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Our Story: Series 4

Our Story: Series 4: Episode 5: The Shetland Whalers

Episode 5

Episode 5: The Shetland Whalers

Series 4

The Shetland Whalers

BBC Radio Scotland - Our Story, Series 4, The Shetland Whalers

Mark Stephen explores the stories of the Shetland men who went whaling in the Antarctic.

Mark Stephen hears stories of the north east's distinctive past from those who are part of its history. He explores tales of the Shetland men who went whaling in the Antarctic.

Shetland's links with whaling go back as long as the islands have been inhabited, but the heyday of commercial whaling was in the mid-20th Century. It was an industry largely run by the Norwegians, but they relied heavily on Shetlanders crewing the ships that sailed down to the Antarctic for several months every year. But why were men from Shetland so valued as crew on these ships, and as workers on the shore stations of South Georgia? And what do those men think now about their involvement in an industry which is almost universally shunned by the international community? Mark Stephen meets the Shetland ex-whalers.

BBC Radio Scotland

Mark Stephen hears the stories of the North East's distinctive past.

Mark Stephen hears the stories of the North East's distinctive past from those who are part of its rich history.

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