MSP for Na h-Eileanan an Iar, Alasdair Allan, has welcomed the commencement of major conservation work at Kisimul Castle in the Isle of Barra.

Kisimul Castle was built by Clan MacNeil (Clan Niall) in the 1400s and is located on a small island near Castlebay. In the 1900s it was restored, and in 2000 the clan chief leased the castle to Historic Environment Scotland for 999 years, for £1 and a yearly bottle of whisky.

However, visitors have been unable to visit the castle since 2020 due to concerns around structural safety. Historic Environment Scotland, who have carried out surveys in recent years to assess the building’s safety and potential for re-opening to visitors, began to make progress with some initial works last year.

Alasdair Allan MSP has been in regular contact with HES throughout the castle’s closure period, and recently met with the architect in charge of coordinating the repair work.

Commenting, Alasdair Allan said:

“I’m very pleased to see these restoration works beginning in earnest now to see the castle made safe for visitors again. I want to commend Rory MacNeil of Barra, the Clan Chief, for his tireless efforts and engagement in order to push progress forward, and I am very much looking forward to being able to visit the castle again myself. Kisimul Castle is hugely significant to the people of Barra and to the Western Isles as a whole. While it has been helpful for boat trips around the island to have continued during the closure period, there will be a great deal of excitement at being able to land on the island and see the castle from the inside again once more of the works have been completed.”

James MacPherson, District Architect at HES, said:

“We are delighted to be progressing works to the interior of the castle which is a key milestone in our programme of conservation work and is another step forward in our long-term plans to reopen Kisimul Castle to visitors.

“We appreciate that the communities of Barra and Vatersay are keen to showcase Kisimul Castle to visitors who arrive from all over the world, and we will continue to work closely with the local community. We are pleased to run free seasonal boat trips around the bay and Castle again this year and hope visitors enjoy exploring the wider area while access to the Castle is currently restricted.”