Things to do on Barra when it's raining

• Drive out to the airport: the road - like so many Hebridean roads - is single track with passing places, and it skirts Tràigh Mhòr, the Big Strand, the beach which is also the airport's runway:
  
  
  
  
  
  and then you can have coffee and a cranberry scone in the airport café.



• You can read about the tragic story of the Clearances, and what happened to the village of Balnabodach - and then you can try to spot the site as you drive round the road that girdles the island. If the rain eased up, you could maybe stop and see whether you could locate the remains, but it doesn't, so maybe you don't.



• You could visit Dualchas, the Heritage Centre, and learn many more sad stories about the history of Barra and smaller islands like Mingaulay, and the misdeeds of the landowners - and the odd more cheeful item, like a book of music which once belonged at Eoligarry House, and contains such songs as the Skye Water Kelpie's Lullaby (children, do not listen when the water kelpie sings you a lullaby).



• After this, you could restore yourself with more coffee! more cake! (I recommend the chocolate and peanut butter brownies) and staring out of the window to see if it's brightening up at all - I think it is...
  
  
  
  
  
  Macroon's Tearoom has only been open three days, and it's quite well hidden, in the Post Office, so we were pleased to have been tipped off about it.



• And by now perhaps you might risk the boat trip out to Kisimul Castle - it'll be worth it: