Opened in 1880 but expanded and modernised Castlebay Hotel offers you warm comfortable rooms, all en-suite with telephone and colour television. Situated overlooking Castlebay and Vatersay you are welcomed by our friendly staff. Our menus feature local shellfish - razorfish, scallops, crab, cockles and langoustines as well as the freshest of fish landed off local boats - haddock, cod, skate wings, turbot, sole, hake and monkfish. Salmon from Uist is also featured as is a range of steak and meat dishes. The Cocktail Bar which has marvellous views over the harbour and Kisimul Castle. The Dining Room - we serve a wide range of local produce. The comfortable sitting room. View over the Harbour from the dining room. The conservatory has lovely views over the Harbour also. All rates are per room per night. (including full Highland breakfast and VAT). MacNeil Room - double. Superior twin/double - sea-view. Standard twin/double - sea-view. Hillside twin/double. Single occupancy in twin/double. Dinner Bed Breakfast (2 night minimum) plus £30 on room rate. Single in twin/double or in single plus £15 on room rate. [Dinner to a value of £20 per person excluding drinks]. We find that most people now book by email. Please note that we will not open attachments. We acknowledge all emails received. We do not take deposits but require a valid credit card (but not Amex or Diners) as guarantee. Cancellation policy is to charge one night if less than seven days notice is given. Please note that rooms are only available for Saturdays as part of a minimum two night booking. Silverhaven Ltd (trading as Castlebay Hotel) Registered in England number 4176728 Registered Office: Mallards The Warren Caversham Reading RG4 7TQ

The hotel is well-known for the quality of its food. Fresh seafood of all kinds is landed daily on Barra to provide our extensive fish and shellfish menu, which varies daily depending upon availability. During 2007, the menu has been extended by our new Chef to include items such as wild boar, hare, venison and other more exotic foods. We serve beef filet, Barra lamb, Welsh pork as well as vegetarian dishes. Slawek Pilarski, our Chef, has worked in top-class restaurants in the USA, Germany, Poland and England. He now applies his international expertise to the food served in the Castlebay Hotel and Bar. Bar meals are available in the Cocktail Bar and the Castlebay Bar. Breakfast is served from 07.30 to 09.30. Lunch is available from 12.00 to 14.00 Dinner in winter is served from 17.00 -20.00, or later if booked

You will receive a warm welcome when you stay, or dine, at the Castlebay Hotel (seen top right in the photo above) on Barra, the most southerly of the Western Isles. The Hotel overlooks Kisimul Castle, the harbour and the beautiful island of Vatersay. It is a pleasure to relax and watch the changing scene around the bay, whether in the sun porch, in the cocktail bar over a dram, in the garden or in your room. Barra has often been described as the Hebrides in Miniature and indeed in many ways it is with its beautiful beaches, backed by machair, meadows filled with wild flowers, rocky eastern coast, and hilly interior. In late Spring and Summer the island is a riot of colourful flowers, and is also a good place for bird watching with Golden Eagles, Gannets, Terns and Corncrakes perhaps the most exciting species to see or hear. Otters and Seals are common, and various species of whales and dolphins may be seen from the ferry. The Hotel is the ideal place to come and unwind. The staff will look after you and their friendly, caring attention to service is a very important part of ensuring that you will be able to relax. Simply absorbing the peace and pace of life of this vibrant island community is to relax. There is plenty to see and do, from a walk down the village street to see the ferry come in, to strolls along the many beaches or more strenuous walks in the hills. The wealth of archaeology can also be explored. Bikes and cars can be hired on the island which can be reached by ferry from Oban, Mallaig (in summer) or South Uist and by air from Glasgow. The aircraft lands on Barra's unique airfield which is on a beach! Castlebay Hotel, Castlebay, Isle of Barra HS9 5XD. Tel 01871 810223 Fax 01871 810455 email info@castlebayhotel.com. This site was created by Charles Tait email charles.tait@zetnet.co.uk. Silverhaven Ltd (trading as Castlebay Hotel) Registered in England number 4176728. Registered Office: Mallards The Warren Caversham Reading RG4 7TQ

