| Scottish Gaelic name | Beàrnaraigh Mòr |
|---|---|
| Pronunciation | [ˈpjaːrˠn̪ˠəɾaj ˈmoːɾ] |
| Old Norse name | bjarnar-øy |
| Meaning of name | Bjørn's island from Norse[1] |
 | |
| Location | |
  Great Bernera Great Bernera shown within the Outer Hebrides | |
| OS grid reference | NB162344 |
| Coordinates | 58°12′N 6°51′W / 58.2°N 6.85°W |
| Physical geography | |
| Island group | Lewis and Harris |
| Area | 2,122 ha (5,240 acres) |
| Area rank | 34 [2] |
| Highest elevation | 87 m (285 ft) |
| Administration | |
| Council area | Na h-Eileanan Siar |
| Country | Scotland |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Demographics | |
| Population | 252[3] |
| Population rank | 29 [2] |
| Population density | 11.9/km2 (31/sq mi)[3][4] |
| Largest settlement | Breaclete |
 | |
| References | [4][5] |
Great Bernera (/ˈbɜːrnərə/; Scottish Gaelic: Beàrnaraigh Mòr), often known just as Bernera (Scottish Gaelic: Beàrnaraigh), is an island and community in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland. With an area of just over 21 square kilometres (8 square miles), it is the thirty-fourth largest Scottish island.[4]
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.[4][6] The main settlement on the island is Breaclete (Gaelic: Breacleit).
The island, under the name of "Borva", was the setting for A Princess of Thule (1873) by the Scottish novelist William Black. The novel is notable for its descriptions of the local scenery.
- ^ Mac an Tàilleir, Iain (2003) Ainmean-àite/Placenames. (pdf) Pàrlamaid na h-Alba. Retrieved 26 August 2012.
- ^ a b Area and population ranks: there are c. 300 islands over 20 ha in extent and 93 permanently inhabited islands were listed in the 2011 census.
- ^ a b National Records of Scotland (15 August 2013). "Appendix 2: Population and households on Scotland's Inhabited Islands" (PDF). Statistical Bulletin: 2011 Census: First Results on Population and Household Estimates for Scotland Release 1C (Part Two) (PDF) (Report). SG/2013/126. Retrieved 14 August 2020.
- ^ a b c d Haswell-Smith, Hamish (2004). The Scottish Islands. Edinburgh: Canongate. pp. 287–301. ISBN 978-1-84195-454-7.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
OSwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ "Details of the construction and opening of the bridge". Archived from the original on 11 November 2010. Retrieved 21 September 2009.