View from NNW of suviving boiler-house chimney, with concrete bases of former whale-oil tanks in foreground Digital image of C 68897 CN

Description View from NNW of suviving boiler-house chimney, with concrete bases of former whale-oil tanks in foreground Digital image of C 68897 CN

Date 5/6/1996

Collection Records of the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland (RCAHMS), Edinbu

Catalogue Number SC 794241

Category On-line Digital Images

Copy of C 68897 CN

Scope and Content Whaling Station, Bunaveneadar, Harris, Western Isles, from north-north-west In the background is the surviving boiler house chimney which is built of brick. In front of the tapering chimney are the concrete bases of the former whale oil tanks. Whale oil, which was used mainly for lighting, was the major product of the whaling station, but other items included bonemeal, meat, whalebone, which was used in the making of garments, and fertiliser. The whale hunters from Bunaveneadar found their prey around the island of St Kilda. The hunters were Norwegians, but the staff employed at the whaling station were local people. Several types of whale were hunted, the main one being the finner whale. Lewis and Harris are both parts of the same island, collectively known as 'the Long Island', which is the most northerly in the Outer Hebrides. Together they are about 95km in length and around 32km at the widest point. Most of Lewis is quite low-lying, whereas Harris is mountainous. Bunaveneadar is situated on the west coast of Harris. Source: RCAHMS contribution to SCRAN.

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/collection/794241

File Format (TIF) Tagged Image File Format bitmap