Taste of Ness

May 2, 2012, Jade Smith, Leave a comment

Guga tasting offered at Scotland’s Festival of Museums

Have you ever wondered what gannet tastes like? Look no further than the Festival of Museums this month, which will be offering samples of this delicacy at one of its events, Sùlaisgeir – A Living Tradition.

Gannet in flight

Guga, as it is known locally, is the meat of young gannets. The hardy men of Ness on Lewis have been hunting guga since, well no one really knows when, the origins of the hunt has been lost in the mists of time – but the birds are harvested every year on Sula Sgeir, a wind and wave battered lump of rock 40 miles north of Ness.

Although the hunting of sea birds has been outlawed the folk of Ness have exemption under UK and EU law.

So, adventurous foodies, what are you waiting for? Get yourself over to Lewis for a rare chance to taste seabird!

Plan your trip to the Outer Hebrides.