In the Air to Barra
A most unusual airport - a one-minute travel vignette
A brief travel adventure. Fasten your seatbelt and return your tray table to the upright and locked position. Enjoy the short flight.
The small Flybe turboprop fires up its twin propellers and lifts out of the Glasgow Airport for its one-hour jaunt across the Atlantic sea channel to the Scottish Hebridean Isle of Barra. It flies at such a low altitude over the water, the passengers nervously look around for any kind of flotation device.
Barra’s airport is located on the island’s north shore, and Traigh Mhor is the beach on which the plane lands. Yes, the beach. The landings and departure times change daily as they must be scheduled to coincide with the ebb tides.
There is no public access allowed on the beach when the airport wind sock is flying or when the strobe light on the control tower is on. The cows, however, do not know this rule. Today the plane has to make an extra loop around the island while the bovine trespassers are chased off the sand.
We land in about 10” of water, our touch-down sending up a high spray in our wake. WHEEEE! What a thrill it is! Truthfully, there is not much to do on Barra, but as is often the case - it is the journey, not the destination we seek.
Click the arrow THREE times to watch the landing
I love this! The cows on the beach got my attention. What a trip that must have been!
What an awesome flight!