The Barra Isles, also known as the Bishop's Isles, are a small archipelago in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland. They lie south of the island of Barra, for which they are named. The group consists of nine islands and numerous rocky islets, skerries, and sea stacks.
In 1427, the Lords of the Isles awarded the lairdship of Barra (and its associated islands) to Clan MacNeil of Barra. However, after acts of piracy by the MacNeils, King James VI transferred ownership of the southern archipelago to the Bishop of the Isles, hence the islands became known as the Bishop's Isles. Murray writes that they belonged "to the Bishop of the Isles de jure although to MacNeil de facto".
