As mentioned in the previous post, this year’s motorcycle adventures have included a trip to the Isle of Barra in the Outer Hebrides. The initial incentive was to play wild golf on its one and only golf course, but the travel by motorcycle turned the journey into something special and memorable. Some many days later, I have finally finished the video of the trip.
The Isle of Barra Golf Club has been built on rough and rocky terrain. It is not suitable for the plough and even less so the mower, instead, the course relies on grazing cattle who lack the necessary close-cutting skills of sheep. Unlike the ovine, the bovine are untidy eaters. They also take relief across the course, forcing the golfer to do similar. At least, when we played, they kept to the high ground where they surveyed our every move from atop Cnoc an Fhithich.
Would I honestly recommend going to Barra to play golf, maybe not. Instead, go to Barra for Barra, it is a wonderful destination with scenery as remarkable as anywhere else in the world … oh, and while you are there, don’t miss the opportunity to have a unique golfing experience.
The full golfing story will be told in the next edition of Golf Quarterly.
northumbrian : light 
Just out of interest, Ganavan sands which appeared at the start of your fabulous video, was a maintenance site for Sunderlands during the war, and the island of Kerrera across the water from Oban, it’s base. The straights between the island and Oban being full of Sunderlands. That aside, I thoroughly enjoyed reading about your trip, the golf sounds, and looks, quite a challenge!
Many thanks for the generous comment – yes, absolutely right, indeed the concrete ramp at the start of the video is a slipway for the flying boats. Apologies for the plug (it’s sold out, anyway ;-)) but Golf in the Wild #1 tells the story of the flying boats at Oban and the sad incident of the Sunderland which hit a floating horse box in the dark. This had broken free from the partially sunken SS Breda which had been hit by a German air raid a few days prior. Some fascinating history around that area.
Wow! I’m looking forward to reading that one!