Cromarty Beach

While the Cromarty seashore today provides a place to birdwatch, stroll or even make sandcastles, in the past it played an important role in the agricultural year.

At the beginning of April the whole community would turn out to gather seaweed (or seaware) to spread as manure on the vegetable fields. This day was known as 'ware day'. Each person was meant to confine him or herself to the area of rocks outside his or her own house. It was frowned upon if you stole seaweed from somebody else's patch!

In the first half of the 18^th century, a wealthy local merchant by the name of William Forsyth recognised the commercial potential of Cromarty and its sheltered harbour. One of his many projects was the establishment of a successful local kelp trade. The seaweed was gathered, cut and burnt. This produced a kind of salt or potash which was exported by sea from Cromarty to the south, where it was used in various industries such as soap and glass manufacturing.