The name meaning "town of the monk" possibly relates to a monastery which may have been founded here as early as during the 6th century. Teampull Chaluim Chille, an ancient church dedicated to Columba, might have been part of this monastery; its remains can still be seen south of the village. An airfield to the north, built during World War II, became the control centre for the Hebrides rocket range, established in 1957 at the height of the Cold War. It is now Benbecula Airport.
Geography
Balivanich is located on the north-west coast of Benbecula in a largely flat area. As of the date of the census on 29 April 2001, the village comprised.
Climate
A weather station has collected climate data for the island a short distance northeast at Benbecula airport. As with the rest of the British Isles and Scotland, Balivanich experiences a maritime climate with cool summers and mild winters, and is particularly windy due to its position directly facing the North Atlantic.
Economy
The local council has offices in Balivanich, and there is also a post office, hospital, primary school and several shops and cafés.
Transport
Road
Balivanich is on the B892 and is connected to the north-south main road, which is the A865. This connects North Uist, Benbecula and South Uist. The village is served by the bus route W17, which operates between Berneray in the north and Eriskay in the south. This service is provided by the local government for the Western Isles in collaboration with local bus companies and the PostBus service. The buses are regular, but not frequent, due to the low number of inhabitants. Several private taxi services complement the bus traffic. In addition, there is a scheduled door to door transport service for the elderly and those with restricted mobility, driving to shops, banks, post offices and other important amenities with minibuses.
Airport
Benbecula Airport is located on the northern edge of the village. The operator is the Highlands and Islands Airports Limited based in Inverness. Operations include scheduled flights to the Mainland and mail cargo flights. In addition, the airport is used, due to its central location close to the hospital, as a landing site for rescue helicopters and aircraft. Some land is also used for the Royal Air Force to refuel and for transport and logistics purposes.
