Editing Benbecula (section)

==Geography==
[[File:UK Benbecula.PNG|left|thumb]]
[[File:Benbecula Beach.jpg|thumb|left|Beach (Cula Bay) on the west coast of Benbecula looking towards [[South Uist]]]]
The island is about {{convert|12|km|mi|abbr=off|0}} from west to east and a similar distance from north to south. It lies between the islands of [[North Uist]] and [[South Uist]]; it is connected to both by road [[causeway]]s. Travel to any of the other [[Hebridean]] islands, or to the British mainland, is by air or sea. [[Benbecula Airport]] on the island has daily flights to [[Glasgow]], [[Stornoway]] and [[Barra]]. A direct service to [[Inverness]] was introduced in 2006 but discontinued in May 2007. There are no direct ferry services from Benbecula to the mainland, but a service operated by [[Caledonian MacBrayne]] from [[Lochboisdale]] on [[South Uist]] provides a five-hour crossing to [[Oban]] on the mainland, whilst another service from [[Lochmaddy]] on [[North Uist]] provides a two-hour crossing to [[Uig, Snizort|Uig]] on the [[Inner Hebrides|Inner Hebridean]] island of [[Isle of Skye|Skye]], and hence to the mainland via the [[Skye Bridge]]. Ferry services from the islands of [[Berneray, North Uist|Berneray]] (linked by causeway to [[North Uist]]) and [[Eriskay]] (linked to [[South Uist]]) connect to the other Outer Hebridean islands of [[Harris, Scotland|Harris]] and Barra respectively.

There is a dense cluster of lochs across almost the entire island, and almost the whole island is below {{convert|20|m|ft|sigfig=1|abbr=off}} in elevation.

===Climate===
Benbecula has an extremely moderated temperate [[oceanic climate]] ([[Köppen climate classification|Köppen]]: ''Cfb ''), due to its island location. The nearest station to Benbecula is now South Uist, {{convert|18|mi|km|abbr=off}} away. However, a long-standing weather station used to report directly from Benbecula, where the highest temperature ever reported in the [[Western Isles]] was recorded at {{convert|81|F|C|order=flip}} on 30 July 1948.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://digital.nmla.metoffice.gov.uk/IO_7aa3bf68-127c-4331-96c0-3ec97b082120/|title=MWR_1948 &#124; Met Office UA}}</ref>
{{Weather box|location = South Uist Range, 1981–2010, elevation: {{cvt|13|ft|m|0}}, 1981–2010 normals
| collapsed    = 
| metric first = y
| single line  = y
| Jan high C = 7.7
| Feb high C = 7.2
| Mar high C = 8.2
| Apr high C = 10.2
| May high C = 12.9
| Jun high C = 14.6
| Jul high C = 16.1
| Aug high C = 16.1
| Sep high C = 14.9
| Oct high C = 12.2
| Nov high C = 9.8
| Dec high C = 8.1
| year high C = 11.5
| Jan mean C = 5.4
| Feb mean C = 5.1
| Mar mean C = 6.0
| Apr mean C = 7.7
| May mean C = 10.1
| Jun mean C = 12.2
| Jul mean C = 13.8
| Aug mean C = 13.8
| Sep mean C = 12.7
| Oct mean C = 9.9
| Nov mean C = 7.6
| Dec mean C = 5.9
| year mean C = 9.2
| Jan low C = 3.1
| Feb low C = 3.0
| Mar low C = 3.8
| Apr low C = 5.1
| May low C = 7.4
| Jun low C = 9.7
| Jul low C = 11.4
| Aug low C = 11.5
| Sep low C = 10.4
| Oct low C = 7.8
| Nov low C = 5.3
| Dec low C = 3.6
| year low C = 6.9
| Jan precipitation mm = 140.1
| Feb precipitation mm = 94.9
| Mar precipitation mm = 104.3
| Apr precipitation mm = 67.3
| May precipitation mm = 58.3
| Jun precipitation mm = 61.7
| Jul precipitation mm = 77.7
| Aug precipitation mm = 100.5
| Sep precipitation mm = 105.4
| Oct precipitation mm = 136.2
| Nov precipitation mm = 128.9
| Dec precipitation mm = 118.4
| year precipitation mm = 
| unit precipitation days = 1.0 mm
| Jan precipitation days = 20.6
| Feb precipitation days = 16.4
| Mar precipitation days = 19.8
| Apr precipitation days = 13.2
| May precipitation days = 11.6
| Jun precipitation days = 13.4
| Jul precipitation days = 14.0
| Aug precipitation days = 16.9
| Sep precipitation days = 15.4
| Oct precipitation days = 20.8
| Nov precipitation days = 21.3
| Dec precipitation days = 19.4
| year precipitation days = 
| source 1 = [[Met Office]]<ref name="Met Averages">{{cite web |url=https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/research/climate/maps-and-data/uk-climate-averages/gf4wr9twt |title= South Uist 1981–2010 averages |access-date=1 February 2020|publisher=Met Office}}</ref>
}}

