Weddell Settlement | |
|---|---|
Settlement | |
  Weddell Settlement | |
| Coordinates:51°53′37″S60°54′35″W / 51.89361°S 60.90972°W /-51.89361; -60.90972 | |
| Country/Territory | Falkland Islands |
| Island | Weddell Island |
| Bay | Gull Harbour (formerly Great Harbour) |
| Website | Weddell Island Official Website |
Weddell Settlement is the only settlement onWeddell Island in theFalkland Islands, situated on the east coast of the island at the head of the shelteredGull Harbour (formerlyGreat Harbour.[1][2]), part ofQueen Charlotte Bay.[3] It is located 12.15 kilometres (7.55 mi) northeast ofRace Point, 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) south by west ofSwan Point, 212 kilometres (132 mi) west-southwest ofStanley and 56.6 kilometres (35.2 mi) west ofFox Bay onWest Falkland.
The settlement provides the logistic base for Weddell Island’ssheep farming andtourist industries. Sea transportation is serviced by a 50-meter pier. The island’s airfield is situated 2.7 kilometres (1.7 mi) north of Weddell Settlement, and has two intersecting unpaved runways (470 metres (1,540 ft) and 400 metres (1,300 ft) long respectively) used by theFalkland Islands Government Air Service (FIGAS)Islander aircraft operating out ofStanley Airport. There are two unpavedearth roads on the island, both leaving Weddell Settlement. One of them, 13 km (8.1 mi) long, runs towards the airfield and further north to Loop Head Shanty and the headland ending up in Loop Head andSwan Point. The other one leads 15 km (9.3 mi) in westerly direction, skirting the head of Chatham Harbour and turning north at Kelp Creek House to reach Chatham House at the southwest corner of the bay.
The tourist and farming infrastructure at Weddell Settlement is currently being renovated; in particular, the Weddell Lodge is being extended to provide additional tourist and workers accommodation during the summer period.[4]
