BERNERA HISTORICAL SOCIETY

what we do

The purpose of the Bernera Historical Society is to promote and sustain the identity and cultural heritage of the area through collecting, recording, conserving and curating evidence of the history and culture of the area and its people. It achieves this by:

running the Museum in the Community Centre
managing the Iron Age House replica at Bosta
maintaining genealogical and croft records
preserving artefacts of local origin
telling the story of Bernera on display boards
providing information on other historical sites in Bernera and Tir Mor
enhancing historical sites via projects such as identifying and providing information on the lost village of Bosta, and reroofing the Norse Mill

We are proud to be fully accredited by Museums Galleries Scotland.

Bernera Museum

iron age house

The Museum and Iron Age House are open from May to September each year. Entry to both is free of charge for local residents. Off-season visits can be arranged on request.
Please check our website for current opening times and entry fees.

Bosta (Bostadh) Iron Age House

      EXCELLENT  
   Based on 146 reviews 
    
 
 
 
   
 
 
       Posted on Tripadvisor  
   
   st_black_bear 
 
 
 
 Verified Fascinating beach and interesting discovery Visiting this beach certainly belongs on the to-do list for a Lewis vacation. On the one hand, the journey is already a scenic experience. Immediately after the new bridge at the transition to Bernera you will find a very nice parking and rest area with standing stones and fantastic views. On the other hand, Bosta Beach is really nicely embedded in the hilly or rocky landscape. Interesting is the cemetery and especially the different inscriptions on the gravestones. Next to the cemetery you can visit an iron-age-house. Opening hours, however ... if ... then only from 12:00 to 16:00.A short or longer hike to the left of the iron-age-house up to the hill range is recommended. One is rewarded with an even more beautiful view. The opposite side is also easy to explore. Parking including facilities such as toilet and garbage cans is available for some vehicles (predominantly campers are found there).
  
 
      Posted on Tripadvisor  
   
   Julie P 
 
 
 
 Verified If going just for the archaeology/house - I wouldn't bother If I was basing this review on the house alone then I would say that we didn't actually visit it as we thought it over priced for what it was, bearing in mind that it's a recreation and there was nothing original left. The beach and the views however are worth the trip. It's a short walk down to the sandy beach from where you can walk round to the "house" or you can go straight there by following the graveyard wall and through a gate to the top of the beach. There is also a walk across the island to get here. The car park is reasonably sized and there are toilets.
  
 
      Posted on Tripadvisor  
   
   jonesyxx 
 
 
 
 Verified Gorgeous beach Beautiful, peaceful and tranquil. The sands are white and the water turquoise. Could be in the Caribbean except for the weather!
  
 
      Posted on Tripadvisor  
   
   Ken H 
 
 
 
 Verified Walk into the past. Fascinating talk about this group of Iron Age houses. How they appeared out of the sand after storm. The actual house restored was amazing. These people were very clever builders. Came away feeling I had learnt a great deal about how these dwellers lived. Excellent.
  
 
      Posted on Tripadvisor  
   
   Occasional Traveller 
 
 
 
 Verified Superb iron age house reconstruction Fascinating iron age house at a fairly remote and stunning beach location. Paul the archeologist was very knowledgeable and passionate about the history of this place. We were very touched that he postponed his lunch in order to give us the tour!
  
 
      Posted on Tripadvisor  
   
   gadgetttt 
 
 
 
 Verified Definitely worth the drive out It’s worth the drive out to this Iron Age house is definitely worth it. We had a great to a guide and he was very honest and open to dialogue.
  
 
      Posted on Tripadvisor  
   
   WimHobbelink 
 
 
 
 Verified Een prachtige replica uit de ijzertijd De rit hier naar toe is prachtig. De weg kronkelt maar door en opeens bent je aan het einde bij de zee. Het was hier verrassend druk. Het is een mooi zandstrand en daarbij ligt deze replica. Leuk om even rond te wandelen.
  
 
      Posted on Tripadvisor  
   
   Ilona 
 
 
 
 Verified A glimpse into life in 500-700AD A brilliant glimpse into life on the islands in 500-700AD. The reconstructed house is a living archaeological site, with lessons learned about the roofing and structures over time and weather events. Simple discoveries like how the door was positioned and the ventilation within the house meant that one side of the house was always warm and the fire didn’t blow out, whilst the smoke was drawn out. The fact the house was constructed mostly underground and has a second chambered room, possibly used for food storage, are also unusual features. The guide was excellent and the beach nearby is beautiful and peaceful. Really enjoyable look back to the past.
  
 
      Posted on Tripadvisor  
   
   Meaksters 
 
 
 
 Verified Remote but worth the trip Really remote but worth the trip. This is the site of an old village which is now in the dunes and was uncovered in a storm. One house from around 600AD has had its roof replaced and has been restored. It’s quite an experience entering the house and imagining how they lived and what their priorities were in those days. The host who is there every day tells you about how they lived and some really interesting details about the design etc. As a bonus the beach it is on is lovely to. Great experience for £4 a head.
  
 
      Posted on Tripadvisor  
   
   SusanOly12 
 
 
 
 Verified Great exhibit and very well presented While you are at Bosta Beach take a few minutes to tour this Iron Age House. Very knowledgeable person on site to tell you about it.
  
 
  
  
 
 Showing our latest reviews

who we are

The Historical Society is run by volunteers. The current committee members are:

Fiona Darling (Chair)
Ian Mackay (Treasurer)
Colin Halliday (Secretary)
Paul Macaulay (Iron Age House)
Kathanna Latimir
Callum Macaulay

get involved

You can contribute to the work of the Historical Society in a number of ways:

Become a member. Membership fees help to support the work done by the volunteers and they also raise funds for the Museum. Membership costs £5 per year, payable either in person at the Museum (May-Sept) or by a yearly standing order. Please contact us for a membership form.
Volunteer at the Museum. We rely solely on volunteers in order to be able to open during the summer. If you would like to offer some of your time to help, please get in touch with us. Full training will of course be given.
Volunteer for a Project. From time to time volunteers may wish to help with specific tasks, both in the Museum and outside. If there is an area in which you have specific historical interest, we’d love to hear from you.

questions, comments, ideas

If you have any questions, comments or ideas, please contact us at berneramuseum1@gmail.com

You can also check out our regularly updated FAQs.

EMAIL & SOCIALS

The Historical Society has a Facebook Page (comments only) and a Facebook Group (anyone can post), as well its own website, dedicated to the Bernera Museum.

BERNERA HISTORICAL SOCIETY

what we do

Bernera Museum

iron age house

Bosta (Bostadh) Iron Age House

who we are

get involved

questions, comments, ideas

EMAIL & SOCIALS

BCA FACEBOOK

QUICK LINKS

BERNERA BULLETIN

In your basket: