28/05/2026
With so many new followers joining us, we’d like to take this opportunity to outline the history of the Birsay whalebone and the reasons behind our current fundraising efforts.
For 150 years, the Birsay Whalebone stood on the Northside at Nether Queena. Its story began in the 1870s, when a huge whale washed ashore at Doonagua Geo, the shore below where the whalebone stood.
Local men bought the whale carcass from the Receiver of Wreck and salvaged what they could. From those remains, someone — we still don’t know who — built the whalebone structure using part of the jawbone and a back section of the skull.
Over the decades, it became more than a landmark. It became part of Birsay’s identity — woven into our memories, our photographs, and our sense of place.
In May 2023, after days of relentless wind, the whalebone finally fell. Thankfully it wasn’t badly damaged, but its condition made one thing clear: the original bone is now too fragile to survive outdoors.
That’s why a community group, part of the Birsay Heritage Trust is working to create a bronze replica — a permanent version that can return to the Northside while the original is safely preserved indoors. 3D scans have already been made, and fundraising is underway to reach the £70,000 needed to create and install a bronze replica of the whalebone. We will be attending a number of local events over the coming months so watch this space.
This isn’t just about a landmark. It’s about our heritage, our coastline, and the stories passed down through generations.
If you’d like to help bring the whalebone home, your support means everything 🫶
