📌 Great Bernera, Isle of Lewis
★★
From the east side of Breacleit village, it’s well worth following a narrow path meandering across the moorland towards Loch Riosaigh. Where a minor burn from the higher Loch na Muilne empties into the southern end of the loch, a thatched-roofed, stone building can be made out, blending into the surrounding rocks, grass and heather. This Norse mill is fed by a short mill lade and was operational until the 1920s or 30s; the building has also benefitted from more recent restoration. “Norse” here refers to the type of machinery inside, rather than its date of construction.
🌍 Location
📌 1 mi east of Bernera Museum, Breacleit, Great Bernera, Lewis
🧭 O.S. Grid Reference: NB 167370
🛰️ GPS coordinates: 58.230630,-6.827386
🚌 Infrequent bus to Breacleit
🚗 Car park at Bernera Museum, 🧭 NB 159368 / 🛰️ 58.227730,-6.841734
📝 Key info
⌚ Always open
🎫 Free
💬 From the museum it’s a 15-min walk (each way) to the mill (⬤⬤ Easy to Moderate). From the car park exit turn right, then take the first left to pass to the right of a war memorial. The minor road traces the west side of Loch Breacleit. As it heads away from the loch, turn right and follow the lane all the way to the house at the end. Just before the entrance gate, cross a stile on the left. A path leads around the left side of the house then crosses occasionally boggy moorland (marked by posts), climbing a little and then descending towards the south end of a loch, where the mill is located.
