Kisimul Castle, Castlebay
I’ve already written about the excitement of flying into Barra. To many people, simply choosing a destination for the sake of the flight there might seem a bit pointless. So what is there to do once you arrive on this tiny Hebridean island? Well, the good news is that the isle of Barra and its neighbouring islands hold enough interest to keep a visitor busy for a long time.
Here are just a few of the ways you can enjoy some of the cleanest air in the world.
Kisimul Castle
1. Visit Kisimul Castle. A castle in the sea, Kisimul boasts a truly spectacular location; and that’s saying something in a land of dramatic castles. The seat of the MacNeil clan, Kisimul ran into disrepair and ruin over the centuries and has only recently been renovated, thanks to the funding of a modern day MacNeil clan chief.
A small boat will take you across the water from Castlebay and wait for you while you explore the old building.
2. Hiking and cycling around Barra. There are a number of waymarked hiking trails on Barra, but you are free to roam on most of the island and explore its bays and its hills. It’s almost impossible to get lost on the island, as an hour’s walk will inevitably have you by the road that circles the periperhery of the island. A good energetic walk is the climb of Heaval, the highest peak on Barra at just under 400 metres. Allow a couple of hours from the time you leave the cafes of Castlebay until your return, armed with the good appetite you’ve just worked up. Even on the road, there is little traffic to bother you, and it’s noticeable that most drivers who pass will greet you with a friendly wave. You can hire cycles from Castlebay, and with a little over 20 miles of roads on Barra it’s easy to cover the whole island in a leisurely day.
3. Vatersay. The neighbouring island of Vatersay is linked to the mainland by a small causeway, and is home to some of the UK’s best beaches. With a population of seventy people you are never going to find yourself in a crowd, and on our day hiking the length and breadth of Vatersay we barely passed another soul.
Wreckage of the Catalina
Apart from the pristine beaches and the unspoilt beauty of the heathland of Vatersay, there are a couple of sites of historic interest on the island. If you see the monument to the Annie Jane, take the time to hear of the tragic history of this vessel. The Ship was packed with emigrants, leaving Britain and Ireland to seek a new life in North America. It hit a huge storm of the coast of Scotland and tried to find shelter in the bay here, only to run aground and break apart, losing most of the passengers to the stormy waters of the Atlantic.
A little way along the road you’ll also find the ruins of the Catalina, a plane that crashed into the hill behind you in 1944, when the pilot hit bad weather and lost his bearings. Three of the crew died in the crash, and most of the wreckage was dragged down to the shoreline and has been left there since.
4. Mingulay. This dramatic island is at the southern end of the chain of islands running south from Barra, known as the Bishop’s Isles. Uninhabited for almost 100 years, it is now an important nature reserve, with some of Britain’s most spectacular bird colonies living on the enormous cliffs on the west of the island. Seals are abundant too, and will greet you as you enter the shallow waters of the east coast of the island, before darting away to safety.
It’s around an hour in a boat from Barra (ask for Donald the boatman anywhere on Barra and he’ll tell you when he’s next going out; it’s very dependent on weather). We spent three hours hiking around Mingulay, although it was a misty day and we didn’t see the island in all its glory. We did however still see many puffins and razorbills, while the highlight for us was the incredible coastal scenery on the west of the island.
Waiting for the plane; Barra airport
5. Visit the airport. Anywhere else this would appear a weird activity, but with Barra’s unique runway this northern corner of the island is a mainstay on the tourist route. It is the only airport in the world where scheduled flights land on the beach, so visitors to the island inevitably gather around the perimeter of the beach around the time of the expected arrival from Glasgow and watch as the little plane glides onto the sand. There is a busy little cafe in the terminal building that gets more business from part-time plane spotters than from the few passengers that pass through. Be aware that flights are dependent on the weather, and when we cycled up to the airport the flight was unable to land due to the low cloud and misty conditions.
Barra is a unique island, and as I’ve heard someone describe it on TV recently, it’s a wonder that it hasn’t become a hot UK tourist destination. But then, it’s the absence of people that creates that special atmosphere. Far from the mainland it doesn’t register in 99.9% of travel itineraries. I get the feeling that the many of the locals, and the visitors that do make it here, would quite like to keep it that way.
Related posts:
A life’s dream fulfilled: Landing on the beach in Barra
A different world: the seductive charms of life on a small island
I love the Natural arch picture that you posted here. It makes me imagine to travel there. I also enjoyed reading your article. Thanks for this!
The natural arch on Mingulay is spectacular. We were very lucky to be able to pass through it, as the water was relatively calm. The cliffs tower around you on all sides – an amazing place! Thanks for your comments.
i TOTALLY need to visit Barra .. ! that natural arch looks amazing.. can u stop to swim in that area? looks ideal for flapping around (if it’s not too cold that is)
If you go to Barra you’ll see a unique corner of the UK. Well worth the effort of getting there. As for the sea water, you’d have to be very brave (or crazy) to swim in there. Apart from the extreme cold, the waves would make it very dangerous. Best to admire from the boat