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Barra

Coordinates:56°59′00″N7°28′00″W/ 56.9833°N 7.4667°W/56.9833; -7.4667
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This article is about the island in Scotland. For other uses, seeBarra (disambiguation).

Barra
Scottish GaelicnameEilean Bharraigh
ScotsnameBarra[1]
Location
Barra is located in Outer Hebrides
Barra
Barra
Barra shown within the Outer Hebrides
OS grid referenceNF687004
Coordinates56°59′00″N7°28′00″W/ 56.9833°N 7.4667°W/56.9833; -7.4667
Physical geography
Island groupBarra and Vatersay
Area5,875 ha (22+5⁄8sq mi)
Area rank20 [2]
Highest elevationHeaval,383 m (1,257 ft)
Administration
Council areaNa h-Eileanan Siar
CountryScotland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Demographics
Population1,174[3]
Population rank13 [2]
Population density19.98 people/km2[3][4]
Largest settlementCastlebay
Lymphad
References[4][5]

Barra(/ˈbærə/;Scottish Gaelic:Barraigh[ˈparˠaj]orEilean Bharraigh[ˈelanˈvarˠaj]ⓘ;Scots:Barra) is an island in theOuter Hebrides,Scotland,and the second southernmost inhabited island there, after the adjacent island ofVatersayto which it is connected by theVatersay Causeway.

In 2011, the population was 1,174.[3][6]English and Gaelic are widely spoken, and at the 2011 Census, there were 761 Gaelic speakers (62% of the population, falling from 76% in the 1991 census).[7]

Geology

[edit]

In common with the rest of theWestern Isles,Barra is formed from the oldest rocks in Britain, theLewisian gneiss,which dates from theArchaeaneon. Some of the gneiss in the east of the island is noted as beingpyroxene-bearing. Layered textures orfoliationin thismetamorphic rockis typically around 30° to the east or northeast.Palaeoproterozoicagemetadioritesandmetatonalitesforming a part of the East Barra Meta-igneous Complex occur aroundCastlebayas they do on the neighbouring islands ofVatersayandFlodday.A fewmetabasicdykesintrude the gneiss in the east.[8] The island is traversed by a handful ofnormal faultsrunning WNW-ESE and by west-facingthrust faultsbringingnappesof gneiss from the east.Blown sandmasks the bedrock aroundBorveand Allisdale as it does west of Barra airport.Peatdeposits are mapped across Beinn Chliaid and Beinn Sgurabhal in the north of the island.[9]

Geography

[edit]

The Isle of Barra is roughly 60 km2(23 sq mi) in area, 11 mi (18 km) long and 6 mi (10 km) wide. Asingle-track road,the A888, runs around the coast of the southern part of the island following the flattest land and serving the many coastal settlements. The interior of the island here is hilly and uninhabited. The west and north of the island has white sandy beaches consisting of sand created from marine shells adjoining the grassedmachair,while the southeast side has numerous rocky inlets. To the north a sandy peninsula runs to the beach airport and Eoligarry.

History

[edit]

Early history

[edit]

Human presence on Barra since theNeolithic erawas established by the discovery of a near-complete pottery beaker dating from 2500 BC during the construction of a road in the 1990s. A number of stone remains were also found, including a neolithic "work platform", which complement the severalstanding stonesscattered around the island. In the hills to the north of Borve, there is a largechambered cairn,sited in a prominent position.

Beyond the main island, aBronze Agecemetery is located onVatersay,as well as anIron Agebroch;the remains of a similarly aged broch is located on the east of Barra itself. Remains of Bronze Age burials andIron Ageroundhouses were also discovered in sand dunes, near the hamlet ofAllasdale,following storms in 2007[note 1].Occupation of Barra continued during the later Iron Age, as evidenced by the discovery of awheelhousefrom the end of the period, which was later re-occupied between the 3rd and 4th centuries, and again in the 7th and 8th centuries.

These occupations were followed in the 9th century byVikingsettlers, who gave the island theOld Norseey( "island" ) part of its name. Various origins ofBarrhave been suggested, including the Gaelic personal nameFinnbarr,the Old Norse elementsberrorbarr( "bare" or "rough" ), and theCelticelement *barr( "top" or "peak" ).[11]According to the ancientGrettis saga,the first viking to arrive was namedOmund the Wooden-Leg.

