Castles · Scottish Islands
Castlebay
Also known as: Bàgh a' Chaisteil
In or near Borve.
Castlebay in Scotland Islands, United Kingdom.

Richard Webb — CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons licence
Plan your visit
- Typical visit
- 1.5 h–3 h
- Family-friendly
- Limited wheelchair access
About
Castlebay is a place of interest in Scotland Islands, United Kingdom — drawn from open-data sources for visitor reference. See the linked Wikipedia article for the full description.
Photo gallery
See it from the streetimagery from 2022
Imagery © Mapillary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0
From the Wikipedia article
Castlebay (Scottish Gaelic: Bàgh a' Chaisteil [baːɣ ə ˈxaʃtʲɪl]) is the main village and a community council area on the island of Barra in the Outer Hebrides, Scotland. The village 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. Castlebay is also within the parish of Barra. The village is located on the A888, which serves as a circular road around Barra. In 1971, it had a population of 307.
Excerpt from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0. See the source article linked in Sources below.
Background
History
Kisimul Castle is located approximately 100 yd away from the ferry terminal in the centre of the bay that Castlebay overlooks. Kisimul was abandoned in 1838 when the island was sold, and the castle's condition subsequently deteriorated. Some of its stone was used as ballast for fishing vessels, and some even ended up as paving in Glasgow. The remains of the castle, along with most of the island of Barra, were purchased in 1937 by Robert Lister MacNeil, the Chief of Clan MacNeil, who made efforts at restoration. In 2001, the castle was leased by the Chief of Clan MacNeil to Historic Scotland for 1,000 years for the annual sum of £1 and a bottle of whisky. For the 2011 census the island on…
Sourced from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Coordinates
- 56.9549, -7.4866
- District
- Na h-Eileanan Siar
- Postcode
- HS9 5WZ
- Parliamentary constituency
- Na h-Eileanan an Iar
Sources
Other places nearby

Barra Island Lifeboat Station
Islands · 0.1 km

Church of our Lady, Star of the Sea, Barra
Historic churches · 0.1 km

Kisimul Castle
Islands · 0.3 km

Dunard Hostel
Hostels · 0.3 km

Barrathon
Islands · 0.5 km

Dualchas
Museums · 0.5 km

Castle Bay
Mountains & hills · 0.6 km

Heaval
Mountains & hills · 0.6 km

Castlebay Community School
Islands · 0.6 km

St Brendan's Hospital, Castlebay
Historic churches · 0.7 km

Isle of Barra Distillers
Distilleries · 0.8 km

Beinn Orasaigh
Mountains & hills · 0.8 km
Nearby
Islands · Scottish Islands
Barra Island Lifeboat Station
Barra Island Lifeboat Station in Scotland Islands, United Kingdom.
📷 3Historic churches · Scottish Islands
Church of our Lady, Star of the Sea, Barra
Church of our Lady, Star of the Sea, Barra — church in Castlebay, UK.
📷 4Islands · Scottish Islands
Kisimul Castle
Kisimul Castle — castle on a small island near Castlebay, Scotland.
Hostels · Scottish Islands
Dunard Hostel
Dunard Hostel — a hostel in scotland highlands.
Islands · Scottish Islands
Barrathon
Barrathon in Scotland Islands, United Kingdom.
Museums · Scottish Islands
Dualchas
Dualchas — a museum in scotland-highlands, United Kingdom.
Where to eat & stay near Castlebay
Places to stay
Hostels · Scottish Islands
Dunard Hostel
Dunard Hostel — a hostel in scotland highlands.
📷 5Campsites · Scottish Islands
Borve Camping and Caravan Site
Borve Camping and Caravan Site — a campsite in scotland highlands.
📷 5Campsites · Scottish Islands
Wavecrest Campsite
Wavecrest Campsite — a campsite in scotland highlands.
Campsites · Scottish Islands
Croft 183
Croft 183 — a campsite in scotland highlands.
Campsites · Scottish Islands
Barra Sands
Barra Sands — a campsite in scotland highlands.
📷 5Campsites · Scottish Islands
Sgùrabhal Campsite
Sgùrabhal Campsite — a campsite in scotland highlands.
More castles in this region
📷 3
📷 5Castles · Scottish Islands
Borve Castle
Borve Castle — castle ruins in Benbecula, Scotland.
Castles · Scottish Islands
Cairnburgh Castle
Cairnburgh Castle — ruined castle that is located on the islands of Cairn na Burgh Mòr and Cairn na Burgh Beag, Argyll and Bute, Scotland, UK.
📷 3Frequently asked questions
- Where is Castlebay?
- Castlebay is in the Scottish Islands, United Kingdom (postcode HS9 5WZ).
- What is Castlebay?
- Castlebay in Scotland Islands, United Kingdom.
- How do I get to Castlebay?
- Drivers can use postcode HS9 5WZ.
- Does Castlebay charge admission?
- Castlebay typically charges admission. Check the official site for current ticket prices and opening hours.
- How do I get to Castlebay?
- Drivers can navigate to postcode HS9 5WZ. It sits within the Na h-Eileanan an Iar parliamentary constituency.