| Scottish Gaelic name | Beàrnaraigh Mòr |
|---|---|
| Pronunciation | [ˈpjaːrˠn̪ˠəɾajˈmoːɾ]ⓘ |
| Old Norse name | bjarnar-øy |
| Meaning of name | Bjørn's island from Norse[1] |
 | |
| Location | |
  Great Bernera Great Bernera shown within the Outer Hebrides | |
| OS grid reference | NB162344 |
| Coordinates | 58°12′N6°51′W / 58.2°N 6.85°W /58.2; -6.85 |
| Physical geography | |
| Island group | Lewis andHarris |
| Area | 2,122 ha (5,240 acres) |
| Area rank | 34 [2] |
| Highest elevation | 87 m (285 ft) |
| Administration | |
| Council area | Na h-Eileanan Siar |
| Country | Scotland |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Demographics | |
| Population | 212[3] |
| Population rank | 31 [2] |
| Population density | 10/km2 (26/sq mi)[3][4] |
| Largest settlement | Breaclete |
 | |
| References | [4][5] |
Great Bernera (/ˈbɜːrnərə/;Scottish Gaelic:Beàrnaraigh Mòr), often known just asBernera (Scottish Gaelic:Beàrnaraigh), is an island andcommunity in theOuter Hebrides ofScotland. With an area of just over 21 square kilometres (8 square miles), it is the thirty-fourth largestScottish island.[4]
Great Bernera lies inLoch Roag on the north-west coast ofLewis and is linked to it by a road bridge. Built in 1953, the bridge was the first pre-stressed concrete bridge in Europe.[4][6] The main settlement on the island isBreaclete (Gaelic:Breacleit).
The island's name isNorse in origin[4] and is derived in honour of Bjarnar, father of the Norse Chieftain of Lewis Ketil Bjarnarson (or the Flatneif). The vast majority of placenames in the district are similarly Norse, implying extensive Viking settlement.
The most common name on Great Bernera isMacDonald (MacDhòmhnaill or Dòmhnallach), and these are said to be descended from a watchman of theMacaulays of Uig, who gavehim the island in return for his services.[4]
After 1962 the island was owned byRobin de la Lanne-Mirrlees,[4] a former Queen's Herald, who was recognised as Laird of Bernera. He eventually inherited the title Prince of Coronata and died in 2012. His home Bernera Lodge was atKirkibost.[4] Bernera was inherited by his grandson, Cyran. The island's residents are seeking to buy the land from him.[7] The Mirrlees family commissioned a flag recognised by theLord Lyon King of Arms.[8]
In the southeast of the island is the first plannedcrofting township in the Outer Hebrides. It was created in 1805 by the regular allotting of individual crofts by the Earl of Seaforth's land surveyor, James Chapman. The tenants of this planned village were all evicted in 1823 and the publication of the first edition of the Ordnance Survey rather poignantly showed the deserted village and the original parallel croft boundaries. The village was resettled in 1878 and the original boundaries are still in use today.
Callanish VIII is a unique standing stone arrangement near the bridge between Lewis and Bernera, set out in a semicircle. It is known locally asTursachan, which means merely "Standing Stones".[9] The ruins of Dun Barraglombroch are nearby.[5]
Bernera is also known for itsIron Age (or possiblyPictish) settlement atBostadh (or Bosta),[10] discovered in 1992 and now covered by sand so that it is preserved. A replica Iron Age house matching those now buried is sited nearby.
Bostadh Beach is the location of a Time and Tide Bell, one of a series of installations byMarcus Vergette.[11]
Teampall Chirceaboist (St Macel in Kirkibos) is the ruin of church, that is ascheduled monument.[12] However, there is some debate about its actual location, local belief is that the scheduled monument is actually a more recent church, built around 1820, and the real Teampall Chirceaboist is located further up a hill.[13]
The island was the location of theBernera Riot of 1874, whencrofters resisted theHighland clearances. This was a peasant revolt and subsequent legal case which resulted in a victory for oppressed small-tenants against the heavy-handed evictions and treatment by Donald Munro, the factor ofSir James Matheson. The islanders refused to agree to remove their stock in favour of expanding sporting estates, and were in turn threatened with a military visit. This did not occur, but even more eviction notices were handed out, and the visitors were pelted with clods of earth.[14] The legal case was the first recorded victory for small-tenants at will and the evidence that was heard at the eleven-hour trial paved the way for land reform in Scotland.
