To the west of Achduin the land is relatively flat and low-lying, the area known as "The Aird" ending at Nisam Point which overlooks the little islands of Rubha Niosaim and Sgeir Mhor.

The lighthouse is located near the prominence of Sròn an Duin, just east of Skate Point and above the narrow chasm of Sloc na Bèiste (ravine of the monster).

It was the grandest sight I ever experienced, to look out of the lighthouse on a very stormy day, and see oneself hanging, as it were, over the ocean, surrounded on three sides by a fearful chasm in which the air was so thickly crowded with birds as to produce the appearance of a heavy snowstorm, whilst the cries of these myriads, mingled with the roar of the ocean and the howling of the tremendous gusts of wind coming up from below as if forced through a blast pipe, made it almost impossible to hear a person speak.

[16]Berneray was inhabited from prehistoric times until the 20th century; Historic Scotland have identified eighty-three archaeological sites on the island, the majority being of a pre-medieval date.

There are four chambered tombs, five cists and five other sites assumed to be burial cairns, suggesting a significant settlement in the Neolithic and Bronze Age.

[18] There is also the presumed site of a chapel near MacLean's Point (just east of the landing place) where an incised cross, tentatively dated to between the sixth and ninth centuries was found.

Archaeological evidence of the Norse presence in the Hebrides is scant, but boat shaped stone settings found not far from the chapel may be graves from this period of occupation.

[20][21] Notes: During the 19th century agriculture was based on crops of barley, potatoes, oats, turnips and cabbages and livestock including sheep and cattle.

[24]The travel writer Isabella Bird arrived in 1863 aboard the Shamrock receiving an "outrageous welcome"[25] from the islanders, despite the fact that amongst the Gaelic-speaking locals only a few had "some very lame sentences in English".

Without any advantages or other religious ordinances than are supplied by the annual visit of a priest from Barra, these very interesting people thirst for education, and would make considerable sacrifices to obtain it.

The 58-foot (18-metre) stone tower stands on the west side of the island, at the top of a very steep cliff, making the light 693 ft (211 m) above sea level, with a range of 18 nmi (33 km).

[29] There is no shallow water west of Berneray to break the blow of the Atlantic storms and small fish are sometimes thrown onto the grass on the cliff top.

[29] Due to the dangerous landing conditions, Barra Head lighthouse was re-classified by the RNLI as a "Rock Station" early in the 20th century.

[32][35] A Blenheim bomber crashed into the cliffs nearby during World War II, but the wreck was not discovered until many years later by a rock climber.

[29][36] In the early 1970s a research project sponsored by BP into a prototype safety boat for Barra Head also assisted the RNLI in developing the Atlantic 21 class lifeboat.

The project involved multi-organisation co-operation and included Halmatic themselves, HM Coastguard and the Royal Marines Amphibious Trials and Testing Unit.

[10] The NTS were able to acquire it through a bequest by Miss J. M. Fawcitt "to provide an area of natural beauty in memory of her parents and the courage of her late brother, Bernard".

Primrose, violets, yellow flag iris and celandine grow abundantly and grey seals are regularly seen by the landing cove.

[42] The island (along with neighbouring Mingulay) has been designated an Important Bird Area (IBA) by BirdLife International because it supports breeding populations of several species of seabirds.

He joined a travelling show, but disliked the publicity and returned to the islands to run a dairy in Castlebay in the summer and spend the winters at his home on Berneray.