town of Tafraout in Morocco
Wildflowers in bloom at Lost Dutchman State Park in Arizona, USA
A walkway through a mountain peak in Chamonix, France
Bing Today Images
Przewalski's horses
Feb 18, 2026
Great Blue Hole, Belize
Feb 18, 2025
Sperm whale pod surfacing, Dominica
Feb 18, 2024
Eben Ice Caves, Upper Peninsula, Michigan
Feb 18, 2023
Great tits on a branch during winter
Feb 18, 2022
Vieste on the Adriatic coast of Italy
Feb 18, 2017
