It was almost s 5-hour ferry ride from Oban to Barra, on a windy, rainy day. At first glance I noticed the remoteness of this Hebridean island and a landscape devoid of trees and with just a hint of green. The heather seems desperate to bloom – there is a hint of color on the hillsides but nothing as yet that truly catches the eye. Am I too early, or too late? The midgies have made an appearance as well so I must remember to bring the midge repellent with me when I go out.
As I made my way to my little house I was struck by the sheer beauty of the beaches and rough surf rolling in from the Hebridean Sea. It was a good first day, I simply drove all over the island and explored. It was an easy run then to Vatersay over the causeway that connects it to Barra. This is the southernmost and westernmost inhabited island in the Outer Hebrides. The settlement of Caolas on the north coast of the island boasts being the westernmost permanently inhabited place in Scotland! The beaches on Vatersay are magnificent and the machair stretches for what seems like forever. The dunes here are endangered and efforts are being made to shore them up with netting.
There are cyclists everywhere here – they can’t all be actually peddling, can they? Some must be on e-bikes as the hills are formidable. Even in the rain, which seems to almost be constant at times, they are out biking around the island. Campers are also everywhere, and Barra has a few camping sites while Vatersay only has places where campers can park overnight just off the road for a fee of £10. The road around Vatersay is extremely narrow – needless to say a single-track road! Lots more exploring to do!
