“Drive clockwise round the island,” Uilleam, an employee on the Caledonian MacBrayne ferry between the islands of Eriskay and Barra, told us. “And get breakfast at Barra Airport.”
His instructions seemed a little odd – get breakfast at Barra Airport? – but neither my parents nor I had ever been to the Isle of Barra before, so we took Uilleam (who had regaled us with jokes and tales from the community) at his word. We only had a day there, after all.
Our arrival on Barra, one of the most southerly inhabited isles in the Outer Hebrides, was not quite how I had envisaged it. The photos I’ve seen show sparkling sands, blue skies, and the imposing site of Heabhal, the island’s largest hill, looming over the small town of Castlebay. What we were greeted with was rain. Rain, rain, and more rain.
Okay, okay: I grew up in the Outer Hebrides, so I shouldn’t have been surprised.
But all the same, while I tend to be of the opinion that “There’s no such thing as bad weather, only the wrong clothes”, in the islands this line of thinking can truthfully only take you so far. Still, we persevered, and started driving clockwise round the island, one which is only eight miles long and four miles wide.
We passed a small harbour, some hardy-looking Hebridean sheep, and countless homes with brightly painted red roofs. Uilleam had explained that the men on Barra have traditionally worked at sea, in the fishing and oil industries; when the men were onshore, they occupied their time by painting and renovating their homes – hence the prevalence of red-topped buildings on Barra.
It wasn’t long before we reached Castlebay, and it was easy to see why we were told to circle the island in a clockwise direction.
On a less rain-lashed day, with no clouds, the view out into the bay would be beautiful: Kisimul Castle stands lonely and proud in the harbour, a foreboding-looking medieval tower that is still the seat of the Clan Macneil.
Already hungry, we decided to ignore Uilleam’s last piece of advice – get breakfast at Barra Airport – and see what was on offer in Castlebay. We popped into the local post office to ask for some recommendations, and had a lovely chat with the woman behind the counter.
It was interesting to learn from her that in Barra, people are more likely to take the ferry to Oban, or the plane to Glasgow, than visit Stornoway, which is generally thought of as the ‘capital’ of the Outer Hebrides. (Although given our long drive south through the Outer Hebrides archipelago, I can’t say I was surprised; if it was me, I’d be making good use of that quick flight to Scotland’s largest city too.)
In terms of breakfast, it turns out that before 10am on a winter weekday, options in Barra are limited – unless you pay a visit to Barra Airport.
We should have listened to Uilleam, after all! So we piled back into the car and continued on our clockwise journey, stopping every so often so I could get out and snap some photos, photos of the wild beaches, the roaring waves, and the old red phone boxes that stand sentinel along single track roads.
By the time we reached the airport, I was soaked to the skin, even though I had come prepared with a waterproof jacket and a scarf bigger than my head.
But damp clothes couldn’t dampen my spirits: if I’m honest, it was Barra Airport I had been most excited about visiting. It’s the only airport in the world that uses a beach runway for scheduled flights, and is regularly listed as one of the most scenic landing spots on earth.
It seemed that everyone else on the island had the same idea (or had been given the same advice from Uilleam!), as the airport was full of people tucking into proper Scottish breakfasts. All three of us went for a traditional breakfast roll: bacon, potato scone, sausage, and Stornoway Black Pudding. It was delicious, and warming, the perfect antiote to the weather outside.
Filled with food, the waiting game began.
Due to the tidal nature of the beach, arrival and departure times at Barra Airport are more vague guidelines than hard-and-fast timetables. Combine the beach runway with rain, fog, and strong winds, and you’ve got even more problems – would we see any planes land on the cockleshell beach runway that day?
We gave up after an hour, and circled the island again, this time visiting some of the now-open shops in Castlebay, and taking a detour to the golf course, where only the sheep were brave enough to get out onto the green in the wind and rain.
The delayed plane meant we also had time for a drive over the causeway to the Isle of Vatersay, home of the famed Scottish music group, The Vatersay Boys. It felt very quiet – hardly surprising, given the weather – but what amazed me was that even on a dreadfully dreich day, the beach was still sparkling, and the sea still aquamarine.
Back at the airport, we waited again, while the cloud began to lift ever so slightly.
Suddenly, there it was – a dot in the clouds that quickly became a propeller plane, whirring its way towards us with its wheels kicking up water from the low tide. It really was a sight to behold. We were rewarded for our patience too, as while we stood chatting to our local Member of Parliament, another plane landed, making up for its absence that morning.
There was much in Barra we missed, thanks to the weather and the time of year; boat trips to Kisimul Castle, for example, don’t start until April, and we couldn’t even see the summit of Heabhal, let alone climb it to see the statue of Our Lady of the Sea, and admire the view of Castlebay from above.
But while the rain may have limited our island adventures in Barra, our day trip to the island was thoroughly enjoyable all the same.
As for next time? I don’t just want to watch the plane land on the beach at Barra Airport – I want to be a passenger on the plane!
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Have you ever been to the Isle of Barra, or would you like to visit? What should I check out on my next visit? Let me know in the comments, or on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram!
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A special thanks to my parents, who organised our Outer Hebrides road trip, and with whom I had so many laughs with on our journey through Uist to Barra!
