| Weddell Settlement | |
| Settlement Type: | Settlement |
| Pushpin Map: | Falkland Islands |
| Pushpin Label Position: | right |
| Coordinates: | -51.8936°N -60.9097°W |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Name: | Falkland Islands |
| Subdivision Type1: | Island |
| Subdivision Name1: | Weddell Island |
| Subdivision Type2: | Bay |
| Subdivision Name2: | Gull Harbour (formerly Great Harbour) |
| Subdivision Type3: | Demonym |
| Website: | Weddell Island Official Website |
Weddell Settlement is the only settlement on Weddell Island in the Falkland Islands, situated on the east coast of the island at the head of the sheltered Gull Harbour (formerly Great Harbour.[1] [2]), part of Queen Charlotte Bay.[3] It is located 12.15km (07.55miles) northeast of Race Point, 15km (09miles) south by west of Swan Point, 212km (132miles) west-southwest of Stanley and 56.6km (35.2miles) west of Fox Bay on West Falkland.
The settlement provides the logistic base for Weddell Island’s sheep farming and tourist industries. Sea transportation is serviced by a 50-meter pier. The island’s airfield is situated 2.7km (01.7miles) north of Weddell Settlement, and has two intersecting unpaved runways (470m (1,540feet) and 400m (1,300feet) long respectively) used by the Falkland Islands Government Air Service (FIGAS) Islander aircraft operating out of Stanley Airport. There are two unpaved earth roads on the island, both leaving Weddell Settlement. One of them, 13km (08miles) long, runs towards the airfield and further north to Loop Head Shanty and the headland ending up in Loop Head and Swan Point. The other one leads 15km (09miles) 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]
