Flying within Europe means most of the time getting to an airport two hours before departure, checking in, going through security, boarding an Airbus or a Boeing with around 180 other passengers, flying for a few hours and then landing on a concrete runway. Very rarely there are smaller planes on scheduled flights but you always expect to land on a concrete runway. There is an exception which is one of Europe’s most exciting aviation adventures: the Loganair flight from Glasgow to Barra in the Outer Hebrides in Scotland where you land on the beach at low tide.
Loganair, marketed as Scotland’s Airline, is primarily specialised in flights to Shetland, Orkney and the Outer Hebrides. The airline serves over 50 destinations. Its fleet includes ATR 72s (70 passenger seats), Embraer 145s (49 seats), ATR 42s (48 seats), Saab 340s (34 seats), Twin Otters (19 seats) and Britten Norman Islanders (9 seats). The airline is known for being very passenger friendly: it has good customer service, good onboard service on its larger planes and both the cabin and the flight crew are among the friendliest in the skies.
Most flights from Glasgow go either to large cities or holiday destinations but also to some smaller airports in Scotland.
Checking in was very quick.
There’s of course only economy class but the booking includes priority security.
Loganair’s ad at Glasgow Airport.
Lounge access is not included…
…but you can have a coffee here.
I would normally take one of these planes (I live in Iceland).
Departures in the early afternoon.
I was the first to get to the gate area.
The gate agent was very friendly. Boarding was by walking just a few meters to the plane.
G-SGTS, built about 9 years ago. What a beautiful plane!
Our expected flight route.
The plane has five rows in a 1-2 configuration plus four seats in the back. There are a total of 19 seats but a maximum of 14 seats are sold on this route. The seats are very uncomfortable even for such a short flight.
The cockpit door is not closed and there’s no cabin crew.
The safety briefing was done by the very friendly first officer.
The engines were started at 12.12 for a scheduled departure time of 12.15. No push-back was needed: this plane can reverse unlike most larger aircrafts.
I had seat 2A which is the best seat: you have nice views not only through your window but also to the cockpit. Seats in row 1 are not allocated.
We took off at 12.20 from runway 23. Some views after take-off:
The Upper Firth of Clyde, the deepest coastal waters in the UK.
Loch Linnhe.
There’s of course no service on board.
Approaching Barra. You can see the bay in the distance - this is the airport.
Pilots’ view.
Hellisay.
Orosay.
The pilots’ view seconds before landing.
The bay is beautiful.
We landed at 13.16 for a scheduled arrival time of 13.30.
Some cockpit views after landing:
Our plane after landing.
Welcome to Barra Airport!
Barra is the second southernmost inhabited island of the Outer Hebrides. It has an area of 58 square kilometres. Population is 1,174, a majority of which can speak Gaelic.
The beach on the other side of the isthmus – an easy five minute hike from the airport.
Barra has many beautiful beaches.
It’s peaceful and quiet.
Kisimul Castle in the bay of Castlebay, the largest town on the island.
The other option to get to Barra from Mainland Scotland is a ferry ride that takes five hours. Flying is much better.
Thank you for reading my flight report.
Always love your exotic reports! Loganair seem like a cool little carrier and the Twin Otter is absolutely gorgeous in that livery ?
You really got lucky with some beautiful clear weather for flying. I imagine it can get pretty cloudy and rainy in that area, so this was perfect for getting in all the nice views.
Landing at Barra is definitely on my AvGeek wish-list and Loganair seems like a great way to do it.
Thanks for sharing!
Thank you for your comment! It's certainly one of the most interesting flights in Europe.