A process for the production of linear C 6 to C 26 fatty alkanol or alkanols comprising: (a) subjecting a linear C 6 to C 26 fatty acid or fatty acid mixture to esterification with a C 1 to C 4 alkanol in an esterification reactor maintained under esterification conditions to form a stream comprising the corresponding C 1 to C 4 alkyl ester or esters; (b) vaporising the stream from step (a); (c) subjecting the vaporised stream of step (b) to hydrogenation in a first hydrogenation zone operated under hydrogenation conditions to form a stream comprising linear C 6 to C 26 fatty alkanol or alkanols and an amount of unconverted C 1 to C 4 alkyl ester or esters; (d) subjecting the stream from step (c) to transesterification in a wax ester reactor maintained under transesterification conditions in the presence of a solid transesterification catalyst thereby to convert at least a portion of the C 1 to C 4 alkyl fatty acid ester by ester interchange with a corresponding amount of linear C 6 to C 26 fatty alkanol or alkanols to C 1 to C 4 alkanol and to a wax ester or esters derived from a linear C 6 to C 26 fatty alkanol and a linear C 6 to C 26 fatty acid; (e) separating linear C 6 to C 26 fatty alkanol or fatty alkanols and wax ester or wax esters of step (d) by distillation to yield a linear C 6 to C 26 fatty alkanol or alkanols product and a stream comprising wax ester or esters; (f) passing said stream comprising wax ester or esters to a second hydrogenation zone operating under conditions to effect hydrogenation in the liquid phase to revert the wax ester or esters to linear C 6 to C 26 fatty alkanol or alkanols; and (g) returning the linear C 6 to C 26 fatty alkanol or alkanols to the separation step (e). (a) subjecting a linear C 6 to C 26 fatty acid or fatty acid mixture to esterification with a C 1 to C 4 alkanol in an esterification reactor maintained under esterification conditions to form a stream comprising the corresponding C 1 to C 4 alkyl ester or esters; (b) vaporising the stream from step (a); (c) subjecting the vaporised stream of step (b) to hydrogenation in a first hydrogenation zone operated under hydrogenation conditions to form a stream comprising linear C 6 to C 26 fatty alkanol or alkanols and an amount of unconverted C 1 to C 4 alkyl ester or esters; (d) subjecting the stream from step (c) to transesterification in a wax ester reactor maintained under transesterification conditions in the presence of a solid transesterification catalyst thereby to convert at least a portion of the C 1 to C 4 alkyl fatty acid ester by ester interchange with a corresponding amount of linear C 6 to C 26 fatty alkanol or alkanols to C 1 to C 4 alkanol and to a wax ester or esters derived from a linear C 6 to C 26 fatty alkanol and a linear C 6 to C 26 fatty acid; (e) separating linear C 6 to C 26 fatty alkanol or fatty alkanols and wax ester or wax esters of step (d) by distillation to yield a linear C 6 to C 26 fatty alkanol or alkanols product and a stream comprising wax ester or esters; (f) passing said stream comprising wax ester or esters to a second hydrogenation zone operating under conditions to effect hydrogenation in the liquid phase to revert the wax ester or esters to linear C 6 to C 26 fatty alkanol or alkanols; and (g) returning the linear C 6 to C 26 fatty alkanol or alkanols to the separation step (e).