Returning to Berneray

Incoming Editorial Team·Verified October 3, 2026

In 1981 Allen Moore completed “The Shepherds of Berneray,” a study of the centuries-old crofting traditions of the island of Berneray, and a portrait of the Gaelic speaking people whose lives reflected the underpinnings of this heritage. Moore has continued a decades-long friendship with the islanders, and beginning in 2016, he spent 10 years revisiting the community to document what traditions have remained and how life has changed on the island. Weaving together 16mm outtakes from the late 1970’s with contemporary HD digital material, “Returning to Berneray” is a personal portrait of a place and a filmmaker’s relationship to it.