Vatersay

Island intro

Vatersay is well known for its beaches, but there’s a great deal of history and heritage to be discovered too.

Ask an Islander

Helping us understand more about this fascinating island is John from the Vatersay Hall Cafe.

John begins by telling us about how he is almost amazed by the wealth of wildlife on the island. He tells us, “While enjoying a bracing walk in the wind along the beach, I came across a young seal pup on the sand. It always amazes me; the wealth of wildlife that is within our very next footsteps”

One of John’s favourite times of the year is winter. He reminds us that although the sun can be shining, the weather can be very bracing – “Vatersay has its own unique chilly charm at this time of the year,” he says.

One of John’s favourite events on the island is a wedding, as he tells us. “A wedding is always special, but an island wedding has that little something extra! The bride and groom can arrive by boat, stepping onto the sandy beach of Vatersay Bay on a balmy summer evening with everyone waiting to greet them. Words cannot express the atmosphere of warmth and happiness for everyone who takes part in a Vatersay wedding!”

Vatersay Association told us, “Many Vatersay residents are descendants of the last peoples who lived in the now unpopulated islands to the south of Vatersay.  You can visit these fascinating islands in the summer with a local boat tour company: ‘Mingulay boat trips & Wildlife spotting’ and ‘Hebridean Sea Tours’ both do regular (weather permitting) trips to Mingulay, Barrahead and St Kilda.”

“We have 2 historically important memorial monuments on our little island: The ‘Annie Jane’ Memorial which stands over Vatersay west beach, commemorates the tragic shipwreck of the sailing ship the ‘Annie Jane’ which, on its way from Liverpool to Canada, was wrecked on this beach on 28th September 1853 with the loss of more than 350 people. And the ‘Catalina Seaplane’ Memorial the wreck of which can still be seen on the side of the hill at Heishival Beag. The RAF Catalina seaplane tragically crashed on the hill killing three of her nine crew on a training exercise in 1944.”

Vatersay Association also shared this amazing video created by talented young islanders, promoting awareness to Vatersay’s natural beauty and fragility; it highlights the major concern there is with erosion. Enjoy the video.

Gaelic / Gàidhlig

The Gaelic name for Vatersay is Bhatarsaigh.

Want to say ‘good afternoon’ to someone in Gaelic? That’s ‘feasgar math’!

Getting Here

Vatersay is connected to the neighbouring island of Barra via a short causeway.

CalMac Ferries operates daily sailings between Barra and Oban on the mainland, and Loganair operates daily scheduled flights between Barra and Glasgow.