culture
For generations Bernera was dominated by a life of crofting and fishing, with families living and working on the same land as their forefathers. Indeed, today many of the crofts are still in the same family.
crofting
Traditionally a subsistence economy based on the land prevailed, and most people of Bernera lived by crofting. Crofts consisted of a patch of land where animals (mainly sheep and cows) were kept, plus plots for growing crops such as root vegetables, barley and oats, and a Black House for the family.
Each croft had access to common grazing on the local moorlands (often with their own summer shieling) and peat-cutting rights in areas that could be quite some distance from the croft.
Originally crofts had an irregular layout, but in 1805 Kirkibost became the first ‘lotted’ village in the Western Isles (and possibly Scotland). A ‘lotted’ croft is now regarded as the ‘classic’ linear layout which gives access to the sea, plus a section of relatively fertile low-lying land and a more craggy upland area for grazing.
Nowadays crofting tends to be undertaken as a secondary activity, with crofters usually having other forms of income and employment.
fishing
Fishing has always been an important part of the Bernera economy, with nearly every crofter being associated with it in some way.
Between 1869 and 1993 there were 182 fishing boats registered to Bernera. Long line and short line were the main methods used in the past, while today creel fishing is sustained.
The Bernera Museum has a small display on fishing as well as a few models of local fishing boats.
In 2024, Bernera resident Zoe Paterson Macinnes published a short documentary film in English and Gaelic (with English subtitles) called M’athair an t-iasgair (My father, the fisherman)
The film is a portrait of Zoe’s father, one of the last men still lobster fishing out of Bernera. It is a commentary on the fishing community in Great Bernera, featuring archive film and interviews from the fishermen as it looks at the changes to the fishing industry over the years and the impact this has had on small communities.
For more information about fishing in Bernera today, please check out our Fishing page.
gaelic
Gaelic is the native language of Bernera and has been for many generations. Today it can still be heard in everyday use on the island, mainly by the older generation, although in recent times there has emerged a renewed interest in the language by younger people and by some of those who have moved here.
The Bernera Historical Society has a small collection of old Gaelic spoken word tales recorded by residents past and present, and this Hebridean Connections page contains a number of Gaelic verses composed by Bernera folk in times past.
B’ e a’ Ghàidhlig cànan an t-sluaigh ann am Beàrnaraigh, is tha i air a bhith air bilean nan daoine thar linntean. Cluinnidh sibh an-diugh i gach latha san Eilean—mar as tric le seann daoine, ach o chionn ghoirid tha barrachd ùidh air nochdadh am measg na h-òigridh agus daoine a tha air tighinn a dh’fhuireach ann.
Tha cruinneachadh de chlàraidhean aig Comann Eachdraidh Bheàrnaraigh le sgeulachdan mhuinntir an àite bho an-dè agus an-diugh, agus gheibh sibh grunn phìosan bàrdachd a rinn muinntir Bheàranaraigh air an duilleig seo: Hebridean Connections–Explore our island heritage
population
At the beginning of the 20th century, the population of Bernera was over 1,200—today it’s around 250. It’s very likely there would be none had the bridge not been built.
The population is mixed—many of the old families are still represented but there are also a lot of people who have moved to the island from mainland Britain and further afield.
Employment is mainly found in and around Stornoway, but with the advent of superfast fibre broadband to Bernera a fair number of people now work from home.
Like many rural communities, however, there are more older residents than younger.
community
There are five distinct villages in Bernera (Croir, Tobson, Breaclete, Hacklete and Kirkibost) and three in Tir Mor (Earshader, Crulivig and Lundale), which together make up the island community of the past and present.
Community spirit has always been strong in Bernera and remains so today. Neighbours help neighbours and the Community Centre provides a valuable venue for events and activities, with opportunities to meet old and new friends alike.