Most of Little Bernera is covered grass with many rocky outcrops. The island was being grazed by sheep when I visited on a warm and clear sunny afternoon in early June 2018. Little Bernera is 2km from east to west and just over a kilometre from north to south and the highest point on the island is 42 metres above sea level. Butterwort, milkwort, primroses, tormentil, silverweed and bird's-foot trefoil were all in flower when I visited.
Little Bernera is uninhabited but Seatrek, which is based at Miavaig on the road to Uig, offer weekly three hour long RIB trips, which include landing on Little Bernera (or sometimes Pabbay) for an hour and a half. The trip isn't cheap - £48 in June 2018 - but it also includes a non-landing tour around other neighbouring islands, such as Pabbay, Hairsgeir, Flodaigh, Bearasaigh, Old Hill/Seanna Chnoc and Campaigh. We saw lots of seals and a sea eagle (my first ever). Getting off the RIB was reasonably easy but getting back on it proved to be more difficult and undignified, as we half climbed and were half hauled back over the side of the boat by the driver.
In 1807 two men (possibly with family members) lived on Little Bernera but they later moved to Great Bernera. By 1831 enough families were living on the island for the Edinburgh Gaelic School Society to open a school. 19 boys, 20 girls and an adult were enrolled in the school. However most of the island's inhabitants were cleared from the island and resettled at Carloway on Lewis in 1832 or 1833 and the school closed. Sometime after 1861 the last inhabitants left the island.
The beaches on Little Bernera, particularly Traigh Mhor on the north coast were some of the most beautiful I have ever seen.
Little Bernera is uninhabited but Seatrek, which is based at Miavaig on the road to Uig, offer weekly three hour long RIB trips, which include landing on Little Bernera (or sometimes Pabbay) for an hour and a half. The trip isn't cheap - £48 in June 2018 - but it also includes a non-landing tour around other neighbouring islands, such as Pabbay, Hairsgeir, Flodaigh, Bearasaigh, Old Hill/Seanna Chnoc and Campaigh. We saw lots of seals and a sea eagle (my first ever). Getting off the RIB was reasonably easy but getting back on it proved to be more difficult and undignified, as we half climbed and were half hauled back over the side of the boat by the driver.
In 1807 two men (possibly with family members) lived on Little Bernera but they later moved to Great Bernera. By 1831 enough families were living on the island for the Edinburgh Gaelic School Society to open a school. 19 boys, 20 girls and an adult were enrolled in the school. However most of the island's inhabitants were cleared from the island and resettled at Carloway on Lewis in 1832 or 1833 and the school closed. Sometime after 1861 the last inhabitants left the island.
The beaches on Little Bernera, particularly Traigh Mhor on the north coast were some of the most beautiful I have ever seen.
Unnamed steep beach on the northern coast of Little Bernera
Traigh Mhor on the north coat
Temple Sand - where we landed
Our boat
Temple Sand
Ruined chapel
Cemetery
Ruined chapel
Looking down on the landing beach from the cemetery
Looking south towards Great Bernera
Looking north towards Cealasaigh
Sand dunes on the north coast
Traigh Mhor - looking east
Traigh Mhor - looking west
Traigh Mhor
Traigh Mhor
Traigh Mhor
Another View of Traigh Mhor
Local residents running away from me
Traigh Mhor looking north west
Traigh Mhor
Traigh Mhor
Small beach to the east of Traigh Mhor
East coast of Little Bernera
Landing beach - looking towards the ruined chapel
Ruined chapel
Cemetery
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