BARRA, a parish, in the county of Inverness;
including the islands of Barra, Bernera, Fladda, Fuday,
Helesay, Mingala, Pabba, Sandra, and Watersay; and
containing 2363 inhabitants, of whom 1977 are in the
island of Barra. The word Barra is supposed by some
to be formed of Bar, a point or top, and Ay or /, an
island, and to have been applied to this place in reference
to its position in the great group to which it belongs,
it being the most southern or head of the larger
islands among the Hebrides. But its etymology is more
generally traced to St. Barr, the tutelary saint to whom
the principal place of worship, called Killbar, was dedicated,
and whose reputation was here so great, that his
anniversary has been celebrated for ages, on the 25th of
September, and is still regularly observed with morning
ceremonies at the chapel, and afternoon festivities at Killbar,
by the inhabitants, most of whom are Roman Catholics.
The island of Barra, and the islands surrounding it,
have been from time immemorial the property of the
Macneils, who are said to have had possession of them
before the Danish invasion, and to have been the first of
that name who came from Ireland. This family, by
their great power, and particularly their skill in maritime
affairs, gave great annoyance to all their neighbours,
carrying their depredations into every part of the
Western Islands; and one them, called Ruaridh an
Tartair, or " the noisy or troublesome Roderick", signalized
himself especially by his piracies. He was at
length captured for an attack on one of Queen Elizabeth's
ships; great skill and ingenuity, in consequence
of a reward offered, having been employed to effect his
apprehension. The seat of the family was Kismull
Castle, still in good preservation, situated in the centre
of a bay, and on a small rock which is covered at high
water. The structure is of irregular figure, about sixty
feet high, with a square tower at one corner, the whole
strongly built, and surrounded by spots for the anchorage
of small vessels. It was the residence of the lairds
of Barra till the beginning of the last century, about
which time it ceased to be inhabited.
The PARISH consists of more than twenty islands,
about half of them uninhabited, and serving only as
grazing stations. It was disjoined from that of South
Uist in 1*33. The parish is situated at the southwestern
extremity of the Hebrides, and measures in
length, from Scirrival, the most northern point of the
main island, to Bernera, the most southern island, about
twenty-eight miles, including the several intervening
channels. The area is about 22,000 acres, of which
3922 are under cultivation, 1540 sandy waste, 16,139
hill pasture, and the remainder moss. The currents run
with great rapidity and violence through the channels, of
which that on the north is six miles across, separating
Barra from South Uist. On the east are the islands of
Canna and Rum, distant twenty-six miles; those of Coll
and Tiree, on the south, are thirty miles off, and on the
west is the Atlantic Ocean, which, at the blowing of the
south-west wind, rolls its waves with such impetuosity
and fury that they not only drive large quantities of
sand over the islands, but render intercourse between
them quite impossible.
The shore is indented with numerous fissures and
creeks, and pierced with many arms of the sea. Upon
the west, with the exception of two or three sandy inlets
and bays, it is thickly set with rocks, a huge barrier of
which, broken in several parts into frightful chasms by
the constant action of the sea, rises majestically against
the tremendous waves, and supplies a powerful rampart
to check their fury. On the east, the coast is in general
rocky, with some intervening portions of heath, moss,
and sand; and in this part are the principal bays, which
form excellent and safe harbours, and among which are
those of Bayhierava, Uilevay, Castlebay, Watersaybay,
Fladda Sound, and Ottirvore. The chief headland is
Barra Head, on the island of Bernera, where a very
superior lighthouse has lately been erected. This island,
and the contiguous one of Mingala, are particularly
distinguished for the height of their rocks, and for their
grand and romantic scenery, increased in its effect by
the numberless sea-fowl that frequent them throughout
the summer. Barra, the largest island, is about twelve
miles long, from three to six miles broad, and is broken,
especially on the eastern side, by many bays and arms
of the sea. It has a rocky barren aspect at a distance,
but upon a nearer approach its appearance is more interesting,
and its lower grounds, containing some rich
meadows and fertile vallej's, contrast well with its lofty
hills, covered to the summits with verdant pasture.