  • Neolithic "work platform", near Vatersay
    Neolithic "work platform", near Vatersay
  • Standing stone at Borve
    Standing stone at Borve
  • Iron Age wheelhouse near Vatersay
    Iron Age wheelhouse near Vatersay
  • Broch at Bruernish
    Broch at Bruernish

Kingdom of the Isles

[edit]

The Vikings established theKingdom of the Islesthroughout the Hebrides, including Barra. Following Norwegian unification, the Kingdom of the Isles became a crown dependency of the Norwegian king; to the Norwegians, it wasSuðreyjar(meaningsouthern isles).Malcolm III of Scotlandacknowledged in writing that they were not Scottish, and KingEdgarquitclaimedany residual doubts. In the north of Barra, from this period survived a gravestone, on which aCeltic crossis present on one side, andrunicinscriptions on the other[note 2].

In the mid 12th century,Somerled,aNorse-Gaelof uncertain origin, launched a coup, which made Suðreyjar entirely independent. Following his death, Norwegian authority was nominally restored, but in practice, the kingdom was divided between Somerled's heirs (Clann Somhairle), and the dynasty that Somerled had deposed (theCrovan dynasty).Clann Ruaidhrí,a branch of Somerled's heirs, ruled Barra, as well asUist,Eigg,Rùm,theRough Bounds,Bute,Arran,and northernJura.[12][13][14][15][16]

In the 13th century, despite Edgar's quitclaim, Scottish forces attempted to conquer parts of Suðreyjar, culminating in the indecisiveBattle of Largs.In 1266, the matter was settled by theTreaty of Perth,which transferred the whole of Suðreyjar to Scotland, in exchange for a very large sum of money.[note 3]The Treaty expressly preserved the status of the rulers of Suðreyjar; the Clann Ruaidhri lands, excepting Bute, Arran, and Jura, became theLordship ofGarmoran,a quasi-independent crown dependency, rather than an intrinsic part of Scotland.

Lordship of Garmoran

[edit]
Main article:Garmoran
Cliad bay

In 1293, KingJohn Balliolestablished theSheriffdom of Skye,which included the Outer Hebrides. Following his usurpation, the sheriffdom ceased to be mentioned[note 4],and the Garmoran lordship (including Barra) was confirmed toRuaidhrí Mac Ruaidhrí,the head of Clann Ruaidhri. In 1343, KingDavid IIissued a further charter to Ruaidhrí's son,Raghnall,[17]but Raghnall's assassination, just three years later, left Garmoran in the hands ofAmy of Garmoran.

The southern parts of the Kingdom of the Isles had become theLordship of the Isles,ruled by theMacDonalds(another group of Somerled's descendants). Amy married the MacDonald leader,John of Islay,[18]but a decade later he divorced her, and married the king's niece instead (in return for a substantialdowry). As part of the divorce, John deprived his eldest son,Ranald,of the ability to inherit the Lordship of the Isles, in favour of a son by his new wife. As compensation, John granted Lordship of the Uists to Ranald's younger brother Godfrey and made Ranald Lord of the remainder of Garmoran.

On Ranald's death, disputes between Godfrey and his nephews led to an enormous amount of violence. In 1427, frustrated with the level of violence generally in the highlands, KingJames Idemanded that highland leaders should attend a meeting atInverness.On arrival, many of the leaders were seized and imprisoned; Alexander MacGorrie, son of Godfrey, was considered to be one of the two most reprehensible, and after a quickshowtrial,was immediately executed.[19]As Alexander had by now inherited Godfrey'sde factoposition as Lord of Garmoran, and in view of Ranald's heirs being no less responsible for the violence, King James declared the Lordship of Garmoran forfeit.

Lairds and pirates

[edit]
Kisimul Castle

Following the forfeiture, and in that same year,the Lord of the IslesgrantedLairdshipof Barra (and half ofSouth Uist) to Giolla Adhamhnáin Mac Néill,ChiefofClan MacNeil.

Headquartering themselves atKisimul Castleand making use ofBirlinns,the MacNeils became famed forpiracyafter attacking English ships during the reign ofQueen Elizabeth I.They were summoned byKing James VI– King of Scotland – to answer for their behaviour. The Chief, Roderick MacNeil ( "Rory the Turbulent" ), argued that he thought King James would be pleased, since Queen Elizabeth had beheaded his motherMary, Queen of Scots.Pleased, King James released him.[citation needed]

The mainlyCatholic populationof the island was under serious threat during theJacobite Uprising of 1745.According to BishopJohn Geddes,"Early in the spring of1746,some ships of war came to the coast of the isle of Barra and landed some men, who threatened they would lay desolate the whole island if thepriestwas not delivered up to them. Father James Grant,who was missionary then, and afterward Bishop, being informed of the threats in a safe retreat in which he was in a little island, surrendered himself, and was carried prisoner toMingarry Castleon the Western coast (i.e.Ardnamurchan) where he was detained for some weeks. "[20]

After long imprisonment atInvernessand in aprison hulkin theThames River,Father Grant was deported to theNetherlandsand warned never to return to theBritish Isles.Like the other priests imprisoned with him, Father Grant did so almost immediately.[21]

An abandoned watermill on Barra

The descendants of theClan Chiefsheld on to Barra until 1838, when the island was sold to ColonelJohn GordonofCluny(for the sum of £38,050). Roderick MacNeil, Chief of the MacNeils, had already abandoned Kisimul Castle, and built a mansion in the north of Barra; the ensuing debt was one of the reasons he sold the island.

In common with many of the newAnglo-Scottishlandlords, Colonel Gordonevicted most of the islandersto make way for sheep farming. Some of the displaced islanders variously went to the Scottish mainland. Others joined theScottish diasporainAustralia,New Zealand,theUnited States,andCanada.

Gaelictraditional singerand Barra nativeFlora MacNeillater recalled one the best sources of the Gaelic songs she learned at localceilidhswas her mother's cousin, Mary Johnstone. Johnstone's parents had moved toMingulayafter being evicted by Colonel Gordon'sfactorsand she returned to her ancestral island after Mingulay was abandoned in 1912. In later years, Johnstone would regularly visit the MacNeil family's croft nearCastlebayand sing at the ceilidhs.[22]

By far the worst mass evictions took place, according to Barraseanchaidh(historian) John "The Coddy" MacPherson, during theHighland Potato Famineof the1840s.Many residents of Barra were unwillingly rounded up and forced by Colonel Gordon's factors to board theAdmiral,an immigrant ship anchored atLochboisdale,South Uist,and which then set sail forCanada.[23]

MacPherson later said of those who were evicted, "Now they were aboard, and they sailed away and it took them six months, I think, to get across from Lochboisdale toQuebec- or theSt. Lawrencesomewhere anyway. After that, there was nothing for them but trees and poverty, and those wretched fellows had to back it for life. Going through the hardships of the emigrants who went across theAtlanticin theAdmiral,not many people would credit them today. "[24]

The MacNeil Chiefs were also among the migrants, settling at first in Canada, but moving to the United States by the 20th century. Barra was restored to MacNeil ownership in 1937 when the Barra estate, which encompassed most of the island, was bought by Robert Lister Macneil, an American. In 2000, his heir,Ian Roderick Macneil(another American), let Kisimul Castle toHistoric Scotland,on a 1000-year lease (for a rental of £1 and a bottle of whisky, per annum). In 2003, he transferred ownership of the Barra Estate to theScottish Government;.[25]Under Scottish law, the inhabitants have the right to take possession of the estate themselves, if they so wish.

Having been flown unofficially for at least a decade, the island's flag received official recognition from theLyon Courtand theFlag Institutein November 2017. The design is a whiteNordic crosson a green background.[26][27]

Places of interest

[edit]

The main village is Castlebay (Bàgh a' Chaisteil) in a sheltered bay, whereKisimul Castlesits on a smallisletnot far from shore; giving the village its name. This is the main harbour.

A smaller medieval tower house,Dun Mhic Leoid,is in the middle of Loch St Clare on the west side of the island at Tangasdale.[28]

The highest elevation on the island isHeaval,near the top of which is a prominent white marble statue of theMadonna and Child,called "Our Lady of the Sea", which was erected during theMarian yearof 1954. The predominant faith on the island isCatholicismand the Catholic church dedicated to Our Lady of the Sea is apparent to those arriving at Castlebay.[29]

Other places of interest on the island include a ruined church and museum atCille Bharra,a number ofIron Agebrochssuch as those atDùn ChuidhirandAn Dùn Bàn,and a range of other Iron Age and later structures which have recently been excavated and recorded.[citation needed]

Barra is connected by a modern causeway to the smaller island ofVatersay,population 90.

