Benbecula

Coordinates: 57°26′46″N 7°19′12″W / 57.446°N 7.320°W / 57.446; -7.320
From Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Benbecula
Gaelic nameaudio speaker iconBeinn nam Fadhla 
Meaning of namepennyland of the fords
Location
Benbecula is located in Outer Hebrides
Benbecula
Benbecula
Benbecula shown within the Outer Hebrides
OS grid reference25
Coordinates57°26′46″N 7°19′12″W / 57.446°N 7.320°W / 57.446; -7.320
Physical geography
Island groupUists and Barra
Area8,203 hectares (31.7 sq mi)
Area rank16 [1]
Highest elevationRuaval 124 metres (407 ft)
Administration
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
CountryScotland
Council areaNa h-Eileanan Siar
Demographics
Population1,219
Population rank12 [1]
Largest settlementBalivanich
References[2][3][4][5][6]

Benbecula (Scottish Gaelic: Beinn nam Fadhla) is an island of the Outer Hebrides in the Atlantic Ocean off the west coast of Scotland.[7] It forms part of the area administered by the Western Isles Council.

In the 2001 census it had a resident population of 1,249, with a sizable percentage of Roman Catholics. This is slightly unusual because the Highlands and Islands is generally the religious territory of the Wee Frees, the Free Church of Scotland and its various offshoots.

References[change | change source]

  1. 1.0 1.1 Area and population ranks: there are c. 300 islands over 20 ha in extent and 93 permanently inhabited islands were listed in the 2011 census.
  2. 2001 UK Census per List of islands of Scotland
  3. Haswell-Smith, Hamish 2004. The Scottish Islands. Edinburgh: Canongate, p236. ISBN 978-1-84195-454-7
  4. Ordnance Survey
  5. "Welcome to Benbecula" Explore Scotland. Retrieved 19 August 2008.
  6. "Benbecula" Undiscovered Scotland. Retrieved 19 August 2008.
  7. Mac an Tàilleir, Iain (2003) Placenames. (pdf) Pàrlamaid na h-Alba. Retrieved 20 August 2008.