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Castlebay
I am on another weekend away. The last of the summer.
This time the destination is Barra/Barraigh. It is one of the islands in the Outer Hebrides archipelago – almost the most southerly of the inhabited ones. It is my first visit to the island.
Coming from the mainland you have a choice of how to get there. You can take a Calmac ferry service from Oban. It takes about 5 hours. Oban is 3 hours by car from where I live in Fife, on the east coast of Scotland. Taking a train to Oban is also be possible, but it would take all day and involve 2 connections.
The alternative is a Loganair flight from Glasgow. 75 minutes in the air, and Glasgow Airport is about 75 minutes away by car – outside the rush hours. Loganair has 2 flights each day during the week, using 18 seat DHC6 Twin Otter planes.
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Cozy
I would love that ferry crossing, but for 2 nights on the island it is a lot of time in transit.
The other attraction of the Loganair option is that it is Barra. The planes use the beach for take off and landing.
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Disembarking
My flight cost £154 return – more than my flight to Bergen last month. On the other hand, that ticket (their FullFlexPlus) includes fast track security and lounge access.
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Unloading
After arriving on the island the next stop was my hotel in Castlebay/Bàgh A’Chaisteil via the local bus. Castlebay is stunning, in a Western Isles kind of way.
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Kisimul Castle
I’d arranged to rent a bike for 2 days, so in the afternoon I cycled over to Vatersay/Bhatarsaigh. Vatersay is the island just south of Barra and the last inhabited one at the south end of the archipelago.
To my astonishment I didn’t get soaked – except with sweat. I reckon it was 5 miles (8km) each way – not that much distance but there’s an 11% gradient at one point along the way.
![](https://i0.wp.com/www.breadandtea.eu/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/P1090957.jpg?resize=640%2C480)
Vatarsay
It was all worth it. Stunning (plus I got excellent coffee and home baked cake at the community cafe).
ⓒ iain taylor, 2018