  • Satellite photo of Barra, Vatersay and surrounding islands
    Satellite photo of Barra,Vatersayand surrounding islands
  • View from Heaval of Castlebay, looking south to Vatersay
    View from Heaval of Castlebay, looking south to Vatersay
  • Easary, showing the more rocky east coast of the island.
    Easary, showing the more rocky east coast of the island.

Economy

[edit]

Tourism provides the main income for the majority of islanders; the high season lasts from May to September. Thousands of people visit the island every year, the busiest times being duringFèis Bharraigh& BarraFest in July. TheDualchasHeritage and Cultural Centre is located in Castlebay, next toCastlebay Community School.It has various exhibitions each year and is open throughout the year.[30]In April 2020,Condé Nast Travellersummed up Barra as "a delightful little island with its own castle and beach airport" and recommended visiting the "high cliffs in the east and lovely beaches and bays in the west".[31]

The Outer Hebrides Web site particularly recommended visits to sites "the iconic Kisimul Castle at Castlebay" and stopping to see the Barra seals at Seal Bay.[32]The Explore Scotland tourism Web site also discusses the Barra Golf Club, Kisimul Castle, Barra Heritage and Cultural Centre, Heaval for exceptional views, Church of Our Lady Star of the Sea and Cille Bharra, the ancient graveyard.[33]

According to the Scottish Government, "tourism is by far and away the mainstay industry" of the Outer Hebrides, "generating £65m in economic value for the islands, sustaining around 1000 jobs" The report adds that the "islands receive 219,000 visitors per year".[34]The Outer Hebrides tourism bureau states that 10-15% of economic activity on the islands was made up of tourism in 2017. The agency states that the "exact split between islands is not possible" when calculating the number of visits, but "the approximate split is Lewis (45%), Uist (25%), Harris (20%), Barra (10%)".[35]

Castlebay is the primary base for tourists, with a few hotels, a supermarket, bank and petrol station. Explore Scotland stated in 2020 that the island was "also an ideal starting point for visiting and exploring the Uists and Benbecula".[36]

In 2010, camping on the machair at the airport was banned due to erosion; this prompted crofters to provide areas on their crofts for visiting tourists.[37]Boat trips to the neighbouring island ofMingulayare available during the summer season, and island-hopping plane trips are also available.

The Barratlantic factory, inNorthbayis a fish and shellfish processing company. As of 2020, its main products were king scallops and langoustines but it was selling most types of white fish from the quayside. Their Web site indicated that the stock included "cod; haddock; skate; witches; megrims; turbot; Dover sole and monkfish which you can buy direct from the factory".[38]The Hebridean Toffee Factory in Castlebay is one of the few manufacturers on Barra and it makes the products locally. According to Visit Scotland, the toffee can be ordered from anywhere in the world; "it is made to order and is usually shipped within 24 hours".[39]

Isle of Barra Distillers was founded by Michael and Katie Morrison in 2016; their Barra Atlantic Gin was first sold in August 2017 and the company has expanded since then.[40][41]As of early 2021, the distillery continued marketing gin, with great success.[42]The plan for whisky was stated on its Web site as: "It is our goal to open the Islands first Single Malt Whisky Distillery within the next 2-3 years".[43]

TheIsle of Barra distillery[44]was founded in 2003 as Uisge Beatha nan Eilean Ltd[45]and became a Community Benefit Society in 2018[46]under theCo-operative and Community Benefit Societies Act 2014.In December 2012, four 6 kW wind turbines[47]made by Proven (Proven were bought byKingspan Groupin 2011[48]) were erected[49]next to the reservoir Loch Uisge,[50]which originally supplied the mains water to Castlebay. It is proposed that as much as possible of the raw materials, supply chain and labor to produce the whisky should remain as local as possible to minimise imports and maximise the benefit to the island's economy.

Media

[edit]

The island has featured in a variety ofmedia.

