Barra

Barra, or Barray, one of the Hebrides (q.v.) or Western Isles of Scotland, included in Invernessshire; lying about 5 miles S.W. of South Uist, with a length of 8 and a breadth of from 2 to 4 miles. The fisheries are important, cod, ling, herrings, and shellfish being very plentiful. Lying in the course of the Gulf Stream its shores intercept many wrecks drifting from the Atlantic. The lighthouse, 680 feet above sea level, is the loftiest in Great Britain, and is visible for 30 miles. The population consists chiefly of Gaelic-speaking Roman Catholics.