There are many visible historical and archaeological remains on Berneray. These stem from the fact that the island has been populated for over 5,000 years by a number of native and invading races, due to the fertile lands.
Older historical features include Cnoc Na Greine (Hillock of the Sun), a circle of stones on one hilltop that was the supposed center of pre-Christian sun worship, and Cidhe mor Mhicleoid (Big Quay of MacLeod), a mostly submerged Viking pier close to the Youth Hostel. Near the south of the island is Beinn a'Chlaidh (Hill of the Graveyard), a pagan site with a standing stone eight feet in height. A chapel dedicated to St. Columba was built on the site in the 6th century and later plundered by the Vikings.
To the west of the standing stone is A'Chiste Chloiche, the remains of a chambered cairn from the Bronze Age where kings were buried with their Ulaidh (treasure). 125 yards to the southwest of the standing stone is Leac an Righ (Stone of the King). This is a stone with the imprint of a human foot and inscriptions similar to the stone at Dunadd on mainland Scotland where kings were crowned.
On the machair are a collection of large stones. These were used in trials held by the Vikings; one of the stones is known as the chairstone, and opposite is another where archaeologists speculate that the accused presented his case. Strange curvatures of the land nearby indicate possible sites of viking burials, as yet unexplored.
To the west, nearer the beach, is Uaigh an Innseanaich (Grave of the Indian). In 1918 a drowned man was washed ashore on the West Beach. He was buried nearby on the machair, a stone placed at his head and feet, but the exact location has now silted over.
Cill Aiseam, the churchyard of St Asaph (a 7th century British bishop and follower of St Kentigern) can be located near to the youth hostel. Nearby is an ancient well, the era of which is the source of disagreement amongst archaeologists. Also nearby is Clach nan Coinnlean (Stone of the Candles); coffins were rested on this stone, on their way to Cladh a'Chambuir, the old cemetery dramatically set on the south side of Ben Leva.
The Armoury is a deserted building and the birthplace of Sir Rory Mor (Norman MacLeod), a scholar who fought at the battle of Worcester. The Latin plaque above the doorway reads: "Hic natus est ille illustris Normanus MacLeod de Berneray eques auratus".
The most well-known is probably the site of the house where the giant Angus MacAskill was raised. This is on the south coast of Berneray; follow the machair road to the end and walk about half a mile further till you come to the monument. Giant MacAskill, (Angus Mor MacAskill, (1825-August 8, 1863) was known as the world's largest "true" giant (normal proportions, no growth abnormalities), reaching a height of 7 ft 9 in. The 1981 Guinness Book of World Records lists Angus as the tallest natural giant who ever lived, the strongest man who ever lived, and the man having the largest chest measurements of any non-obese man (80 inches). Many descendants of his family still live on the island and are noticeably tall people.
On the extreme southwest point of the island, at the end of the west beach, is Braighe na Ceilp (Breastwork of the Kelp). Just above the shoreline stones have been evenly settled into the ground rectangulary to support the seaweed for drying and burning. This was a thriving industry for some years and, as a result of immigration, the population increased to 712 in 1841. However, by 1851 it had declined to 410, due to evictions and the cessation of the kelp industry. Nearby is Cnoc nan Claigeann (Hillock of the Heads), an unnatural rise probably built by ancient Celts who collected heads of invaders. The ruins of a shepherd's bothy stands on the summit.
A restored blackhouse. Note the office building in the foreground, which has a broadband connection and a lawned roof.
Blackhouses, some deserted and some ruined, can be seen in all parts of the island. These were generally built with double dry-stone walls packed with earth and wooden rafters covered with a turf roof, although reed thatch was occasionally used as the roofing material. The floor was usually flagstones or packed earth and there was a central hearth for the fire. The blackhouse was used to accommodate livestock as well as people, animals at one end and people at the other with a partition in between. There was no chimney for the smoke to escape; instead, the smoke made its way through the roof. The structures, though requiring constant maintenance, were often extremely sturdy in order to survive winter storms. After around 1850, houses were built with single walls and were known as taighean geala or white houses.
As people moved into more modern dwellings with conveniences such as running water and central heating, the blackhouse tended to go out of use, and many ruined or roofless examples can be seen around Berneray. However, blackhouses are increasingly being restored for habitation.
The most visible signs of previous life are the parallel lines that turn around the sides of some of the hills. These are called lazybeds, and were the strips where potatoes were planted in the 18th and 19th centuries to feed the much larger populations of the times.
The Most Frequently Asked Travel Questions about Berneray
Where To Stay & Best Hotels in Berneray - updated May 2024
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Berneray Travel Guide from Wikitravel. Many thanks to all Wikitravel contributors. Text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0, images are available under various licenses, see each image for details.
