Number Nine – Barra

A sublime Holiday house with superb facilities and a stunning beachside location on Barra.

Full of character and charm, Number Nine Cottage is a refurbished traditional croft house sleeping six and overlooking the massive beach that also serves as Barra Airport. You can watch the planes land on the sand from the kitchen window!

Wood panelled walls and woodburning stoves

The house has been totally refurbished but the owners have retained many original features including wood panelled walls and woodburning stoves, including one in the downstairs bedroom, which is a romantic touch. The interiors are tastefully done with some local touches, including Harris tweed sofa and cushions, and some quirky artworks. The cottage sleeps six in comfort and is ideal for family holidays – a handy base for exploring Barra and Vatersay. It’s pet friendly too, so you can bring the hound.

Number Nine is a good-sized holiday house with a traditional layout. The lounge has a fantastic woodburner, and comfy leather and Harris tweed sofas. There is also a TV and DVD player and a selection of films, including the legendary Whisky Galore, which was shot on the island of course.

The WIFI in the house is surprisingly fast for such a remote location! The lounge is a lovely place to sit, relax, read and plan your next day’s island adventures.

See the planes land on the beach.

The kitchen is well-equipped with a dining table, modern hob, oven and microwave and a dishwasher. It has incredible views out the window across the beach to the Airport. It’s an amazing sight to see the planes land on the beach. In fact, Barra has the world’s only scheduled air service that lands on the beach. If you get the chance fly into Barra, do it! We flew in from Glasgow and it was a fabulous experience. Our tiny Loganair Twin Otter plane hugging the mountains and lochs as we flew over familiar landmarks such as Loch Lomond, Oban and Tobermory en route.

Watch the flames flicker from your bed!

All of the bedrooms have really comfortable beds and the décor has been done with care and loads of style. In terms of sleeping arrangements, there’s a large double and a twin bedroom upstairs, and another double downstairs at the front of the house. The downstairs bedroom has a cosy woodburning stove, so you watch the flames flicker from your bed! Downstairs has a high-quality bathroom with large bath and excellent rain shower.

Number Nine is special place – a tastefully restored and upgraded Highland house, with a beachside location to die for. It’s full of charm and a very comfortable location for a family holiday on the brilliant Island of Barra.

Perfect Days

Number Nine is a fabulous base for exploring the many attractions of the wonderful and unspoilt Island of Barra – walking, cycling, beach combing, fishing as well some great boat trips.

Don’t miss Kisimul Castle overlooking Castlebay, the only significant surviving medieval castle in the Outer Hebrides. It’s is the seat of the chief of Clan MacNeil, who settled in Barra in the 11th century. It well worth exploring and the short boat trip to the Castle adds to the experience.

Explore the Isle of Vatersay (linked now by a causeway), with its fabulous sandy beaches, facing east and west.  Look out for the remains of a Catalina plane that crashed in 1944 and the Monument to the 350 souls who perished in a terrible storm when the ship Annie Jane went down.

Go for a walk up Heaval, the highest peak on the island (just under 400 metres) and enjoy the sensational views.

Enjoy a picnic or just chill out on the beach next to the house and watch the planes come into land or head over to the friendly airport Café for a quality home cooked lunch. Friday night is fish and chip night, sit in or take away, with fantastic fresh local seafood.

How about a wee trip over to the Isle of Eriskay, with its stunning white sands? It was off the shores of Eriskay that the ship the S.S. Politician foundered in 1941 and the true story behind Whisky Galore tale infolded. You can go for a pint or enjoy a dram in the Am Politician Lounge Bar and see an original bottle of the whisky brought ashore from the stricken ship.

Go for a wander around Castlebay, visit the fudge shop, Buth Bharraigh shop with its local produce or have a look in Heritage Centre and find out about local history, including the real story of Whisky Galore.

How to book

Call (0)7583 158 527 or complete the form.