Barra Totally Explained

Everything about Barra totally explained

The Isle of Barra or Barraigh/Eilean Bharraigh (in Scottish Gaelic) is a predominantly Gaelic-speaking island, and apart from the adjacent island of Vatersay is the southernmost inhabited island of the Outer Hebrides (Na h-Eileanan Siar) in Scotland.

Geography

At the 2001 census the resident population was 1,078, and mostly Roman Catholic. The area of Barra is 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. Kisimul Castle at Castlebay is located on an island in the bay, so giving the village its name.
Places of interest on the island include a ruined church and museum at Cille Bharra, a number of Iron Age brochs such as those at Dùn Chuidhir and An Dùn Bàn and a whole range of other Iron Age and later structures which have recently been excavated and recorded.

History

The Clan MacNeil has strong ties to the Isle of Barra and claims descent from the O'Neills of Ulster. Alexander, Lord of the Isles granted the island to the MacNeill clan in 1427. The clan held the island until 1838, when Roderick MacNeil, the 40th Chief of the Clan, sold the island to Colonel Gordon of Cluny. Gordon expelled most of the inhabitants to the United States of America in order to make way for sheep. Barra was restored to MacNeill ownership in 1937 when the Barra estate, which encompassed most of the island, was bought by Robert MacNeil, an American architect, and 45th chief of the clan.
In 2003, the ownership of the Barra Estate was passed by the owner, Ian MacNeil, to the Scottish Government. The estate will be transferred to the inhabitants in the future if they request it. MacNeil, the 46th chief of the clan, had previously transferred Kismuil Castle to Historic Scotland in 2000.
In May 2007 Channel 4's Time Team came to the hamlet of Allasdale to investigate the exposed remains of Bronze Age burials and Iron Age roundhouses in sand dunes that had been previously uncovered by storms. The programme was broadcast on 20 January 2008.

Media and the Arts

Every summer, Fèis Bharraigh brings the whole island together in a cultural festival centred around the learning and performing of traditional music. In 2007, Fèis Bharraigh launched BarraFest - Live @ the Edge, a weekend festival of traditional and modern Scottish music held on the Tangasdale machair. BarraFest 2008 will be held on the 25th and 26th of July.
   The Dualchas Heritage and Cultural Centre is located in Castlebay.
   The 1949 Ealing Studios comedy Whisky Galore! was filmed on Barra. The film is based on the novel Whisky Galore by Sir Compton Mackenzie, who lived near the airport and is buried at Cille Bharra. this year on the 28th June 2008, is part of the Western Isles Half Marathon series. This is accompanied by a shorter fun-run for families. A number of fund-raising events are held around this, including a ceilidh at the Talla Bhatarsaigh.
   The Barra community holds an annual games on the island. This year The Barra Games will be held on the 20 July 2008.
   The island golf club, Comunn Goilf Bharraidh, has a 9-hole golf course that's claimed to be the furthest west in the United Kingdom. However, this title may in fact be held by one of the courses near Enniskillen in Northern Ireland.
   Tourists can also go sea kayaking or power kiting, and ample opportunities are available for keen anglers.

Transport Links

Barra's tiny airport, near Northbay, is unique in that the runway is a beach, An Tràigh Mhòr (English: The Big Beach). 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. The beach is also a source of cockles. Castlebay is the main ferry port from which ferries sail to Oban on the Scottish mainland and Lochboisdale (Loch Baghasdail) in South Uist (Uibhist a Deas). A vehicular ferry also travels between Ceann a' Gharaidh in Eriskay (Èirisgeigh) and Ardmore (An Àird Mhòr) in Barra. The crossing takes around 40 minutes. All the afore mentioned ferries are run by Caledonian MacBrayne.
Apart from the ferries, boat trips to Mingulay are also available during the Summer season, and a small boat can take visitors to Kisimul Castle.

Distillery

There is currently planning under way to build a distillery on the west side of the island. The distillery, producing around 25,000 litres per annum, will be the smallest in Scotland and the only one in the Outer Hebrides and therefore the most westerly.

Gallery

Image:Isle of barra-castlebay.jpg|Castlebay, Barra Image:2004 0806hebridies0048.JPG|Traigh Eais Image:Traigh Sunset.jpg|Sunset From Traigh Eais Image:Barra Airport Sands.JPG|Airport Sands Image:bruernish201.jpg|Bruernish Image:Barra-Airport-Canthusus.JPG|Barra Airport Image:2004 0806hebridies0040.JPG|Twin Otter Taking off From Barra Airport Further Information

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