The island is roughly 8 kilometres (5 miles) long by 3 kilometres (2 miles) wide, the length being oriented from northwest to southeast. The coast is much indented and there are also numerous fresh water bodies such as Loch Barabhat, Loch Breacleit and Loch Niocsabhat. The highest point is the eminence of Sealabhal Bhiorach south of Bostadh and north of Tobson that reaches 87 metres (285 feet).[5] There are deposits ofmuscovite andtremolite asbestos. An example of a rock of tremolite on muscovite from Great Bernera is shown in the photograph to the right.
The western side of the island is included in the South Lewis, Harris andNorth UistNational Scenic Area.[15]
There are many islands in Loch Roag. To the west, from north to south arePabaigh Mòr,Vacsay (Bhacsaigh),Fuaigh Mòr (Vuia Mòr), andFuaigh Beag (Vuia Beg). To the north, the island ofBearnaraigh Beag (Little Bernera), and a number of islets. To the east, there are not so many islands, but there isEilean Chearstaidh (Eilean Kerstay) to the southeast.
Sea life is especially rich where there is tidal run between theCaolas Bhalasaigh (English: "Valasay Straits/Kyles") and the innersea-loch ofTòb Bhalasaigh. There are numerousmolluscs,sponges,brittlestars, andsea stars, the latter growing noticeably larger in size than normal. Cup coral,snakelocks anemone anddead man's fingers coral, may also be found here. Common fish includeshanny andbutterfish andAtlantic andcommon seals are regular off-shore visitors.[16]
Great Bernera hosts numerous seabird species, including gulls, waders and ducks such asgoldeneye. More unusually, ajack snipe was observed on the island in 2007.[17]
Great Bernera's population is mainly dependent onlobster fishing,crofting, tourism and arts & crafts. Fertilemachair pasture permits sheep and cattle grazing.[14] A processing plant was built at Kirkibost in 1972[4] which was later closed and redeveloped as a state-of-the-art music recording studio. In 2022, a new pontoon was built close to Kirkibost Pier and further developments such as camper van hook up points, laundrette and shower are opening in 2023. There are still a few weavers but this is no longer one of the main industries.Breacleit is home to a smallmuseum, church, community centre with gym, sports halls, café and shop, self service fuel pump, electric vehicle charge points, fire station, community polytunnels and doctor's surgery.
Communications were much improved during the 20th century. The firsttelephone was installed on Lewis in 1897 and outlying villages were slowly connected. Great Bernera was the last exchange to link to Lewis with asingle wire circuit and an earth return.[18] Nowadays Bernera has access to fast fibre broadband, which has brought new employment opportunities. The bridge to the island from Lewis was built in 1953 and was one of the first constructed using pre-stressed concrete post-tensioned techniques in Europe. It was constructed after the islanders threatened to dynamite the hillside to create a causeway of their own making.[4] The bridge is sometimes referred to as The Bridge over the Atlantic, though this designation is also used for other bridges in Scotland and Faroes.[19] In 2020, during a structural survey serious faults were identified and in 2021 work began to build a single span Delta bridge. This bridge opened with celebrations on 15 December 2021.
In 2012 the island residents began a feasibility study to bring the island into community ownership, a process that has been successfully completed by the islanders ofGigha andEigg. At the time of the 2011 census there were 252 people usually resident on the island,[20] an increase of 8% on the figure of 233 for 2001.[21] However, by 2022 the population had fallen to 212.[3]
The island, under the name of "Borva", was the setting forA Princess of Thule (1873) by the Scottish novelistWilliam Black. The novel is notable for its descriptions of the local scenery.
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58°13′48″N6°51′0″W / 58.23000°N 6.85000°W /58.23000; -6.85000
