67. Eoligarry Beach

The small community of Eoligarry lies at the northern tip of Barra, with a small school and a series of white-painted houses dotted along the coast. Its beach, which runs along the top of the peninsula, is Traigh Sgurabhal and when the tide is out (as it is today) you can literally walk for miles among around the headland. A small jetty lies at the eastern entry point, where I park up, and then it’s down along the dunes and past the rock pools onto the wide, expansive and totally invigorating exposed sands. The patterns in the wet sand remind me of Holkham beach in Norfolk. An impressive sand castle has been left at the back at the beach, which seems a fitting tribute to this majestic bay. This vast beach concludes my business on Barra, and as I make the short journey round to the ferry terminal to await my sailing, I reflect on how memorable today has been (so far). It’s been a day of superlatives and I am so lucky to have visited Vatersay and Barra on such a perfect late summer day. This project has already provided me with many lifetime memories and this is one nailed on certainty. I grab a tea in the small cafe at the terminal and chat briefly to the owner, a woman from the south east of England, where I am from, who tells me about the joy of living life on Barra. I get it.