I'm a city girl who dreamed of living on a remote Scottish island. 2 things changed my mind after I finally visited one.

• I spent a weekend exploring Barra, a remote island in western Scotland.
• I fantasized about island life and expected a slower pace of living.

I was born and raised in Glasgow, the largest city in Scotland.

There's so much to love about city life, from the endless eateries to shopping and museums. But every now and then, I find myself craving a slower pace of life.

So, when I started planning a work trip to Barra — a remote western island in Scotland's Outer Hebrides — I found myself fantasizing about what it would be like to live there.

Barra is known for its wildlife and white sandy beaches, which often lead visitors to draw comparisons to the Caribbean. It also has the only airport in the world that uses the beach as a runway.

I was intrigued to experience the small community feel that the Outer Hebridean islands are known for. Barra and its neighboring island, Vatersay, were recorded as having 1,264 residents in the most recent census carried out in 2011. In comparison, Glasgow has an estimated population of 596,000, according to World Population Review.

When I finally stepped foot on Barra in September, I loved it. It was undoubtedly one of the most beautiful places I've ever visited. But even so, I couldn't imagine living there for two major reasons.

I wouldn't enjoy living on Barra during the offseason

My partner and I traveled to Barra in mid-September, right before the island's offseason.

We stayed for two nights at the Isle of Barra Beach Hotel, a family-run establishment that overlooks Tangasdale Beach on the west of the island. There were three other couples staying on the first night, but they all checked out the next day — leaving us completely alone.

A staff member informed us that we were the final guests before the hotel closed for the winter. We loved having the hotel to ourselves, and it also provided an opportunity to get to know the lovely staff.

But the hotel wasn't the only local business due to close for the winter. As shown on TripAdvisor, there are only a small handful of restaurants on the island, and a couple of locals told me during my visit that many of them temporarily close when tourists leave during the offseason.

When I asked one local if this bothered her, she responded that it didn't because the islanders don't go out to eat much anyway.

I'm a massive foodie and often write restaurant reviews with my dad for fun — so this isn't something I could get on board with.

Restaurant culture is a major part of life in the city, and trying new places to eat is something I look forward to most weekends. I would find it difficult to give up, especially in the winter, when it's too cold for many outdoor activities.

Island life isn't as slow-paced as you might think

One thing I looked forward to experiencing was slow island living.

I imagined waking up a bit later in the day and having a leisurely breakfast before taking a long walk to see the local beaches and farms. We did all those things — but it wouldn't be realistic to continue if we lived there.

Barra is five miles wide by eight miles long, according to Scottish Highland Trails. It took just under 50 minutes to walk from our hotel to Castlebay, the main village on the island where most of the restaurants and attractions are. We mostly passed farms and houses during the walk.

I was surprised to see many cars pass us during the walk, but there was nobody else walking on the single-track road leading to the village.

There were a total of 683 cars and vans owned by the 587 households in Barra and Vatersay during the 2011 census. While it's important to note that this number has probably changed since then, it was clear to me that most people did not get around by foot. I found this disappointing since I love walking and will always choose it over public transportation when I can.

Barra was a complete contrast to Easdale, a car-free Scottish island I recently visited where residents use wheelbarrows to transport their groceries.

I was also excited to experience the small community atmosphere in Barra. This was evident in some instances; for example, our taxi driver seemed to know nearly everyone. But just like in major cities, there were some islanders who were on the more reserved side and kept to themselves.

Overall, Barra was an unforgettable vacation destination. But next time, I won't make assumptions or over-romanticize a place before experiencing it myself.