November, 2025

Beef farming has long been a defining feature of northern Glynoch, and nowhere is this heritage more vividly expressed than in and around the busy market town of Porth Dun

The reclaimed northern plains of Glynoch—flat, wind-brushed expanses stretching between Porthdun and Port Gwyn—are today dominated by vast fields of Esparto grass

Long before the age of refrigeration, islanders developed an industry around the harvesting of ice, cutting and carting great blocks down from the mountains to be shipped across Europe.

Long before coal reached the islands, peat was the essential fuel of rural life.

Slate was first discovered here in the early 18th century, when farmers noticed that the thin, splitting rock made excellent roofing for their cottages.

The western hills of Rathmor hold rich seams of clay, and from this resource grew one of the island’s most distinctive industries: brickmaking.

The south-western tip of Rathmor, with its secluded Falachfaen Peninsula and sparse population, was chosen as the site for a new training ground.

In 1954, as Britain entered the nuclear age, the government sought a remote yet secure site for a new type of power station.

Treacle was an unusual resource found on the islands. The Molasses Mine was established in the mid 19th century after geologists discovered thick seams of molasses shale.

Not an industry as such, but a large employer on the islands is the prison, constructed in 1900

Founded in the 19th century, it began by supplying farmhands and quarrymen with hearty ales. Today its India Pale Ale (IPA) is an award-winning export

Harvested carefully from the tidal flats, oysters have been exported for centuries, once packed in barrels of seawater, now shipped on ice by rail and ferry.