Councillors approve plans for Isle of Barra oyster farm to triple in size

An oyster farm on the Isle of Barra is set for expansion after planning consent was granted for the site to be trebled in size.

Comhairle nan Eilean Siar approved the application by Mr Gerard MacDonald to increase the Sgeir Mhor oyster farm at Ardmhor, Northbay, from 1.5 hectares to 4.5 hectares, with capacity for 30 blocks of 40 trestles.

The Comhairle’s decision notice confirmed permission for the site to grow from 150m by 100m to 300m by 150m. The application form shows the number of trestles on site rising from 300 to 1,200.

The application stated that the larger area would enable a greater volume of oysters to be grown, with the site continuing to use the same type of equipment and methods of operation as at present, scaled up to the new capacity.

Council planning officers found the development would not be obtrusive, could be run and serviced without undue impact on nearby residents, and would not harm the natural environment or any protected designations, while supporting the local economy.

The application was assessed as being in line with the Outer Hebrides Local Development Plan and the council’s Marine Fish Farming guidance, as well as Scotland’s National Marine Plan 2015.

Consultees raised no objection to the expansion.

Officers concluded there were no material planning considerations that outweighed a decision to approve.

According to a supporting statement submitted with the application, the farm is operated by Isle of Barra Shellfish Ltd, which grows both Pacific and European oysters at Traigh Mhor.

The company sells around 10,000 oysters a week wholesale, with produce distributed across the UK to restaurants and supermarkets including Loch Fyne Oysters, Morrisons and Marks & Spencer.

The statement said the company’s site on Barra is “certified free of any of the major oyster diseases,” which it said allows it to supply restoration projects without endangering existing wild populations. Most of its European oysters, it added, are returned to historic beds such as the Forth Estuary in an effort to rebuild those populations.

The expansion comes after recently published Scottish Government figures showed Western Isles table production of Pacific oysters rising sharply, from 161,000 shells in 2024 to 529,000 in 2025.

Commenting on those figures last month, Mr MacDonald said much of that increase reflects his own operation, with no other producer in the islands growing significant volumes, adding that oyster farming in the Western Isles as “a massive opportunity” that was being “completely missed,” citing a lack of new entrants to the sector and unused sheltered bays elsewhere in the islands that could host similar operations.

He said the low number of jobs oyster farming created were nonetheless important ones, in remote communities working to retain population.

Planning permission was granted subject to two conditions. Work must begin within three years, and any trestles or associated equipment left out of use for more than a year must be removed and the site restored, unless the council agrees otherwise in writing.