Great Bernera

Great Bernera
Scottish Gaelic nameBeàrnaraigh Mòr
Pronunciation[ˈpjaːrˠn̪ˠəɾaj ˈmoːɾ]
Old Norse namebjarnar-øy
Meaning of nameBjørn's island from Norse
Location
Great Bernera
Great Bernera shown within the Outer Hebrides
OS grid referenceNB162344
Coordinates58°12′N 6°51′W / 58.2°N 6.85°W / 58.2; -6.85
Physical geography
Island groupLewis and Harris
Area2,122 ha (5,240 acres)
Area rank34
Highest elevation87 m (285 ft)
Administration
Council areaNa h-Eileanan Siar
CountryScotland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Demographics
Population252
Population rank29
Population density11.9/km2 (31/sq mi)
Largest settlementBreaclete
References

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.

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. 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.