CASTLEBAY HOTEL, BARRA Reviews -old and new. Under the guidance of fellow passengers who have been here before, a walk of a few minutes up from the pier brings us to a comfortable new hotel, within which we soon forgot any little discomfort experienced during the past hour or two. Standing at the hotel door, at an elevation, guessed roughly, of a hundred feet above the level of the sea, our impression was that we had seldom, if ever, looked out upon a fairer prospect of the same character. Written in 1882 by a traveler from Oban on the steamer, Dunara Castle. Castlebay Hotel in the 1930s when it was already owned by the previous owner's grand father, Allan MacLeod. Castlebay harbour from near the hotel in the early 1900s with the Herring fleet and Kisimul Castle in the background. In 1904 David MacBrayne had the steamer Plover built specially for the route to Barra and South Uist. Apparently it was not much superior to the previous vessel Cygnet according to one AA McGregor who thought that a much sturdier vessel was needed. Notwithstanding this the Plover saw off a U-boat in July 1918 with its gun, and reached Barra safely. Nowadays the service is run by the new Calmac ferry, Clansman, and there is no threat from U-boats, although the occasional whale may be observed en-route. MS Plover leaving Castlebay about 1920, as seen from the Castlebay Hotel. Kisimul Castle in the 1920s before renovation. Extract from Scotland the Best's Unique Pubs: Castlebay Bar, Barra adjacent to the Castlebay Hotel may have an unpromising exterior, but inside is the nearest thing you`ll get to a real Irish bar in exile outside of New York. In Glasgow this place would be legendary. Eclectic clientele from as far away asVatersay. The magical island's Main Town is Castlebay with 3 hotels (best is Castlebay). Castlebay and Kisimul Castle today with the Calmac ferry Lord of the Isles. The Virgin and Child on Heaval above Castlebay. Graham Simpson of the Sun newspaper: We stayed at the Castlebay Hotel, which overlooks the bay and Kisimul Castle. Our two-night package included breakfast and three-course evening meal and the food was fantastic.An array of fresh seafood, including cockles collected that day, and piles of proper chips like granddad used to make, left me in gastronomic dreamland.

By Loganair from Glasgow, landing on the unique beach airfield at Traigh Mhor - the famous Cocklestrand in a De Havilland Twin Otter - a unique and essential experience. This is the world's only airstrip where the operations depend on the tide. Details from. Or by Calmac ferry from Oban, which is only two hours drive from Glasgow (5 hours), or south from Lochboisdale in South Uist (1 hour 45 mins). The ferry trips alone are part of the trip with the spectacular scenery of the west of Scotland giving way to the open sea of the Minch with its birds and ceteceans, followed by the appearance of the Barra Isles on the horizon. Details from. Cars, Buses and Bikes may be hired on Barra: Barra Bus Car Hire 01871 810243, 01871 890366 and 01871 810262; Barra Cycle Hire 01871 810284. Tel 01871 810223 Fax 01871 810455

The Castlebay Bar is adjacent to the Hotel and is an excellent place to meet locals and people from afar. Entertainment with local musicians and comedians is frequent. You may even meet one from Orkney! The Castlebay Bar was originally built to serve the huge numbers of people involved in the Herring Fishing in the early 1900s, and today is the best place in Barra to meet local folk and visitors alike in a relaxed, friendly setting. There is often music at night and the atmosphere ranges from tranquil to vibrant. Because the bar is separate from the hotel, guests who want peace and quiet need not worry about excessive noise

PEOPLE We are a small hotel run by a mostly local Barra team with years of experience. We are proud of our friendly service to guests. Here are a few of the folk whom you will meet when you come to stay or dine with us. Mary at work in the kitchen. This happy face will cheer your day. Patsy pops up everywhere, breakfast,rooms,lunch, reception. Marion, a Vatersay Girl, at the Ironing. Slawek Pilarski has made a name for himself as a superb Chef since arriving at the hotel in April 2007

Links to other Barra-related sites. If you would like to be linked, please email. links will be agreed on a reciprocal basis with no charge being levied by either party. Isle of Barra community online - articles from Barra weekly newspaper ''Guth Bharraidh'' plus tourist guide, history, Gaelic lessons and more www.jgruson.demon.co.uk. The (Unofficial) Barra Island Lifeboat Home Page www.barrafineart.co.uk. Barra Fine Art was set up in 1998 to facilitate the work that the artist has undertaken in the illustration and production of a Gaidhlig reading scheme for primary and pre-school children. Kisimul Castle sits on a rocky islet in Castlebay. Legend has it that this has been the stronghold of the MacNeils since the 11th century. www.charles-tait.co.uk. A large selection of photographs of Barra - also postcards and calendars. Caledonian MacBrayne currently operates the passenger and vehicle services to Barra and the other Western Isles. Online booking service. The Western Isles Tourist Board site. Information about all of the islands. Information on Citilink - coach travel and schedules. Information on Scotrail - train travel and schedules. Information on the airline KLM -air travel and schedules www.britishairways.com. Information on the airline British Airways - air travel and schedules direct to Barra from airports worldwide. Information on the airline Easyjet - air travel and schedules to and within UK