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In 1941 an 8000-ton cargo ship ran aground in the Sound of Eriskay in the Outer Hebrides. In the difficult war years any gift from the sea was welcome  and the SS Politician had among her cargo a quarter of a million bottles of whisky. The events that followed inspired Compton Mackenzie's novel  "Whisky Galore". Using eyewitness accounts, historical papers and official documents, this book tells the story of the SS Politician  and the circus that surrounded her, from islanders in small skiffs to  wartime excise officers and the final solution to the problem of the vessel affectionately known as the "Polly".

This is a comprehensive  and fully revised guide to the Orkney wrecks - the intact remains of the  scuttled German fleet, U-boats, steamers, tugs and Churchill's "Blockships".  The author uses a mixture of historical narrative of the scuttling and subsequent salvage to describe the events at the end of World War I. The book includes  details of the site and studies much deeper wrecks, with special emphasis on HMS Hampshire, only reached with the advent of "technical diving".  Information on charterers, travel and accommodation is also included.

On June 21, 1919 the Scottish  anchorage at Scapa Flow witnessed one of the most dramatic events in naval  history. The German High Seas Fleet had sailed into British waters under  the terms of the treaty ending World War I. Possibly misled by British newspaper reports, the German admiral in command decided to scuttle the fleet rather  than let it fall into British hands. Although technically in British custody, the German officers developed an extraordinary plan to simultaneously sink  the entire fleet. Before the British could intervene, sixteen capital ships and numerous smaller ones went to the bottom; the operation resulting in the last casualties and the last prisoners of World War I.

This is the story of the wrecks dotted in and around Scapa Flow. Covering not only the scuttling  of the German High Seas Fleet is also looks at one of the biggest disasters  in British naval history, that of the sinking of the Royal Oak by U-47 when 833 men lost their lives.

The  Naval Wrecks of Scapa Flow

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Shipwrecks of North East Scotland...

David Ferguson lives in  Orkney and studies shipwrecks as a hobby. This is his third book on the  subject and is of immense interest to anyone contemplating a dive off the coast of North East Scotland.

Commencing with an introduction in which he explains the size of vessel  included within the book, we are then treated to a series of 5 maps which  clearly delineate the various divisions of the overall, area scrutinised  by the Author and the approximate location many shipwrecks. In short, the scene is well right at the beginning and we are well prepared for  a brief insight into the historical events that served to shape this book.  Commencing with what little is known of a very vague shipwreck in 1444,  the author gets down to specifics with the loss of the Edward Bonaventure  in 1556. Combining quotes from the day very successfully with his own narrative, Ferguson makes this a most readable account of shipwrecks in general and it is pleasing to see this continued throughout.

"Shipwrecks of North East Scotland 1444-1990" is a paperback book measuring 8½ in x 5½ in contain 19 illustrations of  historic shipwrecks and over 130 pages. The Author talks us through the  years - pausing to concentrate on such events as the great storms of 1800,  1875, 1876 and 1942 and, in so doing, gives the reader a very good insight  into the background and history of the region covered - from a shipwreck perspective.

Concluding with Appendixes which list vessels lost in those various storms and another listing all vessels known to have been wrecked (including  those that were later re-floated), this book is an excellent starting point for any serious project involving shipwreck research.
 

"Gentle giant" of the seas, the basking shark, the largest fish in Scottish seas, is nowadays often in the news as conservationists press for its legal protection. But at two periods in Scottish history it was hunted for the sake of its liver oil, first used as a lamp fuel, then later as a source of industrial chemicals. In very recent years hunting of the shark resumed with its fins (for the Asian market) being the main prize. Here the history of the fishery for the shark, with its varied guns and harpoons and small oil-processing factories, is fully treated. Also covered is the anatomy of the basking shark and its biology in so far is it is known, as there is still much that is unexplained about the life of this enormous plankton-eating fish. Its scientific history is treated extensively, including its description by the Norwegian Bishop Gunnerus in 1765 and the Lock Ranza specimen featured by Thomas Pennant in his "British Zoology" and the scientific sensation of the 1808 "Stronsay Monster". The Carradale incident of 1937 when an encounter with a basking shark led to the drowning of three people is fully described, and the efforts now being made to find out more about the sharks's habits as the basis for a proper conservation policy are outlined. The many Scottish names for the shark are listed.

Shipwrecks of the North of Scotland

This work is a reference guide to shipping losses off the coast of Scotland from Stonehaven northwards to Duncansby Head, then westwards to Cape Wrath and the Minch. Each of the wrecks is listed, under the area in which it went down, with details of  its position and history and fate.