The White Wife has found a new home
102 years since she came ashore in Yell, the White Wife has been restored and installed at the Old Haa Museum in Burravoe.
Above: Louis Johnson (left) and Gordon Johnson with the newly restored White Wife at the Old Haa Museum
102 years since she came ashore in Yell, the White Wife has been restored and installed at the Old Haa Museum in Burravoe. The SV Bohus, a German training ship, sailed from Gothenberg on route to Chile when she wrecked at Queyon on 26 April, 1924. She had 38 crew, mostly cadets, and one stowaway. Four crew members were killed in the disaster and are buried in Mid Yell kirkyard. Later in September, the White Wife figurehead became detached from the broken ship and came ashore.
Above: The original wooden figurehead of the White Wife in situ, Otterswick, Yell SL04165
She was erected at Queyon as a memorial, and stood there for 97 years. Over the years the figurehead was repaired and painted by local folk, but by 2021 her wooden interior had badly deteriorated and a fibreglass replica was put in her place.
In 2024, Will Murray of the Scottish Conservation Studio in Edinburgh was contracted to assess her and she was sent south in July 2025 to begin professional treatment. She is now the showcase for a permanent display about the story of the SV Bohus at the Old Haa Museum, which opens Sunday, 5 April for the summer season.
Carol Christiansen, Curator of Collections at Shetland Museum and Archives said, “We are very pleased that this 1892 figurehead, who survived many years at sea, a shipwreck, and a century of standing in Shetland’s weather, has come back to Yell, fully stabilised and conserved. We are grateful to Yell folk for their initiative in this project, to Will Murray for his expertise and craftmanship, and to the Trustees of the Old Haa for offering her a safe home for the future.”
Image below: The White Wife during restoration
