Barra (named after St. Barr) is the most amazing of
Scotland's
Hebrides and has an astonishing beauty and serenity about it.
It's only 19 km to walk around, but you will see some of the most astonishing views ever. Leaving on the ferry from
Oban after 4 hours of the odd
Single Malt Whisky to keep you from throwing up, you will see the hils of Barra rising out of the
Hebridean Sea.
After another hour on this most rudimentary of ferries (courtesy of Scottish monopolists Caledonian MacBrayne) the main settlement of Barra, Castlebay appears in its own natural harbour. Don't expect any malls: there are two or three shops, a hotel and a pub. On the other hand, the light is magnificent and small Kiessimul Castle stands in the middle of the bay (hence the name).
Another way to get to the island is by taking a short flight from Glasgow - courtesy of British Airways and an ever broken Twin Otter - and land on Barra's airport, or to be correct, on a strip of beach, meaning you can only land on Barra when the tide is low.
There are a couple of historic sites, a 12th century church mainly displaying celtic relics, but the real beauty of Barra are its green hills and its amazing beaches which are perfect for hours of contemplation and reading. There are almost no tourists around, so you'll have the island for yourself (apart from it's population of 1200, but they're busy crofting and will leave you alone.
So, polish up your gaelic, cleanse your liver and off you go, to one of the few places in Western Europe where you can cure your hangover alone on a golden beach, watching whales and dolphins jump about in the bluest waters, while you can contemplate which combination of single malts you will have tonight...