Visiting Berneray : A' tadhal air Beàrnaraigh
Where is Berneray?
Berneray is an island in the Outer Hebrides/ Western Isles, an archipelago of islands off the west coast of Scotland. The Outer Hebrides is part of Scotland and the United Kingdom.
The picture to the left shows some of the west coast of Scotland, and all of the Outer Hebrides. Berneray is about half way up the chain of islands, indicated by a red dot. It is the only inhabited island in the Sound of Harris.
Berneray is connected to the islands to the south (North Uist, Benbecula and South Uist) by a short causeway. A ferry service runs from Berneray to Harris and Lewis to the north.
To give an idea of distance and place, it takes some 40 minutes to fly here from Glasgow, the largest city in Scotland. The islands are roughly halfway between London and Iceland and are on the same latitude as Denmark and southern Sweden; Berneray is itself on the same latitude as the city of Sitka in Alaska.
You can travel to Berneray by a variety of methods, including combinations of ferry, plane, car or bus. There is good local public transport all year round (six days a week).
A detailed guide to visiting and exploring Berneray is available for downloading in PDF format (Page 1, Page 2, Page 3).
The attached leaflet from Scottish Natural Heritage, covering the whole Hebrides, may also be of interest. Part 1, Part 2.
If you need further convincing of the joys of a visit to the Outer Hebrides, there are inspirational videos (not specifically Berneray) to be found on the Visit Outer Hebrides website.
When to visit
The climate in Berneray is relatively mild, with the weather largely dictated by the Gulf stream. Periods of sunshine can be quite extensive. The weather can change suddenly - at any time of the year - and it is possible to get "four seasons in an hour". Because of the location, deep snow and very cold weather are rare. Check out the elements page to get an idea of current and predicted weather.
Being a northerly island, summer daylight hours can be very long; around late June, some nights are never completely dark. In winter there is the reverse, with very long December nights.
The busiest months in Berneray are July and August, when accommodation on the island can sometimes be difficult to find. Having said that, there are often occasional rooms available and people can stay in accommodation on North Uist or Harris. July is also when many social events, such as Berneray Week happen.
Shoulder season months - April to June, and September to October - often provide the best weather and scenery. At this time of year, it is often possible to walk around the island in blistering sunshine and not see anyone on the beaches.
Winter shouldn't be ruled out as a time to visit. Accommodation is more readily available, and you can often have the whole youth hostel to yourself. Winter wildlife is different from summer wildlife, and the more changeable weather has provided inspiration for photographers and artists. However, the one big draw of winter, and especially because of the geographic location, is that you are far more likely to see the Northern Lights. As Berneray does not have the light pollution of the mainland, when the lights are in view they can be seen from any part of the island.
Advice for campers and caravaners
There are toilets (signposted) and a coin-operated shower at the fishing harbour on the east coast of the island. These are open from 8am to 9pm. Note that the lane off the main road and down to the toilet block is for authorised vehicles only; park near to the phone box and walk over.
Camper vans and caravans: a portable toilet waste facility and water source is freely available and signposted at the Sound of Harris ferry terminal (just past the causeway). Please note that this is the only place on Berneray where chemical toilets can be safely and hygenically emptied. There are also conventional toilets, plus a telephone, inside the ferry terminal waiting building.
Please be considerate to residents and visitors when using the various facilities; keep noise to a minimum at night and early morning.
There is a local shop in Berneray, and shops in Lochmaddy (10 miles away), a Co-op (the supermarket) in Sollas (8 miles away) and Benbecula (30-35 miles away). All are quick to reach by cheap bus services. Between them, these shops easily provide everything you would need for a prolonged stay on Berneray.
Local information
There are a few things you should be aware of, if you are unfamiliar with the Outer Hebrides.
1. Some people use the name Outer Hebrides, while others say Western Isles. They both refer to the same chain of islands, stretching from Lewis down to Barra and a bit beyond.
2. Everyone speaks English. For many residents, especially the older generations, Gaelic is the first language and people are happy for you to have a go at practising any Gaelic.
3. On a Sunday, the shop is closed and the buses do not run.
4. Regarding the ferry: if you are travelling by car, you can usually get by without advanced booking, but in summer it is very advisable to book a space on the ferry before turning up. Note also that you may want to check your ferry travel time in advance, as occasionally a crossing will be cancelled if the tide is too low (several weeks' notice of this is usually given).
5. People on Berneray are very friendly and, of course, the best sources of local knowledge, so striking up a conversation can be fruitful.
6. The currency is UK sterling. Most places do not accept other forms of currency, but can usually take cheques and credit cards. Note that Scotland has its own banknotes, including one pound notes, all of which are legal tender across the whole UK.
7. Many roads are single track, with passing places at regular intervals. Please use passing places to let any following traffic go past - you may be on holiday and have all the time in the world but the person behind you may be in a hurry to get to to work, attend an appointment, catch a ferry etc. The nearest petrol stations are Lochmaddy, North Uist, 10 miles away and Bayhead, on the west side of North Uist, about 20 miles away. Neither of these is open on Sunday, although Bayhead has a 24-hour petrol pump, as do both petrol stations in Benbecula.
