Fact · Benbecula
Benbecula is the mountain of the fords, and the dark island
Benbecula's Gaelic name, Beinn na Faoghla, means mountain of the fords, from a Norse word for ford, though its only hill is 124 metres high. In Gaelic poetry it is An t-Eilean Dorcha, the dark island, and Balivanich means town of the monk.
The first written record of Benbecula's name is 'Beanbeacla' in 1449. The second part comes from the Norse vaðill, a ford, borrowed into Gaelic as fadhail: this is the island you reached by wading across the North and South Fords at low water. The 'mountain' is Rueval, 124 metres. In Gaelic poetry the island is An t-Eilean Dorcha, the dark island, the name the famous pipe tune took. Its main village, Balivanich, is Baile a' Mhanaich, the town of the monk.
Sources / notes: Wikipedia: Benbecula https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benbecula