Overview of the history of Berneray

Ancient history

Berneray is the only inhabited island in the Sound of Harris, with a population of 123. With an area of 1010 hectares (2496 acres), Berneray rises to a height of 305 feet at Beinn Shleibhe (Moor Hill) and 278 feet at Borve Hill.

Across the Outer Hebrides, a large number of sites, buildings and archaeological finds have shown that the islands have been inhabited for over 6000 years. There is strong evidence that points to Berneray being inhabited since the Bronze age, and possibly before.

From the second century AD, there is evidence that Pictish Celts occupied Berneray. However, in the 8th century, Viking raiders started to invade the Outer Hebrides and other parts of Scotland.

The weather is constantly changing the landscape of the island, especially on the westerly exposed side. An example of this is Siabaidh, which is Norse for 'dwelling by the sea'. This was an island off the southern coast of Berneray but, during a storm which filled the strait with sand, it became part of the island. The village of Siabaidh was covered by sand in the same storm of 1697 which destroyed Baile Meadhonach on Pabbay.

It is believed that the Vikings used the hills and machair of the island as a sacred burial ground. A number of visible ancient sites are scattered around Berneray. As well as the place names and ancient sites, there are other signs of Viking occupancy, such as around the natural pier (known as the Reef, or An Laimrig which is Gaelic for 'natural landing place') outside the Youth Hostel.

The further north you travel in the Outer Hebrides, the more frequent the Norse names become; over 100 place names on Lewis are Norse in origin. In the northern parts of that island, some localised accents are very similar to a cluster of Norwegian accents - not surprising when you consider that it wasn't until 1266 that the Norse handed the Western Isles over to the kingdom of Scotland under the Treaty of Perth.

The oldest building still standing in Berneray is the Gunnery, close to the bus shelter near to the Youth Hostel. Dating back to the 16th Century, the Gunnery was the seat of the MacLeods of Berneray and was a fortified block of two storeys used for defence in times of feuding with rival clans. This was the birthplace of Sir Norman MacLeod (1614-1705) the proprietor of the island. He was also a famous scholar and warrior, fighting for the Royalist cause at the Battle of Worcester. A marble slab above the door of the Gunnery marks his birthplace.

Recent history

The traditional type of housing is the blackhouse, examples of which can be seen (both renovated and ruined) around the island. This type of house construction evolved over many generations; many blackhouses, with double thickness walls of carefully placed rock and large stones, are far more sturdy than modern housing. Similar housing can be found in other northern peripherary regions and countries, such as the Faroe islands, Iceland and some Scandinavian islands.

Around the end of the 18th and beginning of the 19th century, the population of Berneray climbed, rising to over 700 (there are records of the population being 712 in 1841, which is about 6 times the current population). Sensible use of land to feed so many people became more critical. For example, if you look on the side of Borve Hill you will see what appear to be shallow ridges. These are known as 'lazy beds', and were used as a combination of irrigation and growing crops such as potatoes.

In the 19th century, the economics of Berneray changed as the local kelp (seaweed) industry declined, and potato crops were affected by blight. Many families emigrated, mainly to the US and Nova Scotia. In 1848, during one of the worst potato famines, the "destitution road" was built as a way of keeping some of the population employed; people were paid in food, which they only received as long as they worked.

One of the emigrants was Angus Mor MacAskill, who was born in 1825. Known as Giant MacAskill, his family emigrated when he was 6 to Nova Scotia. As a grown man he stood 7 feet 9 inches tall and weighed 425 pounds. He joined Barnum and Bailey's circus, and died at the age of 38, allegedly while attempting to lift a one ton anchor which pierced his chest. Descendants of the MacAskill clan still live and croft on Berneray; a memorial to Angus can be found near the new graveyard.

In 1900, one of the key events in the history of Berneray occured when Borve farm was broken up into crofts. A plaque on the machair celebrates this event and details how the land was allocated.

Possibly the greatest change in modern times occured in 1999 when the causeway opened between Berneray and North Uist. This has made travelling on and off the island, for example for employment, easier. The causeway contains culverts that allow the easy passage of otters and fish from one side of the structure to the other.