===Settlements===
Benbecula's main settlement is [[Balivanich]] ([[Scottish Gaelic]]: ''Baile a' Mhanaich'', meaning "Town of the Monk") in the northwest. It is the main administrative centre for Benbecula, North Uist, South Uist and nearby islands, and has the council offices and the administrative centre for [[MOD Hebrides]] on South Uist, which is managed by [[QinetiQ]]. The village is also home to the airport and the island's bank.

Other settlements include Craigstrome, a tiny hamlet in the south-east of Benbecula. In contrast to the cultivated west coast of the island, the eastern half is a mixture of freshwater lochs, [[moorland]], [[bog]] and deeply indenting sea lochs. Craigstrome is near Ruabhal, Benbecula's highest hill at {{convert|124|m|ft|0}}.

The township of Lionacleit houses the island's main secondary school, which also doubles as a community centre, with a swimming pool, cafeteria, sports facilities, a small museum and a library.<ref>[http://www.cne-siar.gov.uk/school/lionacleit/about_us.htm "Sgoil Lionacleit"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303230834/http://www.cne-siar.gov.uk/school/lionacleit/about_us.htm |date=2016-03-03 }} Comhairle nan Eilean Siar. Retrieved 4 July 2010.</ref> Next door to this is the Lionacleit campus of [[Lews Castle College]]. Lionacleit lies on the west coast road, about {{convert|1|mi|km|abbr=off}} from its junction with the north–south spinal road near Creagorry.

Creagorry is in the south of the island, near the causeway to South Uist. The [[The Co-operative Food|Co-op]] here is the main supermarket for the south of the island and for the north of South Uist. [[Borve Castle, Benbecula|Borve Castle]] is near Lionacleit.

The RAF radar station [[RRH Benbecula]] monitors the northern Atlantic, but is located on the west coast of North Uist.

===Nearby islands===
[[File:Loch Uisgebhagh.jpg|thumb|Islands in Loch Uisgebhagh. Bearran is at top right, Orasaigh, middle right and the peninsula of Meanais at top left.]]
In addition to South and North Uist, there are numerous islands off the north, east and south coasts. To the north of Balivanich is [[Baleshare]], and further east is [[Flodaigh]], which is connected to Benbecula by another causeway. Beyond Flodaigh are [[Grimsay]] and [[Ronay]]. Off the east coast there are numerous small islands in Loch Uisgebhagh and beyond, including Bearran and Orasaigh Uisgeabhagh. [[Eileanan Chearabhaigh]]<ref>At {{gbmapping|NF866476}}</ref> in the south east have a total area of {{convert|100|ha|acre}} spread over several islands, the largest of which is about {{convert|31|ha|acre}} in extent. Further south is the larger [[Wiay, Uist|Wiay]] and west from there a profusion of [[Skerry|skerries]] and small islands lie to the north of Bagh nam Faoileann. These include [[Fraoch-eilean]], a second [[Grimsay, South East Benbecula|Grimsay]], Fodragaigh, Eilean na Cille and Triallabreac.