The Guga Hunters

Nonfiction, Science & Nature, Nature, Animals, Birds & Birdwatching, Sports, Outdoors, Hunting
Cover of the book The Guga Hunters by Donald S. Murray, Birlinn
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Donald S. Murray ISBN: 9780857907653
Publisher: Birlinn Publication: June 2, 2018
Imprint: Birlinn Language: English
Author: Donald S. Murray
ISBN: 9780857907653
Publisher: Birlinn
Publication: June 2, 2018
Imprint: Birlinn
Language: English

Every year, ten men from Ness, at the northern tip of the Isle of Lewis, sail north-east for some forty miles to a remote rock called Sulasgeir. Their mission is to catch and harvest the guga; the almost fully grown gannet chicks nesting on the two hundred foot high cliffs that circle the tiny island, which is barely half a mile long. After spending a fortnight in the arduous conditions that often prevail there, they return home with around two thousand of the birds, pickled and salted and ready for the tables of Nessmen and women both at home and abroad. The Guga Hunters tells the story of the men who voyage to Sulasgeir each year and the district they hail from, bringing out the full colour of their lives, the humour and drama of their exploits. They speak of the laughter that seasons their time together on Sulasgeir, of the risks and dangers they have faced. It also provides a fascinating insight into the social history of Ness, the culture and way-of-life that lies behind the world of the Guga Hunters, the timeless nature of the hunt, and reveals the hunt's connections to the traditions of other North Atlantic countries.Told in his district's poetry and prose, English and - occasionally - Gaelic, Donald S. Murray shows how the spirit of a community is preserved in this most unique of exploits.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

Every year, ten men from Ness, at the northern tip of the Isle of Lewis, sail north-east for some forty miles to a remote rock called Sulasgeir. Their mission is to catch and harvest the guga; the almost fully grown gannet chicks nesting on the two hundred foot high cliffs that circle the tiny island, which is barely half a mile long. After spending a fortnight in the arduous conditions that often prevail there, they return home with around two thousand of the birds, pickled and salted and ready for the tables of Nessmen and women both at home and abroad. The Guga Hunters tells the story of the men who voyage to Sulasgeir each year and the district they hail from, bringing out the full colour of their lives, the humour and drama of their exploits. They speak of the laughter that seasons their time together on Sulasgeir, of the risks and dangers they have faced. It also provides a fascinating insight into the social history of Ness, the culture and way-of-life that lies behind the world of the Guga Hunters, the timeless nature of the hunt, and reveals the hunt's connections to the traditions of other North Atlantic countries.Told in his district's poetry and prose, English and - occasionally - Gaelic, Donald S. Murray shows how the spirit of a community is preserved in this most unique of exploits.

More books from Birlinn

Cover of the book The Scottish Enlightenment by Donald S. Murray
Cover of the book The Glendale Bards by Donald S. Murray
Cover of the book The Drowned and the Saved by Donald S. Murray
Cover of the book No Sorrow To Die by Donald S. Murray
Cover of the book Dreaming Frankenstein by Donald S. Murray
Cover of the book A Time of Tyrants by Donald S. Murray
Cover of the book Celtic: The Official History by Donald S. Murray
Cover of the book The Vatersay Raiders by Donald S. Murray
Cover of the book Hue & Cry by Donald S. Murray
Cover of the book Dearest Dacha by Donald S. Murray
Cover of the book On the Crofter's Trail by Donald S. Murray
Cover of the book Tobermory and Other Stories by Donald S. Murray
Cover of the book What Happened to Serie A by Donald S. Murray
Cover of the book Set Adrift Upon the World by Donald S. Murray
Cover of the book The Ghost of Helen Addison by Donald S. Murray
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy