Exhibit logistics and installation specialists Constantine Limited and an expert operator from GGR’s Scottish crane hire branch carefully lifted the skull up onto its 4m high stand using a 0.995t capacity UNIC URW-095 mini crane. The spider crane lifted the 4.7m long skull in two parts, first the bottom jaw was fixed into position then the 600kg main skull section was placed on top.
The 600mm wide chassis of the UNIC mini crane meant that it could be easily navigated through doorways, narrow corridors and around corners to reach the Grand Gallery. The museum was a familiar location for GGR’s Scottish team as their mini cranes and vacuum lifters were also used to fit internal glazing as part of its major refurbishment project in 2011.
The skull belonged to a 40ft long sperm whale nicknamed "Moby" who became stranded in the River Forth in 1997 and sadly died despite rescue efforts to push him back out to sea. Now on permanent display in the museum’s Grand Gallery, this remarkable specimen is part of National Museum Scotland’s impressive whale collection, which is one of the largest in the world.
