Great Bernera (Beàrnaraigh Mòr) is an island of Outer Hebrides. It is located off the northwest coast of the Isle of Lewis in Loch Roag. Great Bernera, which is approximately 21 km², is connected to Lewis by a bridge. About 300 people live on the island.
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Regions
places
The only bigger place on the island is Breaclete (Breacleit). There is a mini market, post office and gas station (all in one), the community hall with a cafe, a small museum and a doctor's office.
The mini market is open Mon to Sat 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sun from 12.30 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Besides Breaclete there are only a few hamlets left.
Other goals
background
language
Both Scottish English and Gaelic are spoken on Great Bernera. The street signs are sometimes bilingual English / Gaelic, sometimes only Gaelic.
getting there
- The journey to the Isle of Lewis can be found in the main article
By car
Of Stornoway Via the A859, then right onto the A858 (towards Achmore), to Garynahine (Gearraidh na h-Aibhne), here left onto the B 8011. Follow the B 8011 to the junction of the B 8059. Turn right here, the road leads to the island. It is about 37 km from Stornoway to Breaclete.
By bus
There is one from Stornoway Bus route to Great Bernera. The bus doesn't run on Sunday.
mobility
Dynamic cardsA combination of your own vehicle and walking is best. If you are traveling with your own car, you have to expect oncoming traffic when driving on the narrow and sometimes winding roads, always avoiding to the left. If you wait at one of the passing places, you can indicate this by briefly flashing to the left. Do not use the Passing Place as a parking lot.
The only petrol station on the island is in Breaclete.
Tourist Attractions
1 Bostadh Iron Age House
Directions and opening times: from Breaclete continue along the road until it splits, keep right here. Until the next fork, continue straight ahead (Bostadh is signposted). At the end of the street there is a parking lot (with a public toilet), from here you have to walk a bit. The Iron Age House is open Mon to Fri from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. (entry £ 3.00, as of 2013)
Walk from the parking lot towards the cemetery / beach. At the end of the cemetery wall, turn left and follow the path. Through the gate and further to the left over the sandy path. You can already see the house from here.
It had long been known that something special had to be in the dunes near Bostadh. Artifacts were found again and again. In 1992 a storm changed the coastline, parts of houses appeared, and a total of 5 buildings were discovered. In 1996 several excavations were carried out, the village was exposed and secured. The preserved walls of a house were removed and rebuilt true to the original a bit away. The others were covered with sand again for conservation.
The house has double walls that resemble an 8 from above. It stands in a depression surrounded by a dry stone wall. This provided shelter from the wind. The roof was reconstructed without any archaeological evidence, but only using techniques that people already knew back then.
On the south side there is a semi-underground entrance, through which one reaches the round main room. In the middle of the room is a stone fireplace. Peat was (and is still being used today) as fuel. A wooden gallery is drawn into the room above the entrance door. It is believed that there were sleeping places here. In addition to the main room, there is a much smaller adjoining room. Inside is a built-in wall cupboard similar to those in Skara Brae (Orkney).
The bay was an ideal location for a settlement. There were pastures in the hinterland for the cattle (cows, sheep and pigs), a stream flows into the sea here. Once there was also a forest nearby, as evidenced by bone finds from deer. Barley was grown and fish, oysters and various kinds of mussels were brought out of the sea.
2 Callanish VIII (Cleitir)
Directions: left above the Bernera Bridge. There is a parking lot on the right behind the bridge. Accessible at any time.
The 4 menhirs stand on a cliff above a strait formed by Loch Roag. They are arranged as a semicircle. There is no evidence that any remnant of the circle disappeared into the water in a rock fall. The highest stone is about 3 m high. One of the stones was put back in its original base in 1985 and fixed with the old stones. Nice view over to Lewis. The stone circle is called "Tursachan" by the locals, which means "Standing Stone".
Bernera Bridge
Since 1953, Great Bernera and Lewis have been linked by a bridge over the only 150 m wide strait. The bridge is one of the first in the UK to be constructed from pre-stressed concrete.
3 Norse Mill and Lobster Ponds
Location: at Breaclete
The current location of the Norse Mill on the banks of Loch Riosaigh has long been used for water-powered mills. Older dams can be seen in the hole at low tide, several parts of old millstones were found in the area and are now next to the door. The Norse Mill has been restored and is working again. Water from Loch na Muilne is channeled to the mill, drives the mill and then flows into the sea. The horizontal blades of the wheel are in the lower space. Thanks to the location on the sheltered bay, the farmers were able to bring their grain to the mill by boat. The nearby lobster pond has also been restored. It was built in the mid-1800s. In it the fishermen could keep their catch alive until the market offered good prices.
4 Bernera Museum
activities
For children
- On the beach of Bostadh you can dig, build dams and climb between the rocks. If you like it, you can also go into the water. There are nice picnic areas between and on the rocks. There is a public toilet at the parking lot.
hike
- From Bostadh Beach to the hamlet of Tobson (2 km)
Boat tours
- Islands of Adventures, The Anchorage, Kirkibost. Tel.: 44 (0)1851 612309, Fax: 44 (0)1851 612309, Email: [email protected]. Open: various tours from 2 am to 6 pm.Price: From £ 30.00.
kitchen
- Bernera Community Cafe, Community Hall, Breacleit. Tel.: 44 (0)1851 612441. Internet access.Open: Summer Mon to Fri 12 p.m. to 4 p.m., Winter Tue & Thu 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.
nightlife
security
The island is small and manageable. Nevertheless, the same applies here: do not leave any valuables in the car. Cell phone reception is not available everywhere on the island.
Important phone numbers and websites:
- 999 is the emergency number for the police, fire brigade and ambulance
- Tide Times
health
The closest (and only) emergency room is in
climate
Great Bernera is in the Atlantic. Due to the location and the Gulf Stream, it is rather humid, but there are no big differences in temperature between summer and winter. Most of the time it's windy.
literature
cards
The following is suitable for hiking and cycling:
- West Lewis & North Harris, Ordnance Survey Landranger, Sheet 13, scale 1: 50,000, ISBN 978-0-319-23124-1 , Attractions are listed, approx £ 7.00.
If you want maps on a scale of 1: 25,000, you need the appropriate sheets Ordnance Survey Explorer, approx £ 8.00.
