Day 12: Portree, Isle of Skye to North Bay, Isle of Barra, Outer Hebrides  - Monday, 9 September 

Weather: 10º - 13º - Cloudy and patches of rain 

Accommodation: Sunamul Cottage, North Bay


It was a long day of travelling to get to the Isle of Barra where we will be staying for two nights before exploring the other Outer Hebrides islands. 


We woke just before the 4.45am alarm and quickly showered, scoffed down yoghurt, banana and cereal, downed a cup of coffee, put the final things in the car and we were on the road to Oban at 5.12am. Whew!


For the first hour of driving it was pitch black and we didn’t see any other cars. I drove south at a slower pace along the coastline towards the Isle of Skye bridge as I didn’t want to hit any sheep or a deer. We did see one large dead deer on the side of the narrow road. The only living thing we saw was a large owl taking flight. 


As we were so early we made very good time due to the lack of traffic and managed to fit in a half hour break for coffee and breakfast at the Racer Cafe 14kms from Oban. After 4.15 hours on the road we arrived at the dock at 9.30am and we checked in. Our previous day’s estimate of travel time was quite close. We waited for nearly two hours before being able to drive the car onto the large ferry.



We had good views looking back to Oban as we sailed from the port. It was good to see it again.



It took four and a half hours to get to the Isle of Barra. Half of the journey was sheltered as we sailed between the mainland and the Isle of Mull. When we entered the open water it was much more choppy with strong winds. Visibility was poor due to a low mist and rain. I didn’t get seasick so the Kwel seasickness tablets might have worked. The ferry may not be operating tomorrow due to increasing bad weather. 


The ferry, The Isle of Lewis, was large with ample seating areas, a coffee shop and a small cafe. We were able to spread out and catch up on some sleep from the early morning start. 


The view from the ferry coming into Barra with the little township of Castlebay in the sheltered bay was special. The mist and rain lifted as we berthed at 4.30pm.



It didn’t take long for all the cars to leave the ferry. It was very organised. We firstly went to the local Co-Op for basic supplies as we are in a self-catering cottage. The cottage is terrific as it is spacious, modern and overlooks wonderful views over North Bay. We are about a 15 mins drive from Castlebay on a single road with frequent passing bays going one way and 17 mins if we go the other way. This shows how small Barra is. Tomorrow we will explore it before heading onto the Isle of Uist. 


We returned to Castlebay for dinner at 6.30pm via the 17 mins road and we like it better as there are fewer potholes and passing lanes. We booked a table at the Craigard Hotel Restaurant overlooking the harbour and the Kisimul Castle which is close to the shore. 



Overall, it was a long day of travelling but it all went without a hitch and we’re happy with our little bungalow on Barra. 



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