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British Wildlife is the leading natural history magazine in the UK, providing essential reading for both enthusiast and professional naturalists and wildlife conservationists. Published eight times a year, British Wildlife bridges the gap between popular writing and scientific literature through a combination of long-form articles, regular columns and reports, book reviews and letters.

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Conservation Land Management (CLM) is a quarterly magazine that is widely regarded as essential reading for all who are involved in land management for nature conservation, across the British Isles. CLM includes long-form articles, events listings, publication reviews, new product information and updates, reports of conferences and letters.

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The Winter Whale

Out of Print
By: Jim Crumley(Author)
219 pages, 8 plates with b/w photos and b/w illustrations
The Winter Whale
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  • The Winter Whale ISBN: 9781841587325 Paperback Oct 2008 Out of Print #200970
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About this book

In late November, 1893, a humpback whale – as rare a sight in the North Sea then as it would be now – followed herring shoals into the Tay estuary, and travelled as far upstream as Dundee docks to linger in the home waters of the biggest whaling fleet in Britain, and one of the biggest in Europe. The whale became an instant celebrity, known simply as the Monster, but a handful of boats were launched to try and catch it. The hunt was farcical, protracted, and ultimately grotesque – the whale remained elusive for four weeks before towing six vessels out past the Bell Rock lighthouse. All the lines parted in building seas and the whale escaped, but it was mortally wounded and was found floating off Stonehaven on January 6, bristling with ironmongery.

After a public auction was held for the corpse, the whale was hauled to Dundee. The public was charged sixpence or a shilling to see it, special trains were run from all over Angus, Perthshire and Fife, and for three shillings they could have their photograph taken sitting at a table inside the whale's propped open mouth. The whale was immortalised by the poetry of William McGonagall and went on tour by train on a specially built cradle to Aberdeen, Glasgow, Liverpool, Manchester, London and Edinburgh, before returning to Dundee. Its skeleton was presented to Dundee Museum, despite lucrative offers from big museums in London, Europe and America. The Winter Whale is a remarkable historical set piece, a product of its time, although even then public opinion was divided between glee and outrage, pro-whaler and pro-whale.

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Biography

Described by the Los Angeles Times Book Review as 'the best nature writer working in Britain today', Jim Crumley was born and grew up in Dundee where the skeleton of the Tay Whale hung from the ceiling of the city museum and haunted his childhood dreams. He has written 23 books to date and has made numerous documentaries for BBC Radio 4, Radio Scotland and Wildlife on One.

Out of Print
By: Jim Crumley(Author)
219 pages, 8 plates with b/w photos and b/w illustrations
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