Berneray is an island in the Outer Hebrides/ Western Isles, an archipelago of islands off the west coast of Scotland. The Outer Hebrides is part of Scotland and the United Kingdom.
The picture to the left shows some of the west coast of Scotland, and all of the Outer Hebrides. Berneray is about half way up the chain of islands, indicated by a red dot. It is the only inhabited island in the Sound of Harris.
Berneray is connected to the islands to the south (North Uist, Benbecula and South Uist) by a short causeway. A ferry service runs from Berneray to Harris and Lewis to the north.
To give an idea of distance and place, it takes some 40 minutes to fly here from Glasgow, the largest city in Scotland. The islands are roughly halfway between London and Iceland and are on the same latitude as Denmark and southern Sweden; Berneray is itself on the same latitude as the city of Sitka in Alaska.
You can travel to Berneray by a variety of methods, including combinations of ferry, plane, car or bus. There is good local public transport all year round (six days a week).
A detailed guide to visiting and exploring Berneray is available for downloading in PDF format (Page 1, Page 2, Page 3).
The attached leaflet from Scottish Natural Heritage, covering the whole Hebrides, may also be of interest. Part 1, Part 2.
If you need further convincing of the joys of a visit to the Outer Hebrides, there are inspirational videos (not specifically Berneray) to be found on the Visit Outer Hebrides website.
When to visit
The climate in Berneray is relatively mild, with the weather largely dictated by the Gulf stream. Periods of sunshine can be quite extensive. The weather can change suddenly - at any time of the year - and it is possible to get "four seasons in an hour". Because of the location, deep snow and very cold weather are rare. Check out the elements page to get an idea of current and predicted weather.
Being a northerly island, summer daylight hours can be very long; around late June, some nights are never completely dark. In winter there is the reverse, with very long December nights.
The busiest months in Berneray are July and August, when accommodation on the island can sometimes be difficult to find. Having said that, there are often occasional rooms available and people can stay in accommodation on North Uist or Harris. July is also when many social events, such as Berneray Week happen.
Shoulder season months - April to June, and September to October - often provide the best weather and scenery. At this time of year, it is often possible to walk around the island in blistering sunshine and not see anyone on the beaches.
Winter shouldn't be ruled out as a time to visit. Accommodation is more readily available, and you can often have the whole youth hostel to yourself. Winter wildlife is different from summer wildlife, and the more changeable weather has provided inspiration for photographers and artists. However, the one big draw of winter, and especially because of the geographic location, is that you are far more likely to see the Northern Lights. As Berneray does not have the light pollution of the mainland, when the lights are in view they can be seen from any part of the island.
Advice for campers and caravaners
There are toilets (signposted) and a coin-operated shower at the fishing harbour on the east coast of the island. These are open from 8am to 9pm. Note that the lane off the main road and down to the toilet block is for authorised vehicles only; park near to the phone box and walk over.
Camper vans and caravans: a portable toilet waste facility and water source is freely available and signposted at the Sound of Harris ferry terminal (just past the causeway). Please note that this is the only place on Berneray where chemical toilets can be safely and hygenically emptied. There are also conventional toilets, plus a telephone, inside the ferry terminal waiting building.
Please be considerate to residents and visitors when using the various facilities; keep noise to a minimum at night and early morning.
There is a local shop in Berneray, and shops in Lochmaddy (10 miles away), a Co-op (the supermarket) in Sollas (8 miles away) and Benbecula (30-35 miles away). All are quick to reach by cheap bus services. Between them, these shops easily provide everything you would need for a prolonged stay on Berneray.
Local information
There are a few things you should be aware of, if you are unfamiliar with the Outer Hebrides.
1. Some people use the name Outer Hebrides, while others say Western Isles. They both refer to the same chain of islands, stretching from Lewis down to Barra and a bit beyond.
2. Everyone speaks English. For many residents, especially the older generations, Gaelic is the first language and people are happy for you to have a go at practising any Gaelic.
3. On a Sunday, the shop is closed and the buses do not run.
4. Regarding the ferry: if you are travelling by car, you can usually get by without advanced booking, but in summer it is very advisable to book a space on the ferry before turning up. Note also that you may want to check your ferry travel time in advance, as occasionally a crossing will be cancelled if the tide is too low (several weeks' notice of this is usually given).
5. People on Berneray are very friendly and, of course, the best sources of local knowledge, so striking up a conversation can be fruitful.
6. The currency is UK sterling. Most places do not accept other forms of currency, but can usually take cheques and credit cards. Note that Scotland has its own banknotes, including one pound notes, all of which are legal tender across the whole UK.
7. Many roads are single track, with passing places at regular intervals. Please use passing places to let any following traffic go past - you may be on holiday and have all the time in the world but the person behind you may be in a hurry to get to to work, attend an appointment, catch a ferry etc. The nearest petrol stations are Lochmaddy, North Uist, 10 miles away and Bayhead, on the west side of North Uist, about 20 miles away. Neither of these is open on Sunday, although Bayhead has a 24-hour petrol pump, as do both petrol stations in Benbecula.
