Whale bone arch, Aberdeen
Introduction
The photograph on this page of Whale bone arch, Aberdeen by Martyn Gorman as part of the Geograph project.
The Geograph project started in 2005 with the aim of publishing, organising and preserving representative images for every square kilometre of Great Britain, Ireland and the Isle of Man.
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Whale bone arch, Aberdeen
Image: © Martyn Gorman Taken: Unknown
In the early 19th century the port of Aberdeen was heavily involved in the Greenland whaling industry. Sometimes captains brought back the lower jaw bones of whales, partly because they contained a lot of oil which could be drained off on the voyage South, and partly as trophies of their adventures in the far North. The jaws were often set up as monumental arches; this one can still be seen in Stewart Park. This five-acre park was bought by the Council from funds bequeathed by the widow of Mr. John Taylor, a merchant in the city, and opened to the public in 1894. The park was named after a former Lord Provost of the city, Sir David Stewart. The whale jaw bones were presented to the park in 1903 by the Captain of the Arctic whaler Benbow.
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Image Location
Latitude
57.164579
Longitude
-2.137216