Castle Bay (GBCBA)

Formerly the centre of a considerable fishing industry. It remains a terminal for vehicular and passenger ferries.

Winter North Atlantic.

Castle Bay is situated in the middle of the S coast of Barra, in the Outer Hebrides.

Castle Bay affords excellent anchorage with depths of 5.0-16.0m in good holding ground, mud in its N part and fine sand in its S part. Anchorage is available for coasters, in depths of 11.0m, with Kiessimul Castle bearing 046° distant 0.5nm, clear of a marine farm moored 0.1nm WNW of the anchorage position.

Outer approach from NE: From the vicinity of 56°58'N 007°17'W, the alignment 238° of the SE extremity of Muldoanich (56°55'N 007°27'W) with the sandy patch on the E side of Sandray (2nm WSW) leads WSW towards the approach line for Castle Bay passing SSE of Bo Vich Chuan (2nm ENE of Muldoanich. Clearing line: The line bearing, less than 014° of Ben Scrien (57°05'N 007° 17'W), approx 11nm NNE of Muldoanich open E of the E extremity of Gighay (57° 01'N 007°20'W) clears ESE of Curachan (2.5nm SSW of the E extremity of Gighay) and the dangers extending approx 3nm SSW to Bo Vich Chuan. Outer approach from S: Leads generally N, passing 0.2-0.3nm E of Muldoanich towards the approach line for Castle Bay. If conditions on the coastal bank make it dangerous over the shoals (0.8nm SE of Muldoanich), mariners are recommended to remain outside the bank and to join the approach line for Castle Bay in the vicinity of 56°55'N 007°23'W. Inner approach: Initial position 56°55'N 007°23'W. Leading Lights: Front light (white concrete column with green bands, 8.0m in height) (56°56'N 007°23'W) standing on Sgeir Dubh. Rear light (white building, 6.0m in height) (1nm WNW) standing on Sgeir Liath, a low rocky islet. The alignment 283° of these lights, near the N limit of the white sector of the front light, leads towards Castle Bay through the deep water fairway passing (with positions from the front light): SSW of Bo Vic Chuan (3nm E), the E danger in the approach to Castle Bay, then: SSW of Bo Vich ila Vhetur (2.75nm ENE), then: SSW of Bo na Clerich (2nm E) and; NNE of Muldoanich (1.75nm SE), then SSW of Sgeir a Scape (0.9nm E), on which stands a ruined beacon. There are a number of pinnacle rocks within a distance of 0.15nm N and NW of the Sgeir a Scape. And: NNE of a shoal with a least depth of 1.6m over it (0.92nm SE) which is marked off its NE side by a lightbuoy (port hand) fitted with a radar beacon. This shoal is situated near the NE extremity of a bank with foul ground on it which extends 0.9nm N from the W extremity of Muldoanich. Clearing line: The N edge of the white sector 280° of Sgeir Dubh Light clears to the S of Sgeir a Scape but passes over depths of less than 10.0m. Entrance channel: After passing Sgeir a Scape the recommended track leads 270°, passing just under 0.2nm S of a rock with a depth of 3.5m over it (0.35nm E of Sgeir Dubh Light). Initial position: 0.32nm SE of Sgeir Dubh Light. Rubha Glas Leading Lights: Front light (orange triangle, point up, on a white framework tower, 5.0m in height) (56°56'N 007°30'W), standing near the SW extremity of Rubha Glas. Rear light (orange triangle, point down, on a white framework tower, 4.0m in height) (0.25nm WNW of the front light). The alignment 295° of Rubha Glas Leading Lights leads WNW through a narrow channel requiring great caution, passing (with positions from the front light): NNE of a charted depth of 3.5m (1nm ESE) positioned 0.05nm NW of a rock awash which lies at the N extremity of foul ground extending 0.35nm N from the E end of Uinessan, an island which has a sandy patch on its N side that is visible from N, then: SSW of a bank, with a charted depth of 2.5m, which extends 0.02nm S from Sgeir Dubh (1nm ESE) which is the S rock of a chain extending 0.2nm S from the SE extremity of Orosay, the E entrance point to Castle Bay, which has 2 small hillocks and a ruined house on its W side. A second island named Orosay is situated approx 1.5nm W of the island mentioned above. Then: SSW of a shoal, with a least depth of 0.4m (0.82nm ESE) which lies on a bank which extends 0.17nm SSW from the SW extremity of Orosay, then: SSW of a lightbuoy (starboard hand) (0.65nm ESE). When Inisgeir (0.35nm NNW of Sgeir Dubh), a rock lying 0.05nm off the W side of Orosay, is in line with the Roman Catholic church (0.6nm N), which has a square tower with a clock, bearing 010°, the track into Castle Bay leads N as required, clear of shallow patches NW and NNW of Inisgeir and an isolated rock, with a depth of less than 1.8m over it, lying 0.17nm N of Inisgeir.

BA 2769. Admiralty Pilot NP66B, NP286(1).

The port limits extend 200m from the Ro-Ro berth.

Castlebay Light (metal column, 4.0m in height) (0.2nm W of Kiessimul Castle (56° 57'N 007°29'W).

Range 3.7m springs, 1.4m neaps.