I landed on a beach! Travel expert investigates remote airport runway in Scotland, which disappears with the tide twice a day
It’s the runway that’s disappearing.
And you’ll find it – if the timing is right – at the airport on the remote island of Barra in the Outer Hebrides, 40 miles off the coast of western Scotland.
Nicky KelvinEditor at Large at The Points Guy, explores what must be the most unusual airport in the world in a fascinating video for a series he hosts called Airplane Mode.
The travel expert explains that the act of disappearing occurs because the airstrip is also a public beach, with the sand being lost twice a day by the rising tide.
Nicky’s video starts at Glasgow Airport, where he interviews two pilots for the airline that operates twice-daily flights to and from Barra Airport from Glasgow: Loganair.
Nicky Kelvin, Editor at Large at The Points Guy, investigates what must be the world’s most unusual airport on the island of Barra (above). Here the airstrip is also a public beach
Captain Laura Roper explains that there is “no relief or guidance” to land.
“It’s all done by our own judgment,” she says.
One bonus, though, is that the sand cushions the landing a bit.
The interview concluded, Captain Roper and First Officer Steven Cameron take the controls of their Twin Otter turboprop and Nicky jumps aboard for his first ever flight to Barra.
He fell over.
The sand on the beach at Barra Airport disappears twice a day due to the tide
Nicky’s video starts at Glasgow Airport where he interviews two pilots for the airline that operates twice daily flights to and from Barra Airport from Glasgow – Loganair
He told MailOnline Travel: ‘It has been a lifelong dream of mine as a diehard aviation nerd to travel to the incredibly unique Barra Airport.
‘It is the only commercial airport in the world with a beach as a runway and makes for a very dramatic setting, not only because you land on the sand, but also because the runway disappears with the tide twice a day.
‘The timing of the flights must be well planned so that there is enough space on the beach for the plane to land and take off again.’
Nicky (above) told MailOnline Travel: ‘It has been a lifelong dream of mine as a diehard aviation nerd to travel to the incredibly unique Barra Airport’
Barra Airport is located 64 kilometers off the coast of western Scotland
Loganair flies turboprop Twin Otter aircraft to Barra Airport
A still from Nicky’s video showing a Loganair flight landing in Barra
Captain Laura Roper (left) explains that there is “no relief or guidance” to land
The flight to Barra is spectacular, with Nicky revealing that the plane flies over ‘blue seas and white beaches that could be mistaken for the Caribbean’
He added: ‘It’s not just the concept that is dramatic and exciting, the actual landing is just as amazing as you might imagine.
‘You’ll pass low over some of Scotland’s most beautiful islands, with blue seas and white sandy beaches that you could mistake for the Caribbean.
“Barra is even known to some people as Barrabados.”
Once at the airport, Nicky meets Barra Airport’s crew manager, Steve Wilson, who takes Nicky on a security check on the beach/runway to ensure the area is clear of debris that may have been washed in by the tide and reveals that the airport also ensures that there are no runway incursions from cockle pickers.
Nicky meets Barra Airport’s crew manager, Steve Wilson, who takes Nicky on a safety check on the beach/runway to ensure the area is clear of debris that may have been washed in by the tide.
Nicky added: “It was an honor to work behind the scenes at Barra Airport and make my dream come true by landing, taking off and exploring all aspects of the airport operation.
“One of the most fascinating things is that many of the employees there have multiple roles, and the same person who might be checking you in at the check desk is also a firefighter, an air traffic controller and a baggage handler.”
To see the full video, click here. For more information from The Points Guy, visit thepointsguy.com/uk-travel.