The Western Isles - The Rough Guide to Scottish Highlands and Islands - page 322

side boasts the crunchy shell sands of Tràigh Mhòr, better known as Cockle Strand .
The beach is also used as the island's airport , with planes landing and taking off
according to the tides, since at high tide the beach (and therefore the runway) is
covered in water. As its name suggests, the strand is also famous for its cockles and
cockleshells, the latter being used to make harling (the rendering used on most
Scottish houses).

Eòlaigearraidh (Eoligarry)
To the north of the airport is the scattered settlement of EOLIGARRY (Eòlaigearraidh),
which boasts several sheltered sandy bays. Here, too, is St Barr's Church (Cille-Bharra),
burial ground of the MacNeils (and the author Compton MacKenzie). The ground lies
beside the ruins of a medieval church and two chapels, one of which has been reroofed
to provide shelter for several carved medieval gravestones and a replica of an eleventh-
century rune-inscribed cross, the original of which is in the National Museum of
Scotland in Edinburgh.

6

Scurrival Point

BARRA

Fuday

0

2

miles

Eoligarry

Cille-
Bharra

N

Airport

Greian Head

Ardmhor

Northbay

Allasdale

Bruernish

Barra Bolnabodach

Craigston

Borve

Halaman
Bay

Heaval
(1260ft)

Tangasdail

Doirlinn Head

Brevig

Ben Tangaval
(1089ft)

Castlebay

Kisimul
Castle

Heishival Mòr
(623ft)

Vatersay

Annie Jane
Monument

Vatersay