Scotland's first oil boom.

Today, the ports of Aberdeen, Peterhead and Dundee are all heavily involved in the high technology of the offshore North Sea oil industry. 200 years ago they were at the centre of an earlier oil boom, based not on petroleum but instead on whale and seal oil from animals captured in the Arctic waters around Greenland.

Peterhead, to the north of Aberdeen, sent out her first whaler, the Robert in 1788. In April 1893 Captain David Gray (III) came out of retirement and took the Windward north. In August he returned with the blubber of just one whale - the Peterhead whaling industry was at an end.

Over-fishing of Bowhead Whales in the Greenland Sea soon resulted in a scarcity of whales. This forced some whaling captains to hunt further afield, often in dangerous conditions, in the Davis Strait. They also diversified their operations, hunting polar bears, seals and walruses along the inlets and bays of Greenland and the Labrador coast.

The bears were hunted for their skins and also captured alive for exhibition in zoos and menageries. Seals provided blubber, which could be rendered for its oil, and skins. The walrus provided ivory tusks which were in demand for carving decorative items as well as blubber, and leather. In the 19th century mills and factories were powered by water wheels or stationary steam engines. The power was transferred to the looms and other machinery by a system of shafts, pulleys and leather belts. Many of these belts were made from walrus leather.

This large walrus skull was probably brought back by a Peterhead whaler in the 1800s.

You can read about the Scottish whaling industry at The Slaughter of the Whales.