Lovely! Your first picture, the red topped cottage, was our holiday cottage last year! Beautiful spot! We were very lucky with the weather- sorry!
Thanks, Rachel! That must have been a wonderful spot to stay in – and I bet it was even more beautiful with good weather! Glad to hear you enjoyed your time in Barra too 🙂
There is, of course, a more practical reason for advising everyone to drive round the island in a clockwise direction: it reduces traffic congestion.
I have visited Barra and Vatersay more times than I can possibly recall and some of those landings on the beach have been very hairy indeed. However 40 years ago getting to Barra from Stornoway, the new ‘capital’ of the Outer Hebrides, was by open lobster boat from Ludaig on South Uist and getting to Vatersay could be an even more hairy experience. Indeed I was extremely fortunate on one occasion when a rogue wave drove the ferry against the ladder down to it when I was descending: the ferry avoided crushing me by a mere few inches. Nowadays our ferries are not open converted lobster boats but proper purpose built craft carrying passengers and vehicles and there are roads across the causeways between South Uist and Eriskay and Barra and Vatersay.
As you say the links between Stornoway and Barra are more tenuous than they are with Glasgow and the mainland around Mallaig and Oban. I have many friends from Glasgow who know Barra far better than most Leodhasachs.
I have been fortunate to spend time on Barra and Vatersay in the best (as well as the worst) of weather and it’s one of the most magical of places. If your readers ever get the opportunity I would urge a visit. I doubt they will regret it.
Postscript: I am ashamed to say that over the last twenty years I have become a ‘Northerner’ in Hebridean terms and have not visited Barra and your post has persuaded me that that has to change. I shall rekindle old memories.
Thanks for your great comment, Graham! I’m absolutely delighted that the post has inspired you to revisit Barra 🙂
It sounds like you’ve had quite a few adventures in Barra and Vatersay over the years! After hearing your stories, I’m doubly grateful we now have the causeways and Cal Mac ferries! And the traffic control makes sense now – I imagine it’s much busier in the summer than when we visited.
I definitely want to go back to Barra when the weather is better. I’ve seen so many lovely photos taken from Our Lady of the Sea, and I’m determined to get up there myself sooner rather than later!
I love that the best breakfast was at the airport. Nice adventure!
Well, I guess we didn’t try anywhere else… but it WAS delicious, and everyone else seemed to be at the airport too!
Another wee recommendation is to cycle round the island. Just pick a good day first and go round (clockwise too!) to enjoy a truly great experience. There are a few hills. If you are not too fit just get off and push! There are some great views to see, great spots to stop at for a picnic, although there are a few places you can stop off at for lunch.
Another day take the short road trip by bike over to Vatersay via the causeway. Again I suggest a picnic – a wee portable bbq can be bought in Castlebay and you have the makings of a glorious lunch on one of Vatersay’s magnificent beaches. Just remember to take away your rubbish with you to leave the beaches pristine.
Time your visit to the Island for BarraFest and enjoy a great mix of traditional music of all types, and don’t pass up the opportunity of hearing the Vatersay Boys play live in Castlebay.
Reminds me. I must go back again!!
Thanks for all your tips, Eric! I bet it would be lovely to cycle round Barra on a sunny day 🙂 And I’ve heard great things about BarraFest – it’s definitely on my to-do list for future travels!
Flying to Barra is on my bucket list but I’m sooo scared seeing this tiny plane! haha Hoping to head to the Outer Hebrides by next summer though 🙂
It’s on my bucket list too, and I admit seeing the tiny plane land did make me slightly nervous… but I think it would be an awesome experience 🙂 Also: so excited that you’re planning a Hebrides trip in the next year!
I’ve heard so many amazing things about how beautiful Barra is. Definitely somewhere to add to the list – and must be amazing seeing the planes land on the beach like that. Gorgeous photos, even in the rain! 🙂
Thanks, Katie! It really was amazing watching the planes land on the beach – two for the price of one, so to speak!
Wow, sounds like an amazing trip despite the weather. I watched a documentary on Barra earlier this year and really want to go there (I would love to land on that beach!). I did a trip to the Inner Hebrides in May and now I’m a bit obsessed with the Scottish isles. This made me want to go even more, so thanks for writing about it!
Thank you! Even in the rain it was lovely – which I always think is a good sign! I definitely recommend Barra, and the rest of the Outer Hebrides too (if you land in Barra, it’s pretty easy to make your way up through the island chain to Lewis). I have to admit I’ve never been to the Inner Hebrides, but they’re on my list 🙂
I loved Barra when I visited as the first part of a south to north road trip through the Outer Hebrides. I was fortunate to get gorgeous weather. I was able to get my first sighting of St Kilda from the top of Heabhal and got the boat over to Kisimul Castle. Best of all, and recommended if and when you go back, was a day trip to Mingulay. It was abandoned long ago like St Kilda, but in some ways feels even more remote as it’s so much less well-known, fewer people visit and it doesn’t have the year round MoD population that St Kilda has. We even saw whales from the boat. The one thing I didn’t do was experience that beach landing as I got the ferry from Oban. At least I have a reason to go back (not that I need one).
It sounds like you had a wonderful time on Barra, Anne! I’m very jealous that you had nice weather there 🙂 And I’d love to visit Mingulay too – what an experience that must have been!