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The island of Benbecula
is sandwiched between the islands of North and South Uist in the Outer
Hebrides or Western Isles, some 20 miles due west of Skye. These three
Islands, together with Barra and Eriskay, are often referred to as
'the Southern Isles'. They are joined by causeways which divide the
Atlantic Ocean, on the west, from the Minch, on the east, providing
access to the two ferry ports of Lochmaddy on North Uist and Lochboisdale
on South Uist. Regular ferries are operated to Uig on Skye and Oban
on the mainland by Caledonian
MacBrayne. Benbecula
Airport has a daily flight (excluding Sunday) to and from Glasgow
as well as an inter-island service, Monday to Friday to Barra, and
also to Stornoway, which links with Inverness and Edinburgh. |
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| The
Hebrides enjoy a temperate climate, modified by the effect of the
Gulf Stream. Winters are mild, often windy and wet, but the temperature
rarely falls below freezing, and snow is rare and doesn't usually
last long. Spring tends to be colder and very windy, but there can
be exceptions! In summer, Benbecula enjoys more hours of sunshine
(daylight hours?) than Edinburgh, but while it may be warm, it is
never hot ! |
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Benbecula has a population
of about 1,000 living in an area of some 12 square miles. The main
centre is the village of Balivanich in the north, the administrative
capital of the Southern Isles with an Airport, Council Offices, Bank,
Post Office, Laundry, a variety of shops, and a Primary
School of about 90 pupils. |
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| The Secondary
School, Sgoil
Lionacleit, is a Community School with facilities open to the
public: library, swimming pool, games hall, fitness suite, playing
fields, museum, cafeteria, etc. with a roll of just under 400 pupils.
Both schools recently received very positive reports from Her Majesty's
Inspectors of Education. |
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| Benbecula's
health-care needs are served by a recently-built hospital in Balivanich
with twenty nine acute/long-stay beds, serving the Southern Isles
from North Uist to Barra, and a caring GP's practice - The Benbecula
Medical Practice- situated only 200 metres from the Manse. The Community
Dental Officer has his clinic at Sgoil Lionacleit. |
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| Many
of the indigenous island population own, and live on, crofts, and
are involved in crofting as a secondary occupation, with fishing,
fish-farming, service industries (tourist-related , local authority,
etc ) building and construction, and the missile range, all providing
a variety of employment opportunities. |
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