ARE THE SMALLER ISLANDS WORTH VISITING?
It depends how much time you have. Two gems, near Barra, can easily be reached. A causeway to the south connects the island with Vatersay, which has an exceptionally narrow waist skirted on either side by two outstanding beaches. North-east of Barra – 40 minutes by car ferry – lies Eriskay, which is nothing special to look at but has history in abundance. On the west shore, a cairn marks the spot where, in July 1745, Bonnie Prince Charlie first set foot on Scottish soil, and began raising an army for the ill-fated Jacobite Rebellion. In 1941, a merchant ship, the SS Politician, foundered on the rocks, carrying 20,000 cases of whisky. Before the authorities could intervene, the cargo was “rescued” by the islanders and most of it was never recovered. Fact and fiction was whimsically blurred in Compton Mackenzie’s novel, Whisky Galore, which was later turned into a film. Mackenzie lived on Barra and is buried there. Eriskay’s only pub, Am Politician (01878 720246; www.ampolitician.co.uk)
