Castlebay is Barra's main settlement and the place every visitor lands first, either off the Caledonian MacBrayne ferry from Oban or by minibus from the airport. The village wraps around its sheltered bay, with the castle in the middle of the water as a permanent focal point. It has the hotel, the bank, the petrol station, the Co-op supermarket, and most of the pubs.
The 19th-century Catholic church of Our Lady, Star of the Sea sits on the hillside above the harbour. The Heritage Centre on Main Street is small but useful, with displays on the Highland Clearances and the Gaelic culture that survived them. Most things in Castlebay are closed on Sundays.