As one of life’s hopeless dreamers there are places, experiences and events that have long been on my wish list. Anyone who has a similar list will know that the list will never be empty. Each year another couple of places may be ticked off the list, while another dozen are added to the end, usually on the back of others’ well told stories, heard while on our travels.
Flying over the coast of western Scotland on our way to Barra
But one thing has been at the top of my list for many years, and it was with great excitement that I was able to move it last week from the ‘to-do’ list and mark it as ‘done’. This was, as the title suggests, landing on the beach at Barra in the Outer Hebrides. Barra is the only place in the world where scheduled flights land on a beach, and being a bit of a plane buff I have long wanted to make this unique flight. A trivial wish maybe, but it was one that meant a lot to me.
The flight between Glasgow and Barra takes one hour and the small Twin Otter aircraft seats 15 at a push, although on the way out there were only 7 passengers. The lady who greeted us at the steps of the tiny plane, checked our boarding cards and gave the safety briefing then proceeded to sit in the front and switch to her First Officer duties. No room for cabin crew on here. An open cockpit meant that we were able to watch the flight path over the pilot’s shoulder, and observe the primitive looking instruments on the dashboard of this aging aircraft.
On final approach
Once over the Scottish mainland we dropped to 2,000 feet for the last half hour of the flight, and the shimmering blue waters of the Atlantic Ocean looked stunning in the afternoon sunshine. No doubt this is far more enjoyable flying for a pilot than commanding a giant computerised jet plane.
Engine shut down, Barra airport
Barra appeared on the horizon as we dropped below 1,000 feet, and soon after passing over land the pilot banked to the right, dropped the nose and we were treated to a view of the wide expanse of sand that was now only a few hundred feet below: without doubt one of the most spectacular approaches I’ve experienced. The smoothest of landings and we trundled across the beach to the tiny terminal building, and disembarked in front of a waiting group of tourists who had come to watch the plane come and go.
We did indeed come back to watch a plane come in while cycling around the island, and on the day we left when the sun was shining brightly our departing flight drew a crowd of curious onlookers who were on a coach tour of the Western Isles. Here’s a short clip of our plane landing.
The whole experience lived up to the high expectations I’d set, and I would love to do it again someday. We came to Barra on the strength of my desire to experience the beach landing. Yet the enduring memories will be as much about the beautiful scenery, the superb hiking and the warm hospitality we enjoyed during our stay on the island. The beach airport is without doubt the main draw. But once there, you may find that Barra has a whole lot more to keep your interest. More on that in my next post…
Related posts:
The island of Barra; small but packed with things to do
A different world: the seductive charms of life on a small island
how cute! i love the plane landing scene.. was gonna ask.. u obviously weren’t on the plane or someone else took that shot , OR that was someone else’s landing? very cool plane. did it get buffeted by the tail winds ?
I went on this plane about 12 years ago – it was bad weather and it put me off flying permanently !
Although the island is a great place to visit . . . I have been many times.
thanks Ciki
the plane in the video is the plane we left on, as it was coming in. We were blessed with clear sunshine for both arrival and departure.
Those little planes sure do get knocked about by the wind. There was only a light breeze for us, happily!