The Ferry Port of Castlebay on the Isle of Barra. Outer Hebrides, Western Isles. Scotland. SCO 6528
The village of Castlebay (Scottish Gaelic: Bàgh a' Chaisteil) is the main village on the Isle of Barra in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland. It is located on the south coast of the island, and overlooks a bay in the Atlantic Ocean, as well as nearby islands such as Vatersay. Kisimul or Chiosmuil translates as "the rock in the bay" and the origin is obvious from the castle's location on its rocky island in Castle Bay, on Barra's south coast. And the castle is in turn the origin of the name of Castle Bay, and that of the village of Castlebay which curves around the north side of the bay. It has been possible to visit Kisimul Castle for many years, but only on a couple of afternoons a week. This all changed on 31 March 2000 when the current chief of the Clan MacNeil leased the castle to Historic Scotland for 1000 years. In doing so he ensured the work of his father to restore the castle will be safeguarded forever: and that the public can visit this remarkable building every day from April to September. The origins of Kisimul Castle are obscure. Castlebay shown within the Outer Hebrides Council area Na h-Eileanan Siar Lieutenancy area Western Isles Country Scotland Sovereign state United Kingdom Post town ISLE OF BARRA Postcode district HS9 Dialling code 01871 Police Northern Fire Highlands and Islands Ambulance Scottish EU Parliament Scotland UK Parliament Na h-Eileanan an Iar Scottish Parliament Western Isles
Size: 5620px × 3733px
Location: Castlebay, Isle of Barra. Outer Hebrides, Inverness-shire, Highland, Scotland.
Photo credit: © David Gowans / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: -needed, 1838, 1930s, 1970, 21st, 45th, airport, airstrip, america., american, archipelago, architect, artesian, attack., barra, basin., beach, berthed, boat, bought, castle, castle., castlebay, catchment, causway, chief, clan, completing, crew, crewhouse, crofting, curtain, death, defend, design, dunstaffnage, equipped, expected, ferry, fish, fishing, flights, galley, glasgow, hebridean, hebrides, installed., island, isle, isles, kisimul, landscape, late, launch, life, links, lister, lochboisdale, macneil, macneils, main, mainland, mhor, nearby., oban, outer, piped, provide, regular, residence, restoration, returned, road, robert, ruins., sand, scenery, scotland, seek, sell, ship, sieges, sign, similar, sloping, south, square, succeeded, telephones, tourism, tours, town, traigh, trap, trips, trouble, uist, vatersay, wall, watching, water, wells, western, wildlife, withstand, work.