Film and TV

[edit]

Barra is home to a TV production company, Little Day Productions, who produced the documentaryBarra to Barcelona,which was broadcast on BBC Alba in 2022 and 2023. Much of their work features Barra and Vatersay.

Besides being regularly featured in various television programmes on theScottish GaelicchannelBBC Albasince it began broadcasting in 2008, Barra has also been part of:

The 1949Ealing StudioscomedyWhisky Galore!was filmed on Barra. The film is based on the novelWhisky Galoreby SirCompton Mackenzie,itself a fictionalised telling of the story of theSSPolitician,which ran aground with a cargo of some 50,000 cases of whisky on board in 1941. Mackenzie, who lived near the airport and died in 1972, is buried in a grave marked by a simple cross atCille Bharracemetery, which is situated a little way up the hillside overlooking Eoligarry jetty.[4][51][52]The sequelRockets Galore!was also filmed in and around the island.[53]

ThesitcomDad's Army,broadcast from 1968 to 1977,Private Frazerclaims to be from Barra, which he often describes as "a wild and lonely place".[54]

Barra was featured onTime Team,in which archeologists excavated several Iron Age sites.

Barra was also featured in the 2006Channel 5documentaryExtraordinary People: The Boy Who Lived Before,where a young boy named Cameron, who lived inGlasgow,claimed to have memories of past life on the island.[55]

The island was the location for the fifth (2011) and sixth series (2012) of theBBC TwodocumentaryAn Island Parishdocumenting the arrival and subsequent experiences of a new Catholic priest on the island – Father John Paul.[56]

Books

[edit]

TheFranciscanpriest, specialist inmystical theologyand authorRayner Torkingtonwrote a book describing how he was influenced after a chance encounter on Barra by meeting a hermit called Peter Calvay who had lived on the island ofHellisayfor a number of years in the first half of the twentieth century.[57]The book, titledPeter Calvay, Hermit: A Personal Rediscovery of Prayer,was first published in 1977 and has had at least eleven reprintings.

Torkington's bookWisdom from the Western Isles: The Making of a Mystic,published in 2008, also describes the author's meetings with Peter Calvay whilst he was staying on Barra.[58]

Other

[edit]

In 2008 the BarraRNLILife Boat,Edna Windsor,was featured on a series of stamps.[59]The first class stamp shows the 17-metre (56 ft)Severn class lifeboatin action in the Sound ofBerneray20 kilometres (12 mi) southwest of Barra in 3.5 m (11 ft 6 in) swell with 30 km/h (16 kn) of wind.[60]

Sports

[edit]

Barra hosts an annual half-marathon called theBarrathon,[61]which is part of the Western Isles Half Marathon series. This is accompanied by a shorter fun-run for families and younger children. A number of fund-raising events are held around this, includingceilidhsand dances.

There is also an annual hill race, in which participants run up Heaval (383 m) before returning to Castlebay Square.[citation needed]The fastest recorded time, set in 1987, is 26.25 minutes.[citation needed]

The Barra community holds an annualgameson the island.[citation needed]The island golf club,Comunn Goilf Bharraidh,has a 9-hole course that is claimed to be the furthest west in theUnited Kingdom.[citation needed]However, this title may be held by one of the courses nearEnniskilleninNorthern Ireland.[citation needed]

Tourists can also gosea kayakingorpower kitingand fishing. Pony trekking available on the rare, nativeEriskay Ponies.[62][63]

Transport

[edit]

Air

[edit]
Twin Otterat Barra airport

Barra's airport,nearNorthbay,uses the 2-mile-long (3 km) cockle shell beach ofTraigh Mhor,(Scottish Gaelic:An Tràigh Mhòr"The Great Beach" ) as a runway. Planes can land and take off only at low tide, so the timetable varies. Voted the world's most scenic landing location using a scheduled flight,[64]Barra's airport is claimed to be the only airport in the world to have regular scheduled flights landing on a beach.[65]As of 2019Loganairadvertises flights to Barra in thede Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otteraircraft, travelling to and fromGlasgow.There are usually flights every day of the week in the summer.

