Balivanich

Balivanich ( Scottish Gaelic: Baile a ' Mhanaich ) is a village on the island of Benbecula in the Outer Hebrides off the west coast of Scotland. It is the main center Benbeculas. The name means "City of the monk " and probably refers to here may be founded in the 6th century monastery, which the Teampull Chaluim Chille could have heard a small, dedicated Columba of Iona church whose ruins south of the village today can still be seen.

Geography and climate

Balivanich is located on the north west coast Benbeculas in a largely flat area (0 to 10 meters above the sea level). At the reporting date the census on 29 April 2001, the village area included 3.76 km ².

Characteristic of the local weather are almost constant, moist, cool westerly winds. Nevertheless, the foothills of the Gulf Stream provide year-round for a total of mild climate without special temperature fluctuations. Severe frost is rare; the annual averages range from about 5 ° C in January to about 14 ° C in August. Distributed over the year to fall about 1,200 mm of rainfall, with the May with an average of 10 rainy days the driest month. In December falls in Balivanich to an average of 22 days and therefore more frequent than in the other months rainfall.

Religion and Burials

Meaningful statistics on religious affiliations in Balivanich were part of the Scottish authorities not yet published, since it could lead to potential identification of individual people. For the island of Benbecula, the most populous settlement is Balivanich, the following figures are available: As part of the census of 2001, 42.75 % of the respondents of the Roman Catholic Church declared to belong, 33.31 % of the Protestant Church of Scotland, and 8.25 % claimed to be a member of another Christian denomination. 11.85% no religion felt part of.

Christians go to church in surrounding communities, as today's Balivanich has no churches. The closest Protestant ( Church of Scotland ) and Roman Catholic churches are located in the neighboring Griminish. In Balivanich there is a funeral home; Funeral will be held on the south of the village settlement situated Nunton. The cemetery of Nunton, Cladh Mhuire is divided by the B892 into two parts, the eastern, the old part with some war graves of both world wars and the west of the street, now mainly used new part. According to an information board placed there Cladh Mhuire is the only function to this day use site to Benbecula with early Christian reference (foundation may at times Columba of Iona in the 6th century ).

Transportation

Balivanich is connected via the B892 to the north-south main thoroughfare A865 linking North Uist, Benbecula and South Uist. The village is served by the bus line W17, which runs between the north and Berneray Eriskay in the south. Provided this service by the regional administration for the Western Isles ( Comhairle nan Eilean Siar ) in collaboration with local bus companies and the Postbusdienst. In view of the small population, the buses run regularly, but not very often.

A rail network does not exist; several private taxi companies complement the bus service. There is also a scheduled door - to-door transport service for elderly and limited mobility in their persons, which goes to shops, banks, post offices and other facilities of daily use with minibuses.

Balivanich belongs to the district of the vehicle registration office Inverness. Motor vehicles with location Balivanich accordingly obtained license plate with the origin codes SX or SY.

On the northern outskirts of the village is the Benbecula Airport ( Port- adhair Bheinn na Faoghla; IATA: BEB, ICAO: EGPL ). Operating company is the Highlands and Islands Airports Limited, based in Inverness.

Flight operations include scheduled scheduled flights to the mainland ( via Inverness Stornoway and Glasgow International), and post- cargo flights. Furthermore, the airport is used due to its central location close to the hospital as a landing place for rescue helicopters and aircraft. Chance of land, machines of the Royal Air Force for refueling and to transport and logistics purposes.

Postal service

The letter and parcel delivery in Balivanich carried out by Royal Mail, as well as some private courier companies. The village has a post office that is usually open unlike other communities in Uist Monday to Saturday all day. Royal Mail chartering a machine of Loganair to fly their mail from Balivanich from the mainland, while the private courier services deliver their cargo mostly in the van or truck by ferry.

Education

As the old primary school ( primary school ) was during a storm severely damaged, visit children from Balivanich and the surrounding communities since August 2011, the built elsewhere new Balivanich School ( Sgoil Bhaile a ' Mhanaich ). Are supervised and taught there for about 140 boys and girls aged 1-12 years in three pre-school and 6 primary school classes. A secondary school ( secondary school ) located in the neighboring Liniclate.

Hospital

In Balivanich is the Uist and Barra Hospital ( Ospadal Uibhist agus Bharraigh ). The hospital, which opened in 2001, has 29 beds and is making an important contribution to medical care for the population of the southern islands of the Outer Hebrides. In addition to an emergency room ( " A & E" ) offers the hospital an outpatient specialist services, obstetrics ( be first-time mothers but regularly in hospitals on the mainland or the Western Isles Hospital in Stornoway transferred ), and - for lack of nursing home places in Uist - in individual cases, inpatient long-term care for seniors.

While minor surgical procedures are performed on site, the hospital does not have an intensive care unit; Patients with more severe injuries or diseases being transported by rescue plane or helicopter in specially equipped hospitals on the mainland or in Stornoway.