Castlebay
Encyclopedia
Castlebay is the main village and a community council
area on the island of Barra
in the Outer Hebrides
of Scotland. It is located on the south coast of the island, and overlooks a bay in the Atlantic Ocean dominated by Kisimul Castle
, as well as nearby islands such as Vatersay
.
, whereas the southern gables depict Our Lady Star of the Sea. In recent times, the Church has undergone renovation works that were completed in early 2007.
in the late 1800s, albeit with notorious travelling conditions. In the 1980s, a roll-on-roll-off car ferry terminal was finally built in Castlebay, allowing much larger ferries to arrive on Barra. Between 1989 and 1998, the MV Lord of the Isles
travelled daily between Oban, Castlebay and Lochboisdale
on the island of South Uist, sometimes stopping on the Isle of Mull. In 1998, the MV Clansman
replaced the MV Lord of the Isles on the Oban-Castlebay-Lochboisdale run.
The island's ringroad, the A888, connects Castlebay to the rest of the island by road.
(Gaelic: Sgoil Bhàgh a’ Chaisteil), is located on the western side of Castlebay. It is the only source of secondary education on Barra. Since 2007, the school has had responsibility for the Castlebay preschool (both the English and the Gaelic Medium), meaning that with its Primary School division it caters for all ages of school children. In September 2007, the school received an HMIE
report heavily criticising the relationships amongst the secondary school's staff and management, but complimenting them in the primary school.
Kisimul Castle
is located approximately 100 yard away from the ferry terminal in the centre of the bay that Castlebay overlooks. It is the home of Clan MacNeil
, but is currently under a thousand year lease to Historic Scotland from the current Laird, Iain MacNeil.
In the 2010 Channel 4
programme Dom Joly and the Black Island, Joly
and Tintinologist Michael Farr
identify Castlebay and Kisimul as the locations of Kiltoch and the Ben More Castle in the Tintin
adventure The Black Island
, although the scenes of him attempting to reach it by boat and subsequently exploring it on foot were filmed at Lochranza Castle
on the Isle of Arran
. This was not made explicit, however this castle also claims associations with the Tintin story.
Community council
A community council is a public representative body in Great Britain.In England they may be statutory parish councils by another name, under the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007, or they may be non-statutory bodies...
area on the island of Barra
Barra
The island of Barra is a predominantly Gaelic-speaking island, and apart from the adjacent island of Vatersay, to which it is connected by a causeway, is the southernmost inhabited island of the Outer Hebrides in Scotland.-Geography:The 2001 census showed that the resident population was 1,078...
in the Outer Hebrides
Outer Hebrides
The Outer Hebrides also known as the Western Isles and the Long Island, is an island chain off the west coast of Scotland. The islands are geographically contiguous with Comhairle nan Eilean Siar, one of the 32 unitary council areas of Scotland...
of Scotland. It is located on the south coast of the island, and overlooks a bay in the Atlantic Ocean dominated by Kisimul Castle
Kisimul Castle
Kisimul Castle is a small medieval castle located in the centre of Castlebay on Barra, an island of the Outer Hebrides, Scotland....
, as well as nearby islands such as Vatersay
Vatersay
Vatersay is an inhabited island in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland. Vatersay is also the name of the only village on the island.-Location:The westernmost permanently inhabited place in Scotland, Vatersay is linked to Barra by a causeway completed in 1991...
.
Church
The Catholic church in Castlebay, 'The Church of Our Lady Star of the Sea', was built in 1886 on a mound overlooking the town centre. It was designed by an architect from Oban, G. Woulfe Brenan, along with a house further down the slope for the priest to reside in. The northern gable of the Church features a stained glass window depicting the CrucifixionCrucifixion
Crucifixion is an ancient method of painful execution in which the condemned person is tied or nailed to a large wooden cross and left to hang until dead...
, whereas the southern gables depict Our Lady Star of the Sea. In recent times, the Church has undergone renovation works that were completed in early 2007.
