Great Bernera – An island road trip

Great Bernera is a small island located off the west coast of the Isle of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides. With standing stones and abandoned buildings, it is a wild and remote landscape that can be easily explored in a day from Stornoway, the main town on the Isle of Lewis. Follow the single road from east to west across the island and feel the history and traditions oozing out of the landscape.

The rugged road from the main road to Uig leads down towards the bridge, the track becoming narrow and uneven, an adventure just asking to be had.  The Isle of Lewis is remote, but still there are boundaries that need to be pushed. Passing the bright red phone box on the roadside, a rare sight in the UK these days, the bridge to the island comes into sight.

The bridge from the Isle of Lewis to the even smaller island of Great Bernera is relatively new.  An ancient island with reminders of the past at every turn.  The bridge was built in 1953 and before this, the only way to reach the island located in Loch Roag was by boat.  The bridge was built in response to local threats to blast the nearby hillside to create a causeway and enable access in all weathers.

Places to Explore on Great Bernera

The whole of Great Bernera is beautiful but there are a few places that are worth exploring in more detail.

Callanish VII

From the bridge the standing stones known as Callanish VII (Tursachan locally) are visible, believed to be an extension of the nearby Callanish Standing Stones.  Just a short but steep walk up from the road are the  stones –  over a metre wide and 2 metres high.  They sit in a semi-circle overlooking the bridge.  Covered in patterns of lichen they have the same magical feeling as the standing stones at Callanish.  The lichen-covered stones feel old and the history buried around them is immense. Surrounded by boggy peat marshes and grasses they are an introduction to the rest of the island.

Sheep and Roads

Heading away from the standing stones the road winds through the middle of the island getting narrow and reminiscent of the original tracks that would have crisscrossed the island in the past.  A few cars will pass you as you head down to Bosta Beach on the far end of the island, but the local sheep are more numerous than the cars. With little road sense they stand and look, not a care in the world confident in the knowledge that they are in control of the situation.

Bosta Beach

Finally the furthest corner of the island comes into sight.  The hidden and remote beach at Bosta sparkles in the sunlight as the glorious sun reflects off the shell sand.  The beach overlooks the outer fringes of Loch Roag towards Little Berneray, Flodday, Campay, Bearsay and Old Hill.  After a quick visit to the spotless toilets (a pleasant surprise in such a remote spot) head down the steep path to the beach, discovering the remains of sheep and rabbits along the way.  

The beach is scattered with large pebbles made of the beautiful local Lewisian Gneiss, one of the oldest rocks on the planet, formed 3 billion years ago. their ripples of colour and attached seaweeds form the perfect contrast to the pale white shell sands.  

Tucked behind one of the rocks is the Tide and Time Bell, part of a nationwide installation of bells that ring at high tide as the waves knock the bell. This is a work of art that will change as the landscape around it adapts to climate change and higher tides.

The draw of Bosta beyond the beach is the Iron Age settlement, discovered after a storm in 1992 it is now covered for protection.  There is however a beautiful reconstruction of the building constructed using similar techniques to those that would have been used between 400-800AD.  The building is shut in the winter months but you can still explore the hill that rises away from the beach beyond the settlement.

Kirkibost Pier

Heading away from Bosta and back towards the bridge you may be lucky and find the hidden Kirkibost Pier, a deep water mooring with a strange little wood carver.  There are beautiful views across Loch Roag with lobster pots lined up on the side of the harbour wall giving an insight into the type of fishing that takes place in this quiet corner of the Outer Hebrides. The area feels strange, as if it has been forgotten.  Quiet and empty.  It was hard to imagine the harbour busy.

Abandoned Life

Throughout the island there are abandoned houses, reminders of the Highland Clearances that took place in the 1870’s.  The islanders resisted the clearances resulting in the Bernera Riot and there is now a cairn near the centre of the island to act as a reminder of the farmers who resisted the removal of their cattle to Lewis.  

There are also the remains of buildings, slowly decaying in the exposed landscape of the island. Heading back to the bridge, the lonely post box marked the end of the route around the island, just before the bridge it is lonely and isolated, but a vital link to the everyday.

Remember that the abandoned buildings have owners and whilst they may appear abandoned they still have an owner. Respect their privacy and their ownership of the surrounding farmland at all times.

Visiting Great Bernera

This island can be visited at any time of the tide and in most weather conditions although care should be taken in poor conditions.  From the main A858 at Garrynahine on the Isle of Lewis take the the B8011 towards Uig.  After a few miles, the B8059 to Great Bernera will be seen on the right.  This is a twisting road through beautiful scenery that eventually takes you to the bridge.

Make sure you bring supplies for the day.  There is a community centre and museum in Breacleit with a cafe but opening times are limited so a picnic is always a safe option.

Once on the island, the main road takes you all the way to Bosta.  There are little roads to be explored as well depending on time, weather and what you want to see.  A loop makes it possible to explore Kirkibost without having to return on the same road.