I spent 2 nights on a remote Scottish island that's been compared to the Caribbean. It was beautiful but I can't imagine living there.

Our Loganair flight cost £164, or around $199, per person for the round trip from Glasgow.

The plane was small with a lack of the usual amenities: There was no bathroom, no tray tables, and no overhead lockers to store our belongings. But, even so, the flight was amazing due to the views of Scotland's natural landscape, including Barra's neighboring islands. 

The best part about the journey was the beach landing and views of sparkling water as we touched down on the sand. 

As we made our way to the hotel from the airport in a taxi, my partner and I looked out the window in awe. We struggled to comprehend that we were still in Scotland — we hadn't witnessed beaches this beautiful in our home country. 

And we weren't the only ones to be blown away by the island's beauty. Later in our visit, we met a couple of other tourists who had flown with us on the plane from Glasgow. They playfully referred to the island as "Barrabados," a nickname used by locals, according to the Daily Mail.

There is a wide range of accommodation in Barra and its neighboring island, Vatersay, including hotels, B&Bs, and self-catering holiday homes.

We stayed at the Isle of Barra Beach Hotel, which overlooks Tangasdale Beach. I loved that we had sea views from our bedroom and in the hotel's restaurant, where we enjoyed a breakfast buffet of fruit, cereals, and toast each morning.

Our sea-view room cost £350, or around $426, for two nights.

We had originally planned to visit Barra earlier in the summer but had to push the trip back to September due to work commitments. We didn't realize that the date of our visit fell right before Barra's offseason, which lasts from the end of September to May.

A hotel employee informed us that we were some of the last guests to stay before the hotel closed for the winter.

There were several instances where we had the hotel bar and restaurant entirely to ourselves, which was fantastic. I wondered if this is what it felt like to be a rich or famous person who has the means to rent out an entire hotel.

After checking in to the hotel, we walked around the surrounding area, which mostly consisted of farms and beaches. 

One beach we walked past was absolutely gorgeous, so we were surprised to see it was empty — then we encountered a sign warning of quicksand. 

According to Scientific American's definition, quicksand — made of sand mixed with water or air — can usually be found in areas that have natural water, including low-tide beaches. 

We admired the beach from afar, taking care to avoid the quicksand, before moving on to other nearby beaches where no warnings were in place.

It wasn't just the hotel that was quiet.

Later in our trip, we took a 50-minute walk from our hotel to the nearby village of Castlebay, where you can find most of Barra's businesses and restaurants. We passed by plenty of farm animals, but we encountered no other humans until we reached the village. 

In Castlebay, a small number of people were hanging out at the local pub as well as in Cafe Kisimul, a Scottish-Indian restaurant.The quiet village felt world's away from bustling Glasgow.

While English is the main language spoken in Scotland, Scottish Gaelic is also popular and is predominantly spoken in the northwest coast and the Hebrides islands. 

Growing up in Glasgow, I had little exposure to Gaelic. Unlike children raised on the islands, we didn't learn it in school, and I didn't know anybody who spoke it fluently. 

When visiting Castlebay, I noticed all of the signs were written in Gaelic with the English translation beneath. It's the opposite in central Scotland, where most signs are written in English with the Gaelic translation beneath. 

We didn't hear anybody speak Gaelic during the visit, however, a taxi driver told us that people on the island learn it when they are young and that most people understand it.

Kisimul Castle is located on a tiny island off Castlebay. In Gaelic, the castle's name translates to "castle of the rock of the small bay," according to Historic Environment Scotland. The castle dates back to the 1400s and was built for the Macneils of Barra, an ancient Scottish clan.

It was closed for renovation during our visit, so we admired the ancient building from afar.

Most of the establishments we visited, including our hotel, provided locally-sourced food. In Castlebay, we dined at Cafe Kisimul, where we enjoyed scallop pakora, a fritter which is typically filled with meat, fish, or vegetables. 

The dish cost £13.50, or around $16.65, which is a tad pricier than what I'd usually pay for a dish of the same portion size in Glasgow. However, it's worth noting that scallops often cost more than other fish.

There are only a handful of restaurants on the island, and many of them temporarily close for the winter when the tourists leave, a local informed me. When I asked if this bothered her, she said that it didn't because people who live there don't dine out often. 

This lack of variety is definitely something I would have struggled with if we had visited during the offseason. I love to try new food when traveling, especially traditional cuisine at my destination.

There are so many things to love about Barra, from the glistening seasides to the ancient buildings to the friendly people who live there.

That being said, I realized during the trip that I had over-romanticized island life. I had pictured Barra as a serene paradise — which it was — but I got so wrapped up in its beauty without considering what it could be lacking. 

If I were to live on Barra, I would struggle with the small population as well as the lack of year-round dining options. 

I thrive off of social interaction, and that's something I often take for granted when living in a city with many people and countless eateries.

While I won't be moving to Barra anytime soon, I can certainly appreciate the things I learned during the visit. It gave me a fresh perspective on my own country and a needed break from the hustle and bustle of Glasgow.