Barvas can be explored through clearly distinct themes: a burial ground that is still in use, a 19th-century church, a pottery tradition and traces in the landscape. For time outdoors, there is also a path to Barvas Beach and a signposted walking route. This combination can help you decide what to focus your stay on: architecture and craftsmanship, or beach access and paths.

Church and burial ground

Barvas Free Church is a tall, symmetrical 19th-century church with a rectangular plan. Its two-storey central section, topped with a gable, structures the building; it also has tall rectangular windows with multiple panes. The plan, central section and windows describe different aspects of the architecture: the overall form, the central arrangement and the design of the openings. This makes it possible to understand the church through its specific architectural features, not only its date.

Cladh Mhuire cemetery is still in use. Its continued use is a different point of reference from the church’s architecture: in Barvas, both a description of a building and an active burial place are of interest. To understand the area’s history, it is worth considering these different aspects separately.

Pottery and field structures

Barvasware pottery adds a craft tradition to the area’s cultural heritage. The same local materials and skills were used to make it as were used to make crogans. The specific connection lies in the fundamentals of production: materials and expertise. This is a useful comparison between the two traditions: it shows which elements of local craft practice they share.

Barvas also has a series of 76 clearance lines forming linear fields. Their number and form convey two different kinds of information: the number indicates the size of the series, while the shape of the fields shows their linear structure. Alongside architecture and craftsmanship, this is an archaeological landscape feature whose character lies in its repeated linear form.

Barvas Beach and walking routes

A good access path through the machair leads to Barvas Beach. Both the route through the machair and the beach as its destination are specified. The Barvas and Brue Walking Route is separate: in Barvas, it follows the turn-off to Lower Barvas and the road to the end of the village. The route is signposted. The path to the beach is defined by its terrain and destination, while the walking route is defined by its course and signage.

At Barabhas (Barvas), the road splits. This is another useful point of reference for navigating the roads. Check route details before setting off if you plan to include the signposted route in your itinerary.

Discover more destinations: Isle Of Lewis, Isle of Harris, Isle of North Uist, Creagorry, Castlebay, Lochboisdale

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