Barra and Mingulay Expedition
7 days Barra & Mingulay Wild Camp 6 clients and 2 guides
What to Expect An expedition aiming to explore Barra and the uninhabited islands of Mingulay, Sandray and Pabbay. This is a classic and very committing journey featuring some of the finest coastline in Scotland. It features everything that makes the Outer Hebrides such a special place to paddle - exposed cliffs and stacks, sheltered white sand bays, and islands packed with social and natural history. Over the course of 5.5 days paddling we'll experience all kinds of sea states and all kinds of coastline - making this trip one that will live on in the memory for a long time.
Th expedition will be led by Mike and Kag with a maximum group size of 6. All photos and video are from previous expeditions to the islands.
Trip Highlights A 7 day kayak expedition (5.5 paddling days), aiming to explore wild and exposed islands.
- Journey from sheltered bays past exposed headlands and tidal channels - the contrasts on this trip are incredible.
- Build advanced expedition experience and develop your sea kayak skill and confidence in wild and committing environments.
- Wild camp on uninhabited Hebridean islands above white sand bays.
Grade:
Intermediate Plus
Intermediate plus These trips are for those who have a good level of knowledge and experience gained from several expeditions or lots of days out in sea kayaks in varied conditions. These trips may feature some longer days of at least 25km (daily distances will vary), committing coastline, longer open crossings and rougher seas.
This trip will give strong intermediate paddlers the opportunity to experience some challenging and committing paddling. The islands are open to the swell and feature tidal channels and exposed headlands that can create demanding conditions. If you have any questions about the experience level needed to join this trip then feel free to get in touch.
- You should be confident holding a moving speed of 6 km per hour (3 Kn) and covering distances of 25 km or more.
- You should be confident handling a sea kayak in force 4 winds and negotiating chop/waves of 1m.
- You should have experience of paddling in tide races and/or surf, doesn't have to be extreme but you should have some skill and experience in breaking waves.
- You should have knowledge and practice of what to do if you capsise in conditions and be an effective group paddler - knowing how to react to instructions and demanding situations in a group.
- You enjoy the chance to paddle in more demanding conditions and to develop your skill and experience, if you don't enjoy challenge and adventure then this is not the trip for you.
Typical minimum number of days experience - 10+
Clients would typically have a mixed bank of experience from at least one season of sea kayaking, typically several seasons worth of experience in a range of conditions and situations where a clear progression has been made. Clients may own their own kayak and paddle regularly or as part of a club or group.
Dates and Prices
23rd - 29th May, £845 per person
Get in touch if are interested in joining this trip.
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Day 1 - Ferry across the Minch
We'll meet in Oban on the morning of day one, ready to take the Oban to Castlebay ferry across the Minch.
Once on Barra we'll pack the boats and go for a short paddle before setting up camp in the evening.
Our expedition for the next 5 days of paddling will be very flexible and based around the conditions that are forecast - ideally in good conditions we'll explore South towards Barra and Pabbay and Mingulay. In windier conditions we may choose to journey up the Eastern side of the Uists, or complete a combination of the two. The weather in the Hebrides is highly changeable and we'll adopt a very flexible plan to enjoy the best trip in the conditions we get - there aren't any guarantees on where we may or may not be able to paddle - that's all part of an expedition to the Outer Hebrides.
Day 2 - Exploring South of Barra
Barra can be described as the Outer Hebrides in miniature - white sand beaches, exposed headlands, coastal Machair and sheltered bays - we'll journey around the Southern coastline of Barra and Vatersay and enjoy the varied coastal landscape and classic Hebridean paddling.
Exposed tidal channels, headlands and islands are to the South and we'll plan a careful route for the next few days - taking in the best coastline possible and using the varied landscape to our advantage.
Day 3, 4, 5 and 6 - Exploring Pabbay and Mingulay
To the South of Barra are four main uninhabited islands - Sandray, Pabbay, Mingulay and Berneray - each seperated by channels with tidal flow and exposed to the Atlantic swell.
Our aim will be to reach Mingulay, where a white sand bay on the Eastern side offers a wonderful landing and place to camp. The Western side of the island features stacks and cliffs to rival anywhere and exploring these will be a highlight of the trip.
Day 7 - Returning to Oban
Our trip will end with an early ferry back to Oban, where you can journey home full of memories of wild Hebridean paddling.
Accommodation We will be wild camping on this trip.
Food Includes dinner and breakfast. Breakfast on day two to Dinner on day six. It's also possible to self cater if you prefer.
Start and Finish Meet in Oban at 11.30 on day one. Trip ends at Oban on day seven.
Ferries Oban to Castlbay 13.30 on day one, arrives 18.15. Castlebay to Oban 06.55 on day seven, arrives 11.40. Please bear in mind that with any trip involving ferries there may be cancellations or delays due to the weather or operational issues with the ferries, we'll always work around this as best as possible but we can never gurantee any ferry travel due to this. In extreme cases we may have to come back early or travel out later, in which case we'd paddle somewhere on the mainland until we were able to reach the islands, but bear in mind this would be a very rare occurence.
Kit List Our expedition kit list applies to this trip. All specialist kayaking equipment and camping equipment can be provided (with the exception of sleeping bags).
Frequently Asked Questions
Individuals, couples or small groups of friends.
Yes - a lot of learning about sea kayaking comes from experience and is best done as individuals on the move and in context. We won't spend time on long instructional briefings or static group skills practice during an expedition but will give you hints and tips on the journey to make it easier for you and suggest improvements to your technique as we go along. We'll help you develop your knowledge and sea kayak handling skill throughout the trip but also allow plenty of time simply to enjoy the journey and the experience of sea kayaking.
The weather on the West coast of Scotland can vary through the course of the season and from area to area - Scottish islands and coastline can see dramatically better weather and more sunshine than more mountainous areas on the West coast. The wind speed and sea state are the primary factors that affect the trip - if the conditions are difficult then we will seek out a more sheltered section of coast to run the trip. You should note that it is very rare that we have to stay off the water on multi-day trips and the vast majority of trips run as planned. For full terms and conditions see the link below. You can read more about the weather/cancellation/booking on our FAQ page.
A 25% deposit is required at the time of booking, the balance is due 6 weeks prior to the trip, for cancellation policy please see our full terms and conditions.
We have a much larger FAQ page that covers all aspects of sea kayak trips with us.
