Route: Castlebay, Isle of Barra
Area: Outer Hebrides
Date of walk: 9th September 2022
Walkers: Andrew and Gilly
Distance: 2.2 miles
Ascent: 100 feet
Weather: Sunny
On the final day of our walking holiday on Barra we chose a short and simple walk starting from the main settlement of Castlebay. Starting from the Post Office near the ferry terminal we walked up the road past the petrol station and turned right along the main road. There were lovely views down to Kisimul Castle which stands in the centre of the bay. The castle was the home of the Macneil clan until it was abandoned in the mid 18th century. It fell into disrepair and the Macneils lost control of Barra, although they later re-aquired the castle which was restored between 1956 and 1970 and is now managed by Scottish Heritage. The castle is normally open for visits but is presently closed for renovations
On reaching a sign for Ledaig we branched off down a minor road, following to the end where a gate leads out onto a grassy track. We continued along the shoreline path with views ahead to Vatersay. As it rounded the headland the old harbour on neighbouring Orasaigh came into view. We continued for a short distance beyond a prominent mast, and then spent half an hour or so scanning our surroundings for wildlife. We saw seals and a variety of seabirds, but there was no sign of the elusive otters which inhabit these parts
From here we retraced our steps back into Castlebay to end a wonderful walking holiday
Click on the icon below for the route map (subscribers to OS Maps can view detailed maps of the route, visualise it in aerial 3D, and download the GPX file. Non-subscribers will see a base map)
Scroll down – or click on any photo to enlarge it and you can then view as a slideshow
Our final walk on the Isle of Barra, and a view of Kisimul Castle as we set off through the small town of Castlebay
The church of Our Lady, Star of the Sea, which we pass by after walking up the road
Looking across to Kisimul Castle
Looking back to the start, and to the ferry terminal. We'll back back there tomorrow morning to catch our ferry back to Oban
We turn off the road and follow a minor road to Leideag
More views of the castle as we continue around the bay...
Looking back to Castlebay and its church...
...and now to Heaval, the highest point of the island. We'd hoped to climb it but had run out of time
The road ends and we follow the track beyond this gate
Looking across the bay
A view back to Castlebay
We pass by a heron
Cormorant or shag? I confess I can't tell the difference
Looking across the bay to Vatersay where we walked earlier in the week
We walk through a herd of highland cattle
Despite the intimidating horns they are gentle creatures and pose no threat to walkers
Another view across the bay. On the left is the old harbour on Orasaigh
This is as far as we go, and we search again in vain for otters, which have evaded us all week
A final look along the coast before we retrace our steps back to the start of our last walk on Barra
Dawn the next day, and an early start in order to catch the ferry from Castlebay to Oban
Tìoraidh Barraigh, farewell Barra
