Edinburgh's abandoned whale hunting station that lies…

Edinburgh's abandoned whale hunting station that lies deserted and access prohibited

Whaling as an industry began in Leith in 1616, with sailors heading to Arctic waters with harpoons in hand.

Nowadays whaling is looked at with contempt, though at the time was considered a valuable source of food oils and industry materials.

In the early phases of whaling, workers would head to Greenland in hopes of bringing back a catch.

This was dangerous business, due to the risks of being crushed by ice or seized by enemy warships during tumultuous times.

In the early 18th century a boiling house was built in Leith for the blubber, which would spread a strong oily smell through the town.

At the shore of Leith today, you can see a preserved harpoon which would have been shot into a whale before it exploded.

By 1909 Leith whalers Christian Salvesen had established the largest global whaling fleet in South Georgia, Leith Harbour.

The station was in operation until 1965, with centre’s in Grytviken, Husvik, and Stromness amongst others.

Footage of the Antarctic whaling hub from the Living Memory Association can be found below.

Leith Harbour was the spot for reintroducing reindeer into South Georgia, which failed in 1918 when an avalanche killed the entire herd.

While reindeer didn’t last long at the harbour, Prince Philip headed to the settlement in 1957 in the only Royal visit ever to South Georgia, and reportedly enjoyed his time there.

Leith Harbour was a massive hub, employing workers from several different countries (Image: Youtube - The Living Memory Association)

In a Youtube video posted by the Living Memory Association, George Hackland who worked for Leith Whaling looks back on his time in the industry.

He reminisces: “They employed a lot of Norweigans and Orcadians which was a godsend to them getting employment like that.

“It was a hard job, it was freezing cold weather and long hours.”

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The profitability of whaling saw a massive increase in the early 20th century, though the depletion of some whale species was leading to near extinction.

By the late 80s, alternatives were being discovered and the industry came to a halt.

It was an industry that is thought to have gone all the way back to the Stone Age, with evidence in Neolithic cave art.

By the time Inuit people were first encountered by Europeans, they had mastered whale hunting and used methods that continued to be in use until 1900.

For Inuit people, a whale provided food as well as housing - with bones used for construction and tools.

Workers would ensure all parts of the whale were used for something (Image: Youtube - The Living Memory Association)

Centuries later, even after whaling has become considered unacceptable, three countries continue the practice.

Japan, Iceland and Norway hunt and kill fin, minke and sei whales every year.

Today Leith Harbour remains in South Georgia, though much of the station is abandoned and since 2010 access has been prohibited.

At one point, the area housed a hospital, a library and a cinema - which George Hackland recalled.

He said: “There was everything imaginable there, dentists and hairdressers, it was a proper place.”

The boats carried three king penguins back to Edinburgh in 1913 (Image: Youtube - The Living Memory Association)

Before Leith Harbour put a stop to whaling, Christian Salvesen’s ships carried over some visitors that are now famous back in Edinburgh.

The whaling boats brought back the first penguins to the city and donated them to Edinburgh Zoo, making it the first in the world to keep and breed the animals.