Barra magic.....Castlebay - Ardmhor

Kisimul Castle Castlebay

We had a wonderful few hours on the beautiful Hebridean island of Barra. Sadly it was not nearly long enough but we will be back and soon. If you are on the Uists do not miss this island and it will be even better if you can stay for a few days.

Sandy Barra beaches just outside Castlebay

The trip began with a Calmac ferry crossing from Eriskay to Barra although there is a Lochboisdale option as well if you want a longer boat trip. Our plan was to drive to the ferry from our holiday cottage in South Uist, go across as a foot passenger and take a short walk on Barra. When we parked at the ferry I was surprised that the small car park was so busy and I don't think that there would be much room for anyone turning up without a booking and hoping to take a car across. However, once on board there was plenty of seating on the ferry for everyone. It probably only gets busy if coach tours are crossing. Only about half a dozen foot passengers and cyclists made this crossing today. The crossing lasts about 50 minutes and almost every passenger was on the upper deck with their binoculars hoping for a rare sighting. There were spectacular displays by diving gannets throughout the crossing, like shells exploding in the water. Also plenty of eiders, guillemots and common seals. Sadly no dolphins, porpoises or whales were spotted. Although the weather was good everyone was well wrapped up as the wind was strong and cool on the open water.
As the ferry approaches Barra there are tremendous views of the golden sands that play host to Barra airport. It is an ambition of mine to take the plane from Glasgow and land on these sands. Although, I did read that with the variable weather conditions prevailing on Barra landings and take-offs are not for the poor flyer.
As part of our research we had spotted a bus timetable which met the Ardmhor ferries. We would take the bus to Castlebay and walk back along the coast road to the ferry. Our research via AA route map suggested a distance of 8.5 miles but on the day the phone GPS app said we walked closer to 10 miles and in terms of time the latter appeared correct.

View from the hillside near Castlebay

Being a mainlander we disembarked from the ferry and looked for a standard bus similar to those on Uist. Not quite the same; a grey mini bus with shaded glass and a private firms name sat amongst the parked cars. Pushed forward by Mrs B I chapped on the door, the window descended and the driver confirmed this was the bus and to climb in. I slid opened the side door to find about 8 people already sitting there and all looking at us, had we held them back. When I tried to buy tickets from the driver I was told that it would be taken care of later!! The bus journey worked well for us as it took us around the west of the island whereas our walk was back via the east coastal road. The bus journey was mainly inland with a detour to the airport to drop people off and pick a few more up. Every so often the driver would call out 10.3, 12.1 & finally 13.6. We wondered what on earth was going on. It turned out he was marking the route for a couple of passengers who were getting off. He dropped them at a cemetery and they said a bit nervously that they thought it would be the beach they would be dropped off at. It turned out that they were looking for Corncrake's and another passenger confirmed he had heard them calling there on Sunday whilst attending a grave, hence the drop off, island life, just brilliant.
When we finally bought our tickets our driver was astounded we were not getting a return ticket and were walking back, not sure if he gets paid per passenger but a great character. PS. the trip took well over double the timetable so were already under a bit of pressure to catch the ferry back. This doubled when Mrs B wanted some food. The laid-back island lifestyle means this does not come quickly. The Kisimul cafe was pleasant, clean and the food good. Castlebay has a few choices of food and drink outlets. The view across the bay to the castle proper and the surrounding area first rate.

The summit of Sheabhal or Heaval

Finally an hour behind my scheduled time we got started in earnest. A short walk out of Castlebay, about 1.5 miles and we are soon on the major climb of the day. At this stage our walk cuts inland and we go past the highest hill in Barra at 383 metres, Sheabhal to give it its Gaelic name, or Heaval in English. A short detour up this rocky, grassy and sometimes boggy slope gets you to the top and some super views. You have already climbed half the height just walking up the road. As we walked we spotted a golden eagle gliding effortlessly across the topside of the hill, no wing movement all done on the air currents. Through the binoculars the red/brown golden fingered feathers stood out grandly. A great start to the walk.

A typical bay on Barra

From a coastal town a short distance away everything now has a rugged hill landscape feel to it. For a small island there are va few cars are passing us on the road, tend to be in groups probably from the ferries. I can imagine that in the winter this will be a tricky driving road. There is also a nice stretch where it feels like a moorland walk, chiffchaffs and skylarks calling. Once we start downwards, we are hemmed in by the hills but the views are now giving us glimpses of the sea. A lady cyclist passes us pushing her bike up the slope, it looks a fun island to cycle but it does have a few hills for the unfit or casual cyclist.
The road has a few ups and downs but once we meet the coast the views are stunning.
This is not total isolation as there are many modern properties dotted around. I presume these are built on old crofting rites passed through generations, where the cottages have been modernised and extended, I heard by substantial EU grants but not sure if that's true. What I do know is that many of the properties looked desirable. In winter it would be a very different place so not somewhere to make home unless you are comfortable with this style of life. Almost every property seemed to have lobster/prawn or crab creels on their land. Around the coast many inlets have fishing boats tied up. It was low tide when we walked past so many seemed stranded but in a few hours it will be a different story. Hobbies or livelihood I'm not sure but fresh shellfish will feature on many of these tables.
By this stage we had now heard 4 different Corncrake calling, some very close by, but could we see them, no? I read that they are visible for the 1st 2 weeks when they arrive, after that they are frequently heard but rarely seen. I wondered about our fellow bus passengers, had they heard any?

We had made good time and should make the ferry ok.
When we arrived at Northbay we felt that the walk was almost over. This is a pleasant bay with the local church dominating the view along with some local wind turbines. Barra is a predominately Catholic island and does appear to have more churches than you would expect for the population. There was no activity in the bay when we passed but possibly it is busy with local fishing boats later in the day.

Another stunning bay

A short walk round the bay brings us to Ardmhor and we thought the walk was over. In reality there is still over a mile to walk to get to the ferry. Had we been tight for time this extra bit could have been interesting, Mrs B would not have taken well to jogging the last stretch.

Out of order telephone

At the ferry there is a small hut to rest in if the weather is against you. There is a nice sculpture of otters to remind you of your trip. We did look hard but failed to spot one of these beauties. I have seen them a few times on my fishing days on the river over the last year but I have not seen a wild sea otter, still another reason to come back.
As on the outward journey the car park was busy and on this occasion 1 car that had not booked failed to get on. Hopefully they got on the last one. Local drivers known to the crew got priority. Strangely there were only 5 foot passengers but we were held standing until all the cars had loaded. it would have seemed better to load us first but Calmac have there methods.
The wind was behind us so the return crossing felt much warmer than the outward with great views of Eriskay welcoming us back.
A super walk, a pity it is all on tarmac as you follow the road, but don't let that put you off, the scenery and the tranquillity of the surroundings make it all worth while. 
Now where can we get a beer?