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 |