Bernera Museum

Bernera Museum (Urras Eachraidh Sgire Bhearnaraidh) is operated on behalf of Bernera Historical Society (Comunn Eachraidh Sgire Bhearnaraidh) and is an independent, voluntary run local museum with a collection of archives for the island of Bernera on the west coast of the Isle of Lewis. As well as being fully accredited we are also a registered charity.

The Historical Society was set up in 1991 to record and preserve archives include genealogical and crofting records back to the mid nineteenth century, with a large supporting collection of photographs of local people and families as well as life on the island.

Our museum tells the story of the long history of Bernera through story boards and photographic display and our archives hold many stories relating to the island, often told by local people.

We have a collection of Late Scottish Iron Age artefacts which were uncovered during an archaeological dig at the Iron Age Village found in 1996 at Bosta Beach on Bernera. We also operate the Iron Age House at Bosta, which is an exact replica of one of the five houses excavated during the dig.

The museum and Iron Age House were built as a direct response to the Iron Age finds at Bosta. Once the dig was completed the Historical Society were told that the then museum room was unsuitable to keep such important artefacts in. Therefore the community banded together to fundraise for a purpose built museum room attached to the community centre which opened in 2000. At the same time, with the dig site being covered over to preserve it for possible future archaeological investigation, the community wanted to do something to show that what had been found here was so important. As the houses found were unique, being two room stone wall built structures dated to the Late Scottish Iron Age at 700AD, with a remarkable level of preservation since the stone work was all below ground level and quickly covered then the village was abandoned, it was decided that an exact replica of one of the houses based on the archaeologists drawings, photos and measurements should be built and opened to the public so that people could see and learn about where the Iron Age people of Bernera lived without having to use their imagination. The Iron Age House was also opened in 2000 and each summer season is open to the public with a guide giving talks on the construction of the house, the way we think the people would have lived and about what we have found out about the use of the house over the years.

This story of a small local community determined to keep important archaeological finds and inform the public of what was discovered on their island shows what can be achieved when a community comes together.

Bernera Museum. Bernera Community Centre, Breaclete, Bernera, Isla of Lewis, HS2 9LT

https://berneramuseum.wixsite.com/website

Contact: berneramuseum1@gmail.com