St.Kilda

[brucenicol]

St Kilda is a small island of Scotlands west coast. It used to be inhabited. My question is. What bird did the people of St. kilda once eat?

[Birt]

Cormorants?

[Octavius]

Seabirds formed a major part of the St Kildan diet, especially gannets, fulmars and puffins.

At one time it was estimated that each person on St Kilda ate 115 fulmars every year. In 1876 it was said that the islanders took 89,600 puffins for food and feathers

The St Kildans used to eat puffins for a snack � just like a packet of crisps!

[spudqueen]

I once read an excellent book on the history of St Kilda. From what I remember the most important bird on the island to the inhabitants was the fulmar.

[fuggy]

i spent some time on st kilda (herta) puffins would let you pick them up and stroke them. i think it was about 1937 when they were last eaten, when the islanders asked to be taken off.

just one story. a colleage went out in a dory to collect crabs from the pots. on his return , loaded down he said that he was off to cook them. he later returned and asked me for help. when i entered the kitchen there were crabs everywhere. he had only put them in cold water. of course when the water became hot out came the crabs.