107568: Bernera Historical Society

Comann Eachdraidh Sgìre Bheàrnaraigh

Bernera Historical Society Comunn Eachdraidh Sgìre Bheàrnaraigh was founded in 1991. Membership consists of residents, emigrants to UK mainland and around the world and friends of Bernera.

On behalf of the Comunn Eachdraidh the Urras Eachdraidh Trust manage the Bernera Museum and the Bosta Iron Age House, both of which are open to visitors from the first Monday in May to the last Friday in September, Monday to Friday 12 noon to 4pm. There is a small charge for each.

The museum holds a large archive on genealogy and crofts for Bernera and Tor Mor, as well as photographs of past residents and life in general on the small island. The collection also includes artefacts from the Bosta Iron Age Village excavation as well as Iron Age Pottery found on the waters by Din Bharabhat. A small fishing exhibit shows how important fishing was to this crofting community. The Neolithic stone carved ball is also an item that draws a lot of interest.

The Iron Age House is am exact replica of one of house excavated during the dig and is as close as you can get to the real thing since all the stone work as built below ground and so preserved when the village as abandoned, so imagination has not needed to be used.  

Bernera also has a reconstructed Norse Mill, Bernera Riot commemoration cairn, Loch Risay Lobster Pond, Standing Stones and Duns. While not directly part of the Comunn Eachdraidh responsibility they do look out for them.

Bernera was a founding member of the Hebridean Connections project and virtually all the known genealogy from the island is incorporated in this database, though further contributions are welcomed by the society. For contact details, see the Comann Eachdraidh Sgìre Bheàrnaraigh page on our website