Brenish ( gd, Brèinis) is a small village situated on the west coast of the

Isle of Lewis The Isle of Lewis ( gd, Eilean Leòdhais) or simply Lewis ( gd, Leòdhas, ) is the northern part of Lewis and Harris, the largest island of the Western Isles or Outer Hebrides archipelago in Scotland. The two parts are frequently referred to as ...

, which is part of the Outer Hebrides of

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the ...

. Brenish is within the parish of Uig. The name of the village is sometimes spelt Breanish (which is generally the spelling used locally), however maps normally refer to Brenish.

Geography

Brenish is commonly regarded as one of the more scenic areas on the island, although its remote location at the end of the winding and decaying C39 makes it one of the less visited. The village itself runs parallel to the Atlantic coastline and is overlooked by Mealisval, the tallest mountain on the island. It is located next to the village of

Mealista Mealista ( gd, Mealasta) was a township in the west of the Isle of Lewis. It is currently largely uninhabited due to the Highland Clearances, which occurred there in 1838. The beach is a visitor attraction. History Mealista is a name of Nors ...

which is an uninhabited village known best for its selection of virginal sandy beaches.

is where the road ends, making Brenish the last populated village on the C39. Brenish can be reached by taking the A859 from

Stornoway Stornoway (; gd, Steòrnabhagh; sco, Stornowa) is the main town of the Western Isles and the capital of Lewis and Harris in Scotland. The town's population is around 6,953, making it by far the largest town in the Outer Hebrides, as well a ...

Tarbert, Harris Tarbert () is the main community on Harris in the Western Isles of Scotland. The name means "isthmus", "crossing point" or "portage", in Gaelic. The isthmus, between the sea lochs West Loch Tarbert and East Loch Tarbert, joins south Harris to no ...

, then turning on to the A858 towards

Garynahine Garynahine ( gd, Gearraidh na h-aibhne) is a settlement on Lewis, in the Outer Hebrides, Scotland. Garynahine is situated at a T-junction where roads from Stornoway, Uig and the west side of Lewis all meet. The roads are the A858 and the B8011 ...

. This route then travels along the B8011, which then becomes the C39 at

Timsgarry Timsgarry ( gd, Tuimisgearraidh) is a village on the Isle of Lewis, in the Outer Hebrides, Scotland. Timsgarry is home to the Baile na Cille Church and the Uig Museum, noted for its giant Chessmen, discovered in the sands in 1831. Geography T ...

. The journey takes between 60 and 90 minutes from

and 90 to 120 minutes from Tarbert (depending on driving experience on the Lewis roads).

Geology

One of the more interesting features of Brenish is the Blowhole. This is a deep hole in the ground which is roughly 20 metres inland. It has a sea cave which funnels sea water into the hole, sometimes with such ferocity that the sea water blows out the top of the hole. The hole is situated to the north of the village and although it is large it can easily be missed because it is situated in a dip in the ground. There is no fencing around the hole making it a hazard to the unsuspecting walker.

Flora and fauna

The terrain is mainly heather covered moorland which is peppered with lochs of varying size, which are kept full by the plentiful supply of rain. This land contains high quantities of

peat Peat (), also known as turf (), is an accumulation of partially decayed vegetation or organic matter. It is unique to natural areas called peatlands, bogs, mires, moors, or muskegs. The peatland ecosystem covers and is the most efficien ...

, which is still used by many in the village as a fuel source for heating and cooking. The land between Brenish and Islivig is peat cutting land which has supplied the village with fuel for decades. Due to the wild, damp, salty climate only hardy vegetation is able to survive. There are still a large number of

sheep Sheep or domestic sheep (''Ovis aries'') are domesticated, ruminant mammals typically kept as livestock. Although the term ''sheep'' can apply to other species in the genus ''Ovis'', in everyday usage it almost always refers to domesticated s ...

roaming freely and there is an increasing number of

deer Deer or true deer are hoofed ruminant mammals forming the family Cervidae. The two main groups of deer are the Cervinae, including the muntjac, the elk (wapiti), the red deer, and the fallow deer; and the Capreolinae, including the reindeer ...

which can be seen coming into villagers gardens in the evening. Other natives include rabbit, hare, rat, and feral cat. There have also been sightings of frogs in recent years which is a new addition to the area. There are regular sightings of seal fishing for salmon and sea trout in the Brenish bay. Lewis provides a good stop off point for migrating birds which can be seen along with the hardy native seabirds.

Golden eagle The golden eagle (''Aquila chrysaetos'') is a bird of prey living in the Northern Hemisphere. It is the most widely distributed species of eagle. Like all eagles, it belongs to the family Accipitridae. They are one of the best-known bird of p ...

s have also been known to make an occasional visit to the village.

Climate

The oceanic climate means that Brenish experiences high volumes of rain, with temperatures struggling to reach double figures for a large part of the year. However, Brenish is far enough north to benefit from long summer days where there is daylight for over 20 hours. It is also a good place to view the

Aurora Borealis An aurora (plural: auroras or aurorae), also commonly known as the polar lights, is a natural light display in Earth's sky, predominantly seen in high-latitude regions (around the Arctic and Antarctic). Auroras display dynamic patterns of br ...

(otherwise known as the Northern Lights).

Demography

Brenish was once a highly populated village but has suffered a drastic decline in its numbers during the 1900s, brought about by a combination of the younger generation opting to move to the mainland and the demise of the ageing residents. There is very little employment in the local area and the traditional occupation of

crofting Crofting is a form of land tenure and small-scale food production particular to the Scottish Highlands, the islands of Scotland, and formerly on the Isle of Man. Within the 19th century townships, individual crofts were established on the bette ...

has itself been in rapid decline since the 1980s. However, since the late 1990s the village has experienced a relative population boom. Over 50% of the population have migrated to Brenish from the UK mainland which has brought with it a feeling of revival.

Community

Architecture

The architecture in the area is fairly typical for the island. Generally the houses are built beside the road, at the top of a

croft Croft may refer to: Occupations * Croft (land), a small area of land, often with a crofter's dwelling * Crofting, small-scale food production * Bleachfield, an open space used for the bleaching of fabric, also called a croft Locations In the Uni ...

which itself leads down to the sea. There have been several new houses built since the late 1990s which are changing the face of the village.

Religion

Brenish, like all parts of the Hebrides, has a strong religious (

Presbyterian Presbyterianism is a part of the Reformed tradition within Protestantism that broke from the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland by John Knox, who was a priest at St. Giles Cathedral (Church of Scotland). Presbyterian churches derive their nam ...

) population. To this end there is normally very little activity in the village on Sunday. Until relatively recent years even the act of watching television on Sunday would have been frowned upon.

References

External links

Canmore - Lewis, Brenish site recordCanmore - Lewis, Breanis, School site recordCanmore - Lewis, Brenish, Military Camp site record
{{Lewis and Harris Villages in the Isle of Lewis