Barra – Emerald of the southern Outer Hebrides
The Isle of Barra is small but beautiful. And it serves as a starting point for exploring other islands. What there is to experience is covered here.
Top attractions | Getting there | Accommodation | all attractions
Barra, in the south of the Outer Hebrides, measures only around 20 kilometres across, yet it’s home to one of the most astonishing castles with Kisimul Castle. The seat of Clan MacNeil sits entirely surrounded by water in Castlebay.
Another highlight of the small island is the airport, as its runway is a sandy beach. Watching the small scheduled flight from Glasgow land is a real spectacle.
Must See: The main attractions on Barra
Kisimul
One of Scotland’s most fascinating castles, entirely surrounded by sea water. It can only be reached by boat.
Barra Airport
A unique airport whose runway is a large sandy beach.
Trip to Mingulay
An uninhabited island where nature unfolds wonderfully.
Vatersay
The island directly south of Barra can be reached via a causeway. A walk along the double beach lets you breathe in nature.
MY TIP:
The beach at Eòlaigearraidh (Eoligarry) in the northeast of the island. An endless sandy landscape. In summer, Arctic terns nest there, cormorants skim across the water, and plovers dart along the tideline. Walking along the beach, you look out towards other islands. So beautiful!
Getting to Barra
By ferry: Coming from the town of Oban on the west coast, the Calmac ferry runs back and forth once a day in summer. It departs Castlebay on Barra in the early morning at around 7am and sails back from Oban to the island at midday. The journey takes around 4 hours 30 minutes to 5 hours each way.
Faster and also more exciting is travelling by plane, as it takes off and lands on Barra’s famous beach. There are usually two flights a day in summer.
Accommodation on Booking.com
A list of accommodation on Barra is available on Booking.com. (Link and map widget are advertisements)
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