Herring have played a part in shaping the communities and culture around the Minch, nourishing people and the sea with their fatty richness in a history that goes back to Viking times and beyond. Yet, as is the case for wild fish species in oceans and seas around the world, the contemporary story of herring is one of decline; in the Minch, a fish that was once abundant disappeared altogether in the 1970s, with the finger pointing firmly to overfishing. Now, two generations later, there are signs that herring may be returning to the Minch. 

Herring Stories of the Minch is a film co-created with coastal communities to tell the stories of herring: of the cultures that evolved around fishing and eating herring and of the generosity of a fish that has fed many generations of people and marine animals. Poignantly, the film asks what was lost when herring disappeared from the Minch and what the potential return of herring might mean for local culture, human livelihoods, marine wildlife and biodiversity. To book please either contact the Museum or book via Ticket Source.