There are many springs of good fresh water, and four
fresh-water lakes abounding in black trout and eels, and
varying in length from half a mile to a mile.
The SOIL comprises light black, and sandy earth,
moss, and meadow; and the crops, consisting of barley,
oats, and potatoes, grown merely for home consumption,
ripen very early on the sandy soils, of which there is a
considerable extent. Agriculture here takes its prevailing
character from that of the population; it is unformed
and rugged, and the district is more suited to grazing
than tillage. The lands are let principally to small
tenants, and the habitations in general are of the very
lowest kind, as well as the resources and manner of life
of the tenants. The cattle are of a good description, and
a new and improved breed of sheep has been recently
introduced; the horses are small, but hardy and well
shaped, and are numerous in the parish, being found
useful in transporting sea-weed for manure, and for the
preparation of kelp. The annual value of real property
in the parish is £2470. The rocks consist chiefly of
coarse granite; but in the island of Bernera a quarry
has been opened of granite of a very superior kind,
of which the lighthouse was built. At Eoligary is the
house of Barra, a commodious residence, well sheltered,
and surrounded by good fields: it was built by the late
proprietor, who transplanted some trees, of which the
parish is remarkably bare, to the grounds of his mansion;
but though they had thriven tolerably well in their
former situation, they soon pined away after their removal.
A few of the inhabitants are engaged in fishing,
and four vessels used for this purpose belong to the
place; but the poverty of the people operates not only to
straiten their agricultural efforts, and to keep the capabilities
of the soil in a great degree in abeyance, but also
to confine their fishing within very narrow limits,
although Barra is one of the best stations on the west
coast. Besides lobsters, crabs, whelks, limpets, mussels,
and cockles, the last of which are very abundant, and
often supply a principal article of food, the neighbouring
seas abound with ling, cod, tusk, hake, turbot,
and flounders; and immense shoals of herrings also
come up, which the inhabitants are unable to take for
want of suitable tackle. About twenty or thirty boats
are sometimes employed, with five men in each; and if
successful, and the weather permits, they carry the ling
and cod to Glasgow and Greenock in their own boats.
Many cearbans, or sail-fish, were formerly taken by
means of the harpoon, and large quantities of oil extracted;
but this branch has now failed, through the inability
of the fishermen to provide the tackle.
Ecclesiastically the parish is in the presbytery of Uist,
synod of Glenelg, and in the patronage of the Crown:
the minister's stipend is £165. 10. 5., of which a portion
is received from the exchequer; with a manse, and a
glebe valued at £17. 10. per annum. The church is a
plain structure, built a few years since, and conveniently
situated in the centre of the parish, about six miles from
each extremity of the main island. There is a Roman
Catholic chapel. The parochial school affords instruction
in English and writing, and the master is qualified
to teach the classics, book-keeping, and geography; he
has a salary of £'26: the school has been only lately
opened, and education is at present quite in its infancy,
the inhabitants being mostly unable to read or write.
The poor enjoy the benefit of a bequest cf £400, left by
two persons, natives of the parish. At Killbar are several
ruins of ancient chapels dedicated to St. Barr,
some of which have an altar of rough stones at one
end, and the pedestal of a cross at a short distance: a
wooden figure of the saint was formerly fixed up for the
adoration of the people, and was dressed in superior
attire on the celebration of the anniversary. Watchtowers
are to be seen in every direction; and upon the
lakes are " duns", supposed to be of Scandinavian origin.
There are also many of the circles usually called Druidical.
A few years since, a gold medal was found in digging
the clergyman's garden, about the size of a half-crown
piece, cast for the coronation of Augustus II., King of
Poland, and which is said to have belonged to some pas-
.senger on board of a Dutch ship wrecked here in the
early part of the last century.