Sea

[edit]

A largero-roferryruns between the island andObanfrom the ferry terminal at Castlebay, and takes about five hours. A smaller vehicle ferry links the island toSouth Uistand travels betweenArdmore(An Àird Mhòr) at the north of the island andCeann a' GharaidhinEriskay(Èirisgeigh). This crossing takes around 40 minutes. Both are run byCaledonian MacBrayne.

Internal road

[edit]
Signs at Castlebay showing the two routes on the circular road A888 to Bagh a Tuath (Northbay)

There are local buses, which use the circular A888 and the road to the northern ferry terminal to Eriskay and the airport, and usually coincide with flight times and ferry times.

Coimhearsachd Bharraigh agus Bhatarsaigh

[edit]

Coimhearsachd Bharraidh agus Bhatarsaidh(Barra and Vatersay Community) Ltd is a community-owned company whose aim is to support community development on Barra and Vatersay. The company is managed by a volunteer board of directors drawn from the membership. Membership is open to residents of the two islands whose names appear on the voting register.[66]

The company's latest project is a 900 kW Enercon E-44 wind turbine installed atGòb Sgùrabhal,at the most northwesterly point of the island. At the time of construction, it was anticipated that the wind resource would make this one of the most productive 900 kW turbines in Western Europe.[67]

Climate

[edit]

Barra has anoceanic climate,with mild temperatures year-round.

Climate data for Barra (Traigh MhòrAirport, 0 m asl, averages 1991–2020)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) 8.6
(47.5) 		8.2
(46.8) 		9.2
(48.6) 		10.7
(51.3) 		13.1
(55.6) 		14.9
(58.8) 		16.4
(61.5) 		16.6
(61.9) 		15.1
(59.2) 		12.6
(54.7) 		10.4
(50.7) 		8.8
(47.8) 		12.1
(53.8)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) 4.6
(40.3) 		4.3
(39.7) 		4.7
(40.5) 		6.1
(43.0) 		7.8
(46.0) 		10.0
(50.0) 		11.7
(53.1) 		12.1
(53.8) 		11.0
(51.8) 		8.8
(47.8) 		6.5
(43.7) 		4.9
(40.8) 		7.7
(45.9)
Average rainfall mm (inches) 143.5
(5.65) 		101.7
(4.00) 		99.0
(3.90) 		70.2
(2.76) 		55.2
(2.17) 		67.1
(2.64) 		78.3
(3.08) 		93.7
(3.69) 		93.2
(3.67) 		112.7
(4.44) 		125.2
(4.93) 		135.9
(5.35) 		1,175.7
(46.29)
Average rainy days(≥ 1 mm) 22.5 18.8 18.4 13.9 12.9 12.8 14.8 17.4 16.5 20.3 22.0 21.7 212.0
Mean monthlysunshine hours 27.2 63.2 105.5 163.0 211.8 177.3 160.6 158.7 118.6 84.8 42.8 19.5 1,333.1
Source:Met Office[68]

People from Barra

[edit]

See also

[edit]

Notes

[edit]
  1. ^In May of that year,Channel 4'sTime Teamcame to investigate the remains. The programme was broadcast on 20 January 2008.[10]
  2. ^Discovered in 1865, the gravestone is now located in Edinburgh, though a facsimile was later placed in the chapel near the stone's original location on Barra
  3. ^4000 marks
  4. ^In surviving records, at least.

References

[edit]
  1. ^"Map of Scotland in Scots - Guide and gazetteer"(PDF).
  2. ^abArea and population ranks: there arec. 300islands over 20 ha in extent and93 permanently inhabited islandswere listed in the2011 census.
  3. ^abcNational Records of Scotland(15 August 2013)."Appendix 2: Population and households on Scotland's Inhabited Islands"(PDF).Statistical Bulletin: 2011 Census: First Results on Population and Household Estimates for Scotland Release 1C (Part Two)(PDF)(Report). SG/2013/126.Retrieved14 August2020.
  4. ^abcHaswell-Smith, Hamish (2004).The Scottish Islands.Edinburgh: Canongate. pp. 218–222.ISBN978-1-84195-454-7.
  5. ^"Sheet 34, Barra".Ordnance SurveyOne-inch to the mile maps of Great Britain, Seventh Series, 1952–1961.National Library of Scotland.Retrieved23 January2016.
  6. ^General Register Office for Scotland (28 November 2003)Scotland's Census 2001 – Occasional Paper No 10: Statistics for Inhabited Islands.Retrieved 26 February 2012.
  7. ^Census 2011 statsBBC News. Retrieved 20 April 2014.
  8. ^"Uist and Barra (South)".BGS large map images.British Geological Survey.Retrieved3 February2020.
  9. ^"Onshore Geoindex".British Geological Survey.British Geological Survey.Retrieved3 February2020.
  10. ^"Barra, Western Isles".Channel 4.Archivedfrom the original on 23 January 2008.Retrieved21 January2008.
  11. ^Abrams, L (2007). "Conversion and the Church in the Hebrides in the Viking Age". In Smith, BB; Taylor, S; Williams, G (eds.).West Over Sea: Studies in Scandinavian Sea-Borne Expansion and Settlement Before 1300.The Northern World: North Europe and the Balticc. 400–1700AD. Peoples, Economics and Cultures (series vol. 31). Leiden:Brill.pp. 169–193.ISBN978-90-04-15893-1.ISSN1569-1462.
  12. ^Kingship and Unity, Scotland 1000-1306,G. W. S. Barrow, Edinburgh University Press, 1981
  13. ^Galloglas: Hebridean and West Highland Mercenary Warrior Kindreds in Medieval Ireland,John Marsden, 2003
  14. ^Lismore: The Great Garden,Robert Hay, 2009, Birlinn Ltd
  15. ^Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland,90 (1956-1957), A.A.M. Duncan, A.L Brown, pages 204-205
  16. ^The Kingdom of the Isles: Scotland's Western Seaboard,R. A. McDonald, 1997, Tuckwell Press
  17. ^Regesta Regum Scottorum VIed. Bruce Webster (Edinburgh 1982) no. 73.
  18. ^Raven, JA (2005).Medieval Landscapes and Lordship in South Uist(PhD thesis). Vol. 1.University of Glasgow– viaGlasgow Theses Service.
  19. ^Gregory, Donald (1836),History of the Western Highlands and Isles of Scotland, from A.D. 1493 to A.D. 1625, with a brief introductory sketch, from A.D. 80 to A.D. 1493,Edinburgh, W. Tait,retrieved11 May2012,p. 65
  20. ^Charles MacDonald (2011),Moidart: Among the Clanranalds,Birlinn Press. Page 176.
  21. ^Charles MacDonald (2011),Moidart: Among the Clanranalds,Birlinn Press. Pages 176-177.
  22. '^Edited by Eberhard Bort (2011),Tis Sixty Years Since: The 1951 Edinburgh People's Festival Ceilidh and the Scottish Folk Revival,pages 75-80.
  23. ^John Lorne Campbell (1992),Tales from Barra: Told by The Coddy,Birlinn. Pages 67-69.
  24. ^John Lorne Campbell (1992),Tales from Barra: Told by The Coddy,Birlinn. Page 69.
  25. ^Ross, John (6 September 2003)."A gift to Scotland – the isle of Barra".The Scotsman.Archived fromthe originalon 17 July 2012.Retrieved4 November2007.
  26. ^"Isle of Barra's flag officially recognised".BBC News.23 November 2017.Retrieved26 May2018.
  27. ^"Barra Flag".Flag Institute.Retrieved26 May2018.
  28. ^"Barra, Dun Mhic Leoid".canmore.org.uk.Retrieved20 January2017.
  29. ^Undiscovered Scotland
  30. ^"Dualchas".Comunn Eachdraidh Bharraidh agus Bhatarsaidh.Archived fromthe originalon 5 July 2008.Retrieved29 March2008.
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Further reading

[edit]
  • Edited byJohn Lorne Campbell(1936),The Book of Barra, Being accounts of the Island of Barra in the Outer Hebrides written by various authors at various times, together with unpublished letters and other matter relating to the Island.Published by G. Routledge and Sons Ltd. and printed by the Edinburgh Press in 1936. Republished by Acair in 1998 (ISBN0861521048).
  • John Lorne Campbell (1992),Tales from Barra: Told by The Coddy,Birlinn Limited.
  • Ealasaid Chaimbeul (1982),Air Mo Chuairt/My Journey, Memories of an Island School Teacher,ISBN9780861525546.
[edit]
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