Barra and Vatersay

The Isle of Barra has often been claimed as the most beautiful of all the Hebridean islands. With a picturesque castle set on an island just offshore in its capital Castlebay, a wee hill with truly unbeatable views in Heaval, and a whole range of simply superb sandy beaches, all backed by wildflower rich machair, it is not too difficult to see why. On a fine summer day there can be few more wonderful places to relax and explore.

Just to the south and joined to Barra by a causeway, Vatersay is the most southerly inhabited island amongst the Western Isles. This too is a paradise for beach-lovers, with sublime stretches of sand facing west, east and south, and all three linked by a walk.