At 383 metres, Heaval is the highest point on Barra and a straightforward two-hour walk from Castlebay. The path is steep but unmarked rather than technical — head for the white marble Madonna and Child statue ("Our Lady of the Sea"), erected in 1954 by the island's Catholic community and visible from town.
From the summit you can see the whole island spread below: Vatersay to the south, the Atlantic to the west, and on a clear day the hills of Skye to the northeast. Wear waterproof boots; the lower slopes are boggy even after dry weeks.