Barra Head
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| Sotan | |
|---|---|
| Elevation | 193 m (633 ft) |
| Location | Barra Isles, Outer Hebrides, Scotland |
| Prominence | 193 m |
| Topo map | OS Landranger 31 |
| OS grid reference | NL553799 |
| Listing | Marilyn |
Barra Head, also known as Berneray, is the southernmost of the Outer Hebrides in Scotland. Within the Outer Hebrides, it forms part of the Barra Isles archipelago.
Originally, Barra Head only referred to the southernmost headland of Berneray, on which its lighthouse is located, but is now the most common name for the entire island. The lighthouse, built by Robert Stevenson., has operated since 1833.
From 1931, the island was inhabited only by the lighthouse keepers and their wives. The lighthouse is now automated and the island completely uninhabited. It is also known for its large seabird colony and was designated a SSSI in 1993.
The National Trust for Scotland have owned the island since 2000. They acquired it through a bequest by Miss J M Fawcitt in memory of her parents and brother.
The highest point of the island is Sotan, a Marilyn.
The island is largely covered by maritime grassland, with some machair and heath. Barra Head and the neighbouring island of Mingulay form an important breeding site for around 110000 bredding pairs of seabird, and are especially important for the Razorbill Alca torda, the two islands having at least 2.0% of the breeding population in 1985 [1]. Other species present include auks, gulls, puffins, guillemots, kittiwakes, shags and fulmars. As such the islands are designated as a Special Protection Area.
