Islands · Scottish Highlands
Barra Head
Barra Head — southernmost island of the Outer Hebrides in Scotland, UK.
Wikimedia Commons contributors — see linked file page for photographer and licence licence
Plan your visit
- Typical visit
- 4 h–12 h
- Free entry
- Family-friendly
- Dog-friendly
- Limited wheelchair access
About
Barra Head is a island in the United Kingdom. It covers approximately 204 km². Owned by National Trust for Scotland. Managed by National Trust for Scotland. Named after Barra Head. Part of Outer Hebrides. Wikidata describes it as: "southernmost island of the Outer Hebrides in Scotland, UK". Coordinates: 56.7849°, -7.6359°.
Photo gallery
From the Wikipedia article
Barra Head, also known as Berneray (Scottish Gaelic: Beàrnaraigh), is the southernmost island of the Outer Hebrides in Scotland. Within the Outer Hebrides, it forms part of the Barra Isles archipelago. Originally, Barra Head only referred to the southernmost headland of Berneray but is now a common name for the entire island. The highest point of the island is Sotan, a Marilyn. There are numerous prehistoric structures on the island and permanent occupation by 20–50 individuals occurred throughout the historic period, peaking in the 19th century. The economy of the residents was based on agriculture, fishing and fowling. The cliffs provide nesting sites for seabirds in such profusion that Berneray has been designated as a Special Protection Area. The Barra Head Lighthouse, designed by Robert Stevenson, has operated since 1833. From 1931 to 1980 Barra Head was inhabited only by the lighthouse keepers and their wives but the lighthouse is now automated and the island completely uninhabited. The rough seas that surround the island have been used to test prototype lifeboats.
Excerpt from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0. See the source article linked in Sources below.
Background
History
Berneray was inhabited from prehistoric times until the 20th century; Historic Scotland have identified eighty-three archaeological sites on the island, the majority being of a pre-medieval date. There are four chambered tombs, five cists and five other sites assumed to be burial cairns, suggesting a significant settlement in the Neolithic and Bronze Age. The fort of Dùn Briste (the broken fort) lies to the north west and a second site nearby dating to the Iron Age was largely destroyed during the construction of the lighthouse. A century later Edward MacQueen wrote that he believed it had served "as a pharos or watch tower". There is also the presumed site of a chapel near MacLean's Point…
Description
<div style="float:left; margin-right: 1em;"> {| class="wikitable" ! Year ! Population (a) ! Population (b) |- | 1764 | 20 | |- | 1794 | 3 families | |- | 1841 | 21 | 30 |- | 1851 | 28 | 44 |- | 1861 | 20 | 33 |}</div><div style="float:left;"> {| class="wikitable" ! Year ! Population (a) ! Population (b) |- | 1871 | 20 | 38 |- | 1881 | 21 | 56 |- | 1891 | 17 | 36 |- | 1901 | – | 17 |- | 1911 | 0 | 5 |}</div> Notes:
Sourced from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Coordinates
- 56.7849, -7.6359
- Official site
- www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk
Sources
- wikidata: Q1732919 (CC0)
- wikipedia: Barra Head (CC BY-SA 4.0)
- commons: Barrahead.jpg (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Other places nearby
Loading nearby places…
Nearby
📷 5Mountains & hills · Scottish Highlands
Sotan
Sotan — Named summit at 193 m.
📷 3Lighthouses · Scottish Highlands
Barra Head Lighthouse
Barra Head Lighthouse — lighthouse in Outer Hebrides, Scotland, UK.
Vineyards · Scottish Highlands
Berneray
Berneray — a UK vineyard in scotland highlands, producing English or Welsh wine from cool-climate grape varieties.
Vineyards · Scottish Highlands
Berneray, Dun Briste
Berneray, Dun Briste — a UK vineyard in scotland highlands, producing English or Welsh wine from cool-climate grape varieties.
📷 3Archaeological sites · Scottish Highlands
Gearum Beag, dun site
Gearum Beag, dun site — a archaeological in scotland-highlands, United Kingdom.
Vineyards · Scottish Highlands
Mingulay, Geirum Mor
Mingulay, Geirum Mor — a UK vineyard in scotland highlands, producing English or Welsh wine from cool-climate grape varieties.
More places run by National Trust for Scotland
📷 4Islands · Scottish Highlands
Boreray
Boreray — uninhabited island in St Kilda archipelago, Scotland.
Flagship📷 5Islands · Scottish Highlands
Canna
Canna — island in Inner Hebrides, Scotland, UK.
Flagship📷 5Islands · Scottish Highlands
Dùn
Dùn — island of St Kilda, Outer Hebrides, Scotland, UK.
Flagship📷 3Islands · Scottish Highlands
Hirta
Hirta — main island of the St Kilda archipelago, Outer Hebrides, Scotland, UK.
More places in this region
📷 5Islands · Scottish Highlands
Bac Beag
Bac Beag — Scottish island, part of the Treshnish Isles in the Inner Hebrides.
📷 5Islands · Scottish Highlands
Bac Mòr
Bac Mòr — island in Argyll and Bute, Scotland, UK, one of the Treshnish Isles.
Flagship📷 3Islands · Scottish Highlands
Baleshare
Baleshare — flat tidal island in the Outer Hebrides, Scotland, UK.
Flagship📷 5Islands · Scottish Highlands
Barra
Barra — island in Outer Hebrides, Scotland, UK.
Frequently asked questions
- Where is Barra Head?
- Barra Head is in the Scottish Highlands, United Kingdom.
- Who runs Barra Head?
- Barra Head is operated by National Trust for Scotland.
- Is Barra Head free to visit?
- Yes, Barra Head is free to enter.