68. Prince’s Beach

One of Scotland’s great historic coastal locations, where Bonnie Prince Charlie first set foot on Scottish soil in his attempt to take the crown in the 1745 Jacobite Rebellion – a move that would ultimately end in defeat at Culloden a year later. The Gaelic name for this impressive bay is Coilleag a Phrionnsa and the beach is locally known simply as Charlie’s Beach. Located right next to the small ferry terminal to Barra, it’s an unmissable spot for a walk – either before or after the ferry, or as a day out in itself. After disembarking the ferry after a beach-packed day on Vatersay and Barra, I took an early evening stroll down onto the beach and along the shore. A large gathering of a dozen or so people were just packing up to leave, and a few other families were dotted across the white sand bay enjoying the evening. Charlie certainly picked a nice spot to make his entrance.