The Birsay Whale Bone, Orkney

The Birsay whalebone is an Orcadian landmark, standing close to The Museum of Loss and Renewal’s Orkney home until blown over by strong winds in 2023. Its original height above ground was around 210cm, with the bottom of the jawbone buried in the ground to a depth of about 60cm.

In the 1870s a large whale was washed ashore in Doonagua Geo, a stony beach below the site where the bones have been located for many years at Nether Queena, on Birsay’s Northside.

The local inhabitants of Northside bought the whale carcass from the Receiver of Wreck* and processed it for profit. Meat, bone and oil were salvaged, but unable to turn over the whale, not all the valuable blubber was accessed.

The whale represented energy and was central to Orkney’s income in the 18th and 19th centuries when it was a vital hub for Arctic whaling. Stromness town was a key port, recruiting hundreds of local men for hazardous, high-value voyages. The industry provided essential oil and whale products, and often involved partnerships with major commercial firms, such as the Hudson’s Bay Company.

The Birsay heritage Trust in Orkney is raising money to commemorate the whalebone by replacing it on its original site with a bronze replica, produced using a 3D digital model made by the Archaeology Department of the University of the Highlands and Islands, Orkney.

To donate, use the link on this information page

The whale bone and the history of whaling in Orkney are an important part of the multi-partner TRANSECTS research project, (TRANSitions In Energy For Coastal Communities).

“The shift to marine renewable energies will transform the sustainability (the balance between economic growth, social well-being, and environmental care) and resilience (adapting to change, adversity and new opportunities) of coastal communities and adjacent seas. History tells us that previous energy transitions have led to profound environmental and socio-cultural change for local communities due to their often boom-and-bust nature.

Our team will explore previous experiences of these energy transitions. We will examine the shifts from non-renewable marine energy sources (whale oil in the 1800s through to offshore oil and gas in the later-1900s) to more sustainable renewable energy sources in the early-2000s. We will assess the raw energy sources. We will examine how nearby communities have been affected during transitions. We will investigate the fairness and equity of decisions made.”

*The Receiver of Wreck (RoW) is a UK government official, part of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) who is responsible for handling reports of found wreck material, including shipwrecks, cargo, and equipment.