Sula

by John Beatty

This book tells a story in words and photographs of a secret ritual going back six centuries. Once a year, ten chosen men from the Isle of Lewis spend a fortnight on a rock in the Atlantic. They kill 2000 gannets, pluck and salt them, then stack them in "altars" to await the boat back to Lewis. Here they are met by a throng of islanders eager to receive their annual bird. Although the NCC has set the figure of 2000 birds, this is not a cull. John Beatty is one of the first outsiders in living memory to be allowed on to the island.

144 pages, Paperback

First published March 26, 1992

Reviews

[Melchor Moro-Oliveros · Rating 5 out of 5]

Despite this book has been published almost 30 years ago, you find in Goodreads, as of March 2020, only one other rating and mine. So let’s honour the author a full review :-). It is worth writing it.

Around 60 Km north of the Isle of Lewis (Scotland, Outer Hebrides) and about 18 Km to the west of North Rona, emerges a Stack with cliffs over 60m high of name "Sula Sgeir". No people lives there. However, since many many years, as far as back in the 11th century, people from the isle of Lewis go there to hunt gannets (a.k.a gugas). There exits written evidence of this tradition that dates back in 1540. Today the hunting is limited to 2,000 birds. In the past the hunting reached us much as 20,000 pieces caught in 2 weeks. The crew is composed by 10 men who stay on the stack full isolated from the world (except from a radio transciever to contact the Isle of Lewis) during that time.
The guga hunting is today more a tradition to be kept than a need for food or for a commerical purpose. In fact, each bird is paid on the harbour market £10. So 2,000 birds equals $20,000. Divided by 10 men, £2,000 each for 2 weeks of extremely hard work. From that amount you must pay the skypper to bring them to the stack and back, the fuel, and all the equipment and food. There is not that much left after all.

The author accompanied these men back in 1992 and wrote this book. After him even the BBC has been on the stack. You can find the documentary in Youtube. Approx. 80% of the book are pictures. The book tells the story of how those 2 weeks of hunting trascur. The very hard hunting process, the eating on the stack, the feeling of isolation, etc. A very nice read. I loved the descriptions. The only thing that disappointed me has been the pictures: 95% are black and white. It is a pity not to have published them in color. However, thank you for having written this book which honours this tradition. It is admirable what people accomplish yet nowadays.

[Dominic · Rating 5 out of 5]

I knew most of the story well as I know Dods who is one of the most knowledgeable men alive about hunting the guga. He was also the leader of the hunt in 1991 the year Beatty went out to photograph and record this ancient tradition. I must say he did a great job, the photographs really capture the hunt and the men involved, and his descriptions really add his own personality to it.

I will keep my copy of this book as I got Dods himself to sign it! One I'll use when talking to my guests about those men who go out to the rock.