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.
Walk | Grade | Length | Time |
---|---|---|---|
Castlebay and Ledaig shore | 3km | 1 hour | |
Dùn Ban and Halaman Bay, Tangasdale | 4.75km | 2 - 3 hours | |
Vatersay beaches circuit | 6.75km | 2 - 3 hours | |
Eoligarry Explorer | 8.75km | 2.5 - 3.5 hours | |
Heaval, from Castlebay | 5.25km | 2 - 3 hours | |
Dùn Cuithir archeological walk, Allasdale | 8km | 3.5 - 4.5 hours | |
The Hebridean Way | 253km | 12 days |