A new £1.7m harbour hoped to signal a "turning point" for Barra's fishing industry has been opened.

Three new shellfish trawlers have already been purchased by the island's fishing fleet on the back on the decision to build the sheltered haven on the north coast of the island.

The facility was officially opened at the weekend with the island's annual Fishermen's Mass followed by a "blessing of the boats".

Western Isles Council put up the bulk of the funding for the harbour, while the Crown Estate and Highlands and Islands Enterprise also contributed.

The Barratlantic seafood factory provided the site for the harbour. Manager Donald Maclean said it was "fantastic" to see it open on Sunday.

He said: "We've been waiting for this since a disaster in 2005 when there were three boats lost here. That was a big blow. Let's hope it's a big turning point in the fishing industry in Barra.

"There's three new boats bought in the last four months so there's 11 boats now working out of Barra, which is a huge achievement for a small island.

"Things are looking up and let's hope that in years to come we'll see more boats coming in, securing more jobs on the island and at sea."

Councillor Donald Manford said: "This is a marvellous achievement and a huge vote of confidence in the fishing industry, particularly for the fishing fleet in Barra and Vatersay."

Both islands are still a "vibrant fishing community" despite all the difficult times, he added.