KELSEY IN OBAN
KELSEY SCOTT IN BARRA
Below is a pictorial guide to Kelsey`s trip to the wonderful island of Barra .
She took the ferry from the sea port of Oban . Ferries to and from Oban, Lochboisdale, Tiree and Eriskay are run by Caledonian MacBrayne.Castlebay is the main port from which ferries sail to Oban on the Scottish mainland, Tiree and Lochboisdale (Loch Baghasdail) in South Uist. The mainland crossing takes about 5 hours.
The 2001 census showed that the resident population was 1,078. The area of Barra is roughly 23 square miles, the main village being Castlebay (Bàgh a' Chaisteil). Barra is now linked by a man-made causeway to the neighbouring island of Vatersay (Eilean Bhatarsaigh).
The west of the island has white sandy beaches backed by shell-sand machair and the east has numerous rocky inlets. Barra is abundant with stunning scenery, rare flowers and wildlife, which can be appreciated by coastal or hill walks, drives or cycle rides along the various small roads. Car and bicycle hire are available locally.
The Isle of Barra is a predominantly Gaelic-speaking island, and apart from the adjacent island of Vatersay is the southernmost inhabited island of the Outer Hebrides in Scotland.
OBAN
ON THE BOAT HEADING TO BARRA
The 1949 Ealing Studios comedy Whisky Galore! was filmed on Barra. The film is based on the novel Whisky Galore by Sir Compton Mackenzie, itself a fictionalised telling of the story of the SS Politician, which ran aground with a cargo of some 50,000 cases of whisky on board in 1941. Mackenzie, who lived near the airport and died in 1972, is buried in a grave marked by a simple cross at Cille Bharra cemetery, which is situated a little way up the hillside overlooking Eoligarry jetty. The sequel movie Rockets Galore! was also filmed in and around the island.
In the sitcom Dad's Army, Private Frazer claims to be from the Isle of Barra. Frazer renowned for his "We're all doomed!" catchphrase, says his most famous story was when "a submarine was sunk in Castlebay, and seven brave men were trapped in. The water, got higher, and higher, until it got to their necks. And then...... terrible way to die!" much to the disgust of his fellow platoon. Apart from that story, Frazer speaks highly of the "lonely island."
Barra Airport
Uniquely in Europe, Barra's tiny airport, near Northbay, uses the beach called An Tràigh Mhòr (English: The Big Beach) as a runway. Planes can only land and take off at low tide meaning that the timetable varies. Barra's airport is the only airport in the world to have scheduled flights landing on a beach. The aircraft currently in operation on Barra is the de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter, flown by Loganair on services to Glasgow and Benbecula from where connections to Stornoway are also available. There are no flights on Sundays. The beach is also a source of cockles.
Barra was featured in the Channel 5 program "Extraordinary people: The Boy Who Lived Before", where a young boy named Cameron, who lived in Glasgow, had memories of a past. .
The Hebridean Toffee Factory in Castlebay is one of the few manufacturers on Barra.
The fish factory, Barratlantic, in Northbay is a major contributor to the island's economy.
A new venture, the Isle of Barra distillery producing around 25,000 litres per annum, is planned for Borve on the west side of the island. When operational it will be amongst the smallest in Scotland and the second distillery in the Outer Hebrideslife on the island..