Transport
The village is home to one of the important transport hubs of the island - the main ferry terminal. Steam ferries were known to be travelling between Castlebay and ObanOban
Oban Oban Oban ( is a resort town within the Argyll and Bute council area of Scotland. It has a total resident population of 8,120. Despite its small size, it is the largest town between Helensburgh and Fort William and during the tourist season the town can be crowded by up to 25,000 people. Oban...
in the late 1800s, albeit with notorious travelling conditions. In the 1980s, a roll-on-roll-off car ferry terminal was finally built in Castlebay, allowing much larger ferries to arrive on Barra. Between 1989 and 1998, the MV Lord of the Isles
MV Lord of the Isles
MV Lord of the Isles is one of the larger Caledonian Maritime Assets Limited ferries, run by Caledonian MacBrayne and operating from Oban on the west of Scotland. Built in Port Glasgow, she is the most-travelled vessel in today's fleet.-History:...
travelled daily between Oban, Castlebay and Lochboisdale
Lochboisdale
Lochboisdale is a community and the main population centre on the island of South Uist, Outer Hebrides, Scotland.The town profited from the herring boom in the 19th century, and a steamer pier was built in 1880...
on the island of South Uist, sometimes stopping on the Isle of Mull. In 1998, the MV Clansman
MV Clansman
MV Clansman is a ferry owned by Caledonian Maritime Assets Limited and operated by Caledonian MacBrayne, operating from Oban on the west coast of Scotland.-History:...
replaced the MV Lord of the Isles on the Oban-Castlebay-Lochboisdale run.
The island's ringroad, the A888, connects Castlebay to the rest of the island by road.
Education
The Castlebay Community SchoolCastlebay Community School
Castlebay Community School is a bilingual Gaelic/English school for ages 3–18 on the Scottish island of Barra.In September 2007, it successfully hosted a major tribute to sailors who sailed in the Merchant Navy from the Western Isles and around the world...
(Gaelic: Sgoil Bhàgh a’ Chaisteil), is located on the western side of Castlebay. It is the only source of secondary education on Barra. Since 2007, the school has had responsibility for the Castlebay preschool (both the English and the Gaelic Medium), meaning that with its Primary School division it caters for all ages of school children. In September 2007, the school received an HMIE
Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Education
Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Education is an executive agency of the Scottish Government, responsible for the inspection of public and independent, primary and secondary schools, as well as further education colleges, community learning, Local Authority Education Departments and teacher...
report heavily criticising the relationships amongst the secondary school's staff and management, but complimenting them in the primary school.
Amenities
Castlebay is home to the majority of shops on the island. The main street forms a square with the ferry terminal and the ring road, and features several grocery shops, a bank, post office, and tourist information centre. There is a larger supermarket now to the west of the village, having opened in October 2009. There are also several hotels in the village.Kisimul Castle
Kisimul Castle
Kisimul Castle is a small medieval castle located in the centre of Castlebay on Barra, an island of the Outer Hebrides, Scotland....
is located approximately 100 yard away from the ferry terminal in the centre of the bay that Castlebay overlooks. It is the home of Clan MacNeil
Clan MacNeil
Clan MacNeil, also known in Scotland as Clan Niall, is a highland Scottish clan, particularly associated with the Outer Hebridean island of Barra. The early history of Clan MacNeil is obscure, however despite this the clan claims to descend from the legendary Niall of the nine hostages...
, but is currently under a thousand year lease to Historic Scotland from the current Laird, Iain MacNeil.
In the 2010 Channel 4
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
programme Dom Joly and the Black Island, Joly
Dom Joly
Dominic John Romulus "Dom" Joly is a British television comedian and journalist. He came to note as the star of Trigger Happy TV, a hidden camera show that was sold to over seventy countries worldwide...
and Tintinologist Michael Farr
Michael Farr
Michael Farr is a British expert on the comic series Tintin and its creator, Hergé. He has written several books on the subject as well as translating several others into English...
identify Castlebay and Kisimul as the locations of Kiltoch and the Ben More Castle in the Tintin
The Adventures of Tintin
The Adventures of Tintin is a series of classic comic books created by Belgian artist , who wrote under the pen name of Hergé...
adventure The Black Island
The Black Island
The Black Island is the seventh of The Adventures of Tintin, a series of classic comic-strip albums, written and illustrated by Belgian writer and illustrator Hergé, featuring young reporter Tintin as the hero. It was first published in the newspaper supplement Le Petit Vingtième in the late 1930s...
, although the scenes of him attempting to reach it by boat and subsequently exploring it on foot were filmed at Lochranza Castle
Lochranza Castle
Lochranza Castle is an L-plan tower house situated on a promontory in the middle of Lochranza, on the North of the Isle of Arran in Scotland. Most of the present castle today was built in the sixteenth century....
on the Isle of Arran
Isle of Arran
Arran or the Isle of Arran is the largest island in the Firth of Clyde, Scotland, and with an area of is the seventh largest Scottish island. It is in the unitary council area of North Ayrshire and the 2001 census had a resident population of 5,058...
. This was not made explicit, however this castle also claims associations with the Tintin story.