Castlebay

The village of Castlebay ( Gaelic: Bagh a ' Chaisteil ) is the main town of the island of Barra in the Outer Hebrides in Scotland. It lies on the southern coast of the island, and overlooks a bay in addition to nearby islands such as Vatersay.

Churches

The Catholic Church of Castlebay, "The Church of Our Lady Star of the Sea", was built in 1886 on a hill above the town center. It was designed that something downslope located house of the priest of an architect from Oban as, G. Woulfe Brenan. The north gable of the church has a stained glass window depicting the Crucifixion, while the southern gable Our ​​Lady, Star of the Sea shows (ie the Hlg. Mary). By early 2007, the church was renovated.

Traffic

The city hosts one of the main transport hubs of the island - the main ferry pier. In the late 19th century steam-powered ferries already sailed the route between Castlebay and Oban, although the conditions were notorious. In the eighties of the 20th century, a roll-on roll-off ferry terminal was built, allowing much larger ferry to call at Barra. Between 1989 and 1998, the MV Lord of the Isles wrong daily between Oban, Castlebay and Lochboisdale on South Uist, sometimes with a stopover on the Isle of Mull. In 1998, she was replaced by the MV Clansman.

Education

The Castlebay Community School ( Gaelic: Sgoil Bhàgh a ' Chaisteil ) is located in the west of Castlebay. It is the only school in Barra, which offers secondary education. Since 2007, the school also has the responsibility for the English and Gaelic preschool in Castlebay, which means that it has offers for school children of all ages. In September 2007, a report criticized the relationships between the staff of the secondary school and the management of difficult, but praised the primary school work.

Infrastructure

Castlebay is home to most of the shops on the island. The main street is the ferry terminal and the ring road a place with more food and tourist buildings. The center of the resort also owns the only supermarket on the island, even if for the west of the city a larger supermarket is planned. Construction is expected to begin in spring 2009 and be completed in the fall. There are also several hotels and a tourist information center.

Kisimul Castle

Kisimul Castle is located about a hundred meters from the ferry terminal in the center of the Bay, located at the Castlebay. It is the ancestral home of Clan MacNeil, but currently leased for a thousand years to Historic Scotland.

The earliest written record dates from the mid -16th century. Kisimul lies on a rocky island off the coast of Barra. It is surrounded by the sea and can be reached only by boat. A stone dam is exposed only at low tide. Kisimul has its own fresh water source.