This award-winning hotel occupies a breathtaking position on Barra’s Atlantic west coast, along the southern tip of the Outer Hebrides. It overlooks Tangasdale Beach, with panoramic views of the surrounding rugged hillsides. The design makes use of striking sculptural forms simulating the hulls of upturned ships, and comprises lofty communal spaces along with 39 guest rooms. The hotel – the most westerly in Great Britain – is enveloped in around 7.75 acres of grassy slopes and has two self-contained managers’ apartments and as well as a self-catering flat. Despite its secluded feel, the sublime spot is easily reached: direct flights connect to the Isle of Barra’s airport An Traigh Mhor (atmospherically located on a cockleshell beach) from Glasgow Airport, while ferry services run to the island from Oban and Eriskay.

Please note: this listing is currently run as a hotel and is being sold as a going concern.

The Building

Perched between craggy peaks, machair and moor and overlooking panoramic sandy shores, the Isle of Barra Beach Hotel is enveloped by mesmerising backdrops and has unparalleled access to the wild Hebridean coastline. Its design fuses  simplicity with richness, clarity with depth, and elegance with robustness; in 1979, it was awarded an Europa Nostra Diploma of Merit in 1979 for its “admirable design and harmonious blend with the rugged coastline and countryside”.

The current owners have worked with Scottish architect Stuart Bagshaw, of award-winning SBA Architects, to develop designs to further enhance the hotel, with a view to turning it into a luxury Hebridean destination. Additional proposals investigated include adapting the existing guest rooms to form self-catering suites complete with balconies and direct access to the beach. SBA has also explored expansion to build new Icelandic turf-house-inspired lodges set in the dune landscape on the southern edge of the hotel grounds.

The costing of these schemes has been carried out, and details will be shared on request. The implementation of all these plans will require planning permission.

The Tour

The approach to the hotel is from a beachside single-lane road serving the island’s crofts, agricultural buildings and hamlet settlements. Set back from the road, simple post and wire fencing creates a softened boundary to the surrounding wild meadow garden and generous parking area. Combining the materiality of the local vernacular with dramatic interventions, the hotel’s design is striking and is defined by a strong visual relationship to the landscape.

The hotel is composed of a linked chain of three distinct structures. A pair of two-storey buildings house the guest suites and staff accommodation. In contrast, within the most northerly building, a sweeping combination of communal spaces seamlessly adjoin.

A secluded doorway provides the primary entrance, leading to the reception area. Beyond, an array of welcoming, sociable spaces to relax and eat take inspiration from the impressive external geometric elevations. Soaring high-vaulted ceilings follow the dramatic pitch of the roofline, and natural light spills in from all sides. Throughout, views over pink sands and sea are framed through swathes of glazing that have been carefully positioned to face the breathtaking panoramas. As such, there are plenty of spots to chat, read, paint and mull.

Ground and first-floor arterial corridors snake to strings of guest rooms. All are en suite, and most have distinctive sea-facing aspects. Staff accommodation and an assemblage of ancillary rooms are located on the eastern fringe, together with a self-catering apartment with independent access.

A second recessed public entrance sits at the rear, giving way to a private path and onwards to the beach and a sheltered rock pool swimming spot.

Outdoor Space

The hotel, the most westerly in Great Britain, sits on a grassy plateau between backdropping hills and rocky cliffs that drop to the mesmerising and idyllic Tangasdale beach. Grassy meadows, awash with daisies and buttercups and often scattered with wandering sheep, wrap the natural garden, interspersed with many lovely spots to rest easily.

In warmer months, the interiors open to a dining terrace, perfectly positioned for morning coffees, outdoor dining and bird watching. Golden and sea eagles, migrating ducks, gannets and buzzards fly overhead, and in the distance, seals, sea otters, dolphins and basking sharks pass by in the sea.

The hotel flows alongside to the adjacent beach, where afternoons can be spent walking, beachcombing or swimming. The grounds have stabling for a horse and a garage for gardening equipment. There is ample parking for cars and coaches and a convenient helicopter landing spot.

At night, the sky is ablaze with stars and, on occasion, the compellingly beautiful aurora borealis and the Milky Way.

The Area

This sublimely remote spot is, perhaps surprisingly, reached with ease. Flights from Glasgow Airport connect to the island directly; the journey takes roughly 75 minutes and lands on a cockleshell beach that is regularly included in ‘100 things to do in lifetime’ lists. As well as a ferry service from Oban, there is also a boat from Eriskay to Barra, with up to five daily crossings. The journey takes around 40 minutes across the astonishing Sound of Barra.

Barra has a wealth of archaeology covering at least 6,000 years of human settlement, from Brochs and tombs to standing stones, with the deserted village of Boldnabodach all well worth visiting. The Heritage Centre in Castlebay has fascinating exhibits, photos and records of past island life. Today, the island has a warm, welcoming community that celebrates Gaelic culture and language.

The island has constantly drawn authors, poets and artists to its shores. Herges’ Tintin adventure ‘The Black Island’ was set on the island, also the last resting place of Compton Mackenzie, author of the romanticised story Whisky Galore, based on the 1941 shipwreck of the SS Politician and subsequent salvage of 240,000 bottles of whisky by the islanders of neighbouring Eriskay. Barra has regularly appeared in films: Whisky Galore, Tropic of Sheep (Winner: Berlin Film Festival) and Visit Scotland’s A Perfect Day.

On the western edge of Barra, the hotel has easy access to convenient village facilities of the island’s main town, Castlebay, two miles south and a stunning backdrop for terrific outdoor adventures. A five-minute boat ride docks by the medieval Kisimul Castle, the ‘Castle in the Sea’, which sits dramatically on a rock islet in the bay.

The hotel is ideally located for walking and hiking, the surrounding landscape awash with inspiring flora and fauna and an extraordinary array of wildlife. Barra is also a magnet for cyclists venturing the Hebridean way or touring the radial route around the whole island in one afternoon. Sea-kayaking trips, exploring sheltered bays and coves, running from Casltebay, and daily voyages venture to the beautiful, deserted island of Mingulay in the Bishop’s Isles, a haven for sea birds. There are several excellent places for loch and sea angling to successfully land a catch of the day, and the island has the most westerly golf course in the UK for an exhilarating nine-hole round.

Delicious, locally sourced fare is readily available, with plates of lobster and scallops on many menus. Local cafes serve bowls of homemade soup and lots of baked goods and confectionary, including the favourite Scottish sweetie, tablet.

Caledonian MacBrayne (CalMac) runs the five-hour ferry journey from Oban to Castlebay. Loganair operates a light aircraft service that lands on the cockleshell beach with daily flights from Glasgow. There is also a ferry service from Eriskay to Barra, with up to five daily crossings. The journey takes around 40 minutes across the Sound of Barra.

Council Tax Band:The hotel is liable for commercial rates of approximately £17,430 per annum
Domestic rates: (applying to manager’s flat) Band A 

Please note that all areas, measurements and distances given in these particulars are approximate and rounded. The text, photographs and floor plans are for general guidance only. The Modern House has not tested any services, appliances or specific fittings — prospective purchasers are advised to inspect the property themselves. All fixtures, fittings and furniture not specifically itemised within these particulars are deemed removable by the vendor.