Great Bernera

Infobox Scottish island |


latitude=58.2
longitude=-6.85
GridReference=NB162344
celtic name=Bearnaraigh Mòr
norse name=bjarnar-øy
meaning of name="Bjørn's island" from Norse
area= 2122 ha
area rank= 34
highest elevation= 80 m
Population=233
population rank= 29
main settlement= Breaclete
island group=Lewis and Harris
local authority=Outer Hebrides
references= [General Register Office for Scotland (28 Nov 2003) [http://www.gro-scotland.gov.uk/statistics/publications-and-data/occpapers/occasional-paper-10.html "Occasional Paper No 10: Statistics for Inhabited Islands"] Retrieved 9 July 2007.] Haswell-Smith, Hamish. (2004) The Scottish Islands. Edinburgh. Canongate. pp. 287-301.] [http://getamap.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/getamap/frames.htm?mapAction=gaz&gazName=g&gazString=NB1534037023 "Get-a-map"] . Ordnance Survey. Retrieved 12 June 2008.] [cite web| url=http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/vli/language/gaelic/pdfs/placenamesA-B.pdf| title=Placenames| author=Iain Mac an Tailleir| publisher=Pàrlamaid na h-Alba| accessdate=2007-07-22|format=PDF]

Great Bernera (Scottish Gaelic: "Bearnaraigh Mòr"), often known just as Bernera (Gaelic: "Bearnaraigh") is an island in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland. With an area of just of 21 km2 (8.2 sq.mi) it is the thirty-fourth largest Scottish island.

Great Bernera lies in Loch Roag on the north-west coast of Lewis and is linked to it by a road bridge. Built in 1953, the bridge was the first pre-stressed concrete bridge in Europe. The main settlement on the island is Breaclete (Gaelic: "Breacleit").

History

The island's name is Norse in origin as are many other names in the district, implying extensive Norse settlement.

The most common name on Great Bernera is MacDonald (MacDhòmhnaill or Dòmhnallach), and these are said to be descended from a watchman of the MacAulays of Uig, who gavehim the island in return for his services.

Since 1962, the island has been owned by Robin de la Lanne-Mirrlees, a former Queen's Herald, who is recognised as Laird of Bernera. He has a house and fish farm at Kirkibost.

Calanais VIII

Callanish VIII is a unique standing stone arrangement near the bridge between Lewis and Bernera, set out in a semi-circle. It is known locally as "Tursachan", which means merely "Standing Stones". [cite web| url=http://www.rcahms.gov.uk/pls/portal/newcanmore.details_gis?inumlink=4112| title=Great Bernera, 'Tursachan', Barraglom| publisher=RCAHMS| accessdate=2008-06-22] The ruins of Dun Barraglom broch are nearby.

Bostadh

Bernera is also known for its Iron Age (or possibly Pictish) settlement at Bostadh, discovered in 1992 and now covered by sand to preserve it. A replica Iron Age house matching those now buried is sited nearby.

Bernera Riot

The island was the location of the Bernera Riot, where crofters resisted the Highland clearances.

The Bernera Riot took place in 1872, and occurred as a reaction to heavy-handed evictions and treatment by the factor of Sir James Matheson, Donald Munro. The islanders refused to send their livestock over to Lewis, and were in turn threatened witha military visit. This did not occur, but even more eviction notices were handed out,and the visitors were pelted with clods of earth.cite book| author=Keay, J. & Keay, J.| year=1994| title=Collins Encyclopaedia of Scotland| location=London| publisher=HarperCollins]

Geography and geology

The island is roughly 8 km long by 3 km wide, the length being oriented from north west to south east. The coast is much indented and there are also numerous fresh water bodies such as Loch Barabhat, Loch Breacleit and Loch Niosabhat. The highest point is an un-named eminence in the north east near the settlement of Corthair that reaches 80 metres. There are deposits of muscovite and tremolite 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 and North Uist National Scenic Area. [cite web| url=http://www.snh.org.uk/pdfs/publications/scotlandsscenicareas/Part2WesternIsles2.pdf| title=South Lewis, Harris and North Uist| format=pdf| publisher=SNH| accessdate=2008-06-26]

urrounding Islands

There are many islands in Loch Roag. to the west, from north to south are Pabaigh Mòr, Vacsay ("Bhacsaigh"), Fuaigh Mòr ("Vuia Mòr"), and Fuaigh Beag ("Vuia Beg"). To the north, the island of Bearnaraigh Beag (Little Bernera), and a number of islets. To the east, there are not so many islands, but there is Eilean Chearstaidh (Eilean Kerstay) to the south east.

Flora and fauna

Sea life is especially rich where there is tidal run between the "Caolas Bhalasaigh" (English: "Valasay Straits/Kyles") and the inner sea-loch of "Tòb Bhalasaigh". There are numerous molluscs, sponges, brittlestars and starfish, the latter growing noticeably larger in size than normal. Cup Coral, Snakelocks Anemone and Dead Man's Fingers coral, may also be found here. Common fish include Shanny and Butterfish and Atlantic and Common Seals are regular off-shore visitors. [cite book| title=The Outer Hebrides Handbook and Guide| year=1995| publisher=Kittiwake| pages=97-102]

Great Bernera hosts numerous sea bird species, including gulls, waders and ducks such as Goldeneye. More unusually, a Jack Snipe was observed on the island in 2007. [cite web| url=http://www.thewesternisles.co.uk/birds/bird-sightings-december-2007.htm| title=Bird Sightings : Hebrides : December 2007| publisher=thewesternisles.co.uk| accessdate=2008-06-20]

Economy and infrastructure

Great Bernera's population is mainly dependent on lobster fishing, crofting and tourism. Fertile machair pasture permits sheep and cattle grazing. A processing plant was built at Kirkibost in 1972. There are still some weavers but this is no longer one of the main industries. Breacleit is home to a small museum, mini-mart & off licence, school, a post office, church, community centre with café, petrol station, fire station and doctor's surgery.

Communications were much improved during the 20th century. The first telephone was installed on Lewis in 1897 and outlying villages were slowly connected. Great Bernera was the last exchange to link to Lewis with a single wire circuit and an earth return. [cite book| author=Thompson, Francis| year=1968| title=Harris and Lewis| location=Newton Abbott| publisher=David and Charles| pages=84] The bridge to the island from Lewis was built in 1953. It is said to be the first one of pre-stressed concrete in Europe. It was constructed after the islanders threatened to dynamite the hillside to create a causeway of their own making.

In 2003 the island residents were considering a feasibility study into bringing the island into community ownership, a process that has been successfully completed by the islanders of Gigha and Eigg. However, the laird is apparently popular locally and has said he is unwilling to sell. [cite web| url=http://www.scottishislands.org.uk/newsletters/scottish-islands-network-newsletter-march-2003.doc| date=March 2003| title=Newsletter| publisher=Scottish Islands Network| accessdate=2008-06-21]

Notable residents and visitors

* Chancellor of the Exchequer, Alistair Darling owns a converted blackhouse on the island, and has ancestral connections with the area through his mother.cite news| title=Darling hit with holiday home tax| url=http://thescotsman.scotsman.com/scotland.cfm?id=1102332004| publisher=The Scotsman| accessdate=2007-03-22| author=Angus Howarth| date=2004-03-20]

* Callum Macdonald, arguably the most important publisher of Scottish poetry of the 20th century, who was born on the island. [cite news| url=http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4158/is_19990304/ai_n14209315| title=Obituary: Callum Macdonald| date=4 March, 1999| work=The Independent| location=London| accessdate=2008-07-07]

References