Real Life Indiana Jones Stunts - Daily

We planned to travel to the Island of Barra in the Outer Hebrides via the ferry from Eriskay on a cool summers morning in August 2021 , with the lighting setting an ethereal feel as the cool air met the mountains.

We waited in an eerie atmosphere, which had reminiscence of an old black and white film scene, from an early Bonnie Prince Charlie movie , as the clansmen waited silently in the mist waiting to given the signal to move. The ferry appeared out of the dawn mist from across the Sound of Barra from Ardmhor, a small hamlet on the northern shore of Barra where in 2002 a small jetty was constructed to service this route from Eriskay.

Eriskay is a beautiful place that deserves to be more than just somewhere people pass through to catch the ferry . I managed to capture the beauty of the place with this drone footage below.

 

Eriskay has an interesting history It was the first place Bonnie Prince Charlie set foot, on British soil in 1745, and in 1941 the SS Politician ran aground and spilt its cargo of whisky onto Eriskay's shores.

Prince Charles Edward Stuart arrived in the Outer Hebrides and first set foot on Scottish soil on 23rd July 1745. His aim was to regain the throne of Great Britain on behalf of his father - "The Old Chevalier" -  James Stuart. The Highland clan chiefs were dismayed that he had brought no French troops, few arms and very little money to fund his campaign. Some refused outright to give him any support. After failing to convince him of the futility of his mission some clan chiefs joined him against their better judgement. The consequences were to prove disastrous to the Highland clans and their Gaelic culture.

After his defeat at the Battle of Culloden on 16th April 1746, Bonnie Prince Charlie fled to the Outer Hebrides, this time with a bounty of £30,000 on his head. Charles Edward Stuart hid in the Outer Hebrides from 27th April 1746 till he left "Over the sea to Skye" with Flora MacDonald on 28th June 1746...

The SS Politician was a cargo ship that ran aground off the coast of the Hebridean island of Eriskay in 1941. Her cargo included 22,000 cases of malt whisky and £3 million worth of Jamaican banknotes. Much of the whisky was recovered by islanders from across the Hebrides, contrary to marine salvage laws. Because no duty had been paid on the whisky, members of HM Customs and Excise pursued and prosecuted those who had removed the cargo.

You can see one of the original whisky bottles in the Politician Bar - and Eriskay is the original Whisky Galore! island made famous by the film. The subsequent remake was made on the main land but the locals know the real history and that’s all that really counts.

 

After disembarking the ferry at Ardmhor, a short drive to the Campsite at Scurrival took us passed the Airport . Barra Airport is a short-runway airport situated in the wide shallow bay of Traigh Mhòr at the northern tip of the island of Barra in the Outer Hebrides, Scotland. The airport is unique, believed to be the only one in the world where scheduled flights use a tidal beach as the runway. Watching the aircraft, Twin Otters, taking off from the beach reminded us of an Indian Jones scene as the planes lift steeply from the short run way.

Barra Airport opened in 1936.

There was ample motor home parking at the Airport so we parked and watched as the small aircraft land and take off. There are two scheduled arrivals and departures from this airport daily , one service to Glasgow and one to Stornaway .

We both enjoy watching aircraft and this location provides us with an amazing sensory experience , given that the aircraft are prop rather than jet driven , the noise levels are such that the ears accept them as loud but enjoyable especially given the closeness we were permitted to be at. The thrill of the take off and landing shouldn’t be underestimated and was reflected in the faces of the small crowd that had congregated to watch the spectacle.

Viking Twin Otter

The Viking Twin Otter

For the aircraft bods this is what wikipedia says about the Viking Twin Otter - The de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter, currently marketed as the Viking Air DHC-6 Twin Otter, is a Canadian 19-passenger STOL (Short Takeoff and Landing) utility aircraft developed by de Havilland Canada and currently produced by Viking Air. The aircraft's fixed tricycle undercarriage, STOL capabilities, twin turboprop engines and high rate of climb have made it a successful commuter passenger airliner as well as a cargo and medical evacuation aircraft. In addition, the Twin Otter has been popular with commercial skydiving operations, and is used by the United States Army Parachute Team and the United States Air Force's 98th Flying Training Squadron.

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