When you arrive at Milnbergan, you are standing on one of the country’s oldest and largest clipfish drying grounds. The warehouse below was built in 1749 by one of the founders of the clipfish industry in Kristiansund and Norway, William Gordon. It later took its name from a subsequent owner, Walter Miln, who purchased the property in 1772.

The site was exceptionally well suited for clipfish production due to the large expanses of smooth coastal rock surrounding the warehouse. The season began in March and lasted throughout the summer. The cod was split, salted and pressed in the holds of the boats. Once the fish arrived in Kristiansund, it was first washed along the shoreline, then salt‑matured and washed again before being laid out on the “bergan” (drying rocks) to dry. The drying process took approximately four to six weeks or longer, depending on the weather.

During the season, up to 150 people could be working here, a large proportion of whom were women and children.