Cromarty

Cromarty Scots Gaelic: Cromba
Watterfront hooses in Cromarty
Cromarty Location within the Hieland cooncil aurie
Population	672 (2022)
OS grid reference	NH785675
Cooncil area	Hieland
Lieutenancy area	Ross an Cromarty
Kintra	Scotland
Sovereign state	Unitit Kinrick
Post toun	CROMARTY
Postcode destrict	IV11
Diallin code	01381
Police	Scots
Fire	Scots
Ambulance	Scots
EU Pairlament	Scotland
UK Pairlament	Caithness, Sutherland an Easter Ross
Scots Pairlament	Skye, Lochaber an Badenoch

Cromarty (Scots Gaelic: Cromba, IPA: [ˈkʰɾɔumpə]) is a toun, ceevil pairish an umwhile ryal burgh in Ross an Cromarty, in the Hieland aurie o Scotland. Situaitit at the tip o the Black Isle oan the southern shore o the mou o Cromarty Firth, it is 5 miles (8km) seward o Innergordon oan the opposite coast. In the 2022 census, it haed a population o 672 fowk.

Etymology

The nem Cromarty variously derives frae the Gaelic Crom (Crukit), an frae bati (bay) or frae àrd (height), meaning ether the "crukit bay" or "the bend atween the heights" (Referring tae the high stanes, or Sutors, which guard the mou o the firth), and geid the title tae the Earldom o Cromartie. In 1264, its nem wis Crumbathyn.

Historie

Cromarty is a sea port, an it's economy wis closely linked tae the sea fae maist o its Historie. Fishing wis the major industry, wi salmon stations aroond the surrounding coasts, an boats gang oot tae catch herring. Ither trade wis brocht bi boat: Cromarty's connections tae surrounding touns wer maistly bi ferry, while Cromarty boats exported local hemp fibre, an brocht good suich as coal. The Cromarty Firth is an ootstanding natural herbour, an wis an important naval base in the First Warld War an the Second Warld War. HMS Natal blew up close tae Cromarty oan 30 December 1915 wi a substantial loss o life. Oan 26 January 1940, HMS Durham Castle, whilst being towed tae Scapae, hit a mine laid bi U-Boat U-57 11 nautical miles tae the east o the toun. Cromarty gies its name tae ane o the sea auries o the British Shipping Forecast.

"Cromarty"; Scotia Depicta; 1804

Cromarty Castle wis the seat o the Urquharts, wha wer the heriditary sheriffs o Cromarty. The toun wis a ryal burgh, an the ferry tae Nigg wis oan the Ryal Pilgrimage route north tae Tain. In 1513 James IV o Scotland went oan a pilgrimage tae the toun an stayed ane nicht in Cromarty Castle. Afore 1890, Cromarty served as the county toun o Cromartyshire.

The site o the toun's mediaeval burgh, dating tae at least the 12th century wis identified bi local archaeologists efter winter storms in 2012 eroded sections o the shoreline. A commontie archaeology project that luiked at the roads an biggins oan the eastern edge of the toun, began in 2013.

Cromarty wis the birthplace o Sir Thomas Urquhart, the royalist sudger in the War O the Three Kinricks maist famous fae his wirk oan the first translation o Rabelais intae Inglis.

In the nineteenth century, Cromarty wis the birthplace an hame o Hugh Miller, a geologist, writer, journalist an key figure in the Disruption o 1843, which formed the Free Church o Scotland.

Geography

Cromarty is kent as a base fae viewing local affshore sea life. These include ane o the maist northerly groups o Bottlenose Dowphins. Cromarty, as weil as Chanonry Point juist roond the coast, is ane o the best places in Europe tae luik at the dowphins up close.

The main local stane is Auld Reid Sandstane, aboot which Hugh Miller writ. Mony fossils can alsae be found in the stane alang the coast.

Governance

UK Constituency

Cromarty is in the UK Pairlamentary constituency o Caithness, representit syne 2024 bi Jamie Stone.

Efter the 1707 Act o Union, the pairlamentary constituency o Cromartyshire wis creatit, replacing the auld Scots Pairlament constituency o the same nem. Cromartyshire wis paired as an alternating constituency wi nereby Nairnshire, the freeholders o Cromartyshiren wid elect ane member o pairlament tae ane pairlament, wi Nairnshire's freeholders electing ane tae the next. In 1832, Cromarty wis removit frae the county an became a pairlamentary burgh, combined wi Dingwall, Dornach, Kirkwaa, Tain an Weik in the Northern Burghs constituency o the Hoose O Commons. Alsae kent as the Weik Burghs, the constituency wis a district o Burghs an elected ane MP. In 1918, The Northern Burghs constituency wis abolished an the Cromarty pairt wis merged intae the county constituency o Ross an Cromarty. In 1983, there wis anither boundary change an Cromarty became pairt o Ross, Cromarty an Skye (1983-1997) afore becoming pairt o Ross, Skye an Innerness Wast (1997-2005) an efter that Ross Skye an Lochaber. Charles Kennedy representit Cromarty frae 1983 tae 2015, when he wis unseatit bi Ian Blackford. In 2024, Cromarty became pairt o Caithness, Sutherland an Easter Ross.

The Coat O Erms o Cromarty Commonitie Cooncil.

Scots Pairlament Constituency

In the Scots Pairlament, Cromarty has been representit syne 2016 bi Kate Forbes, an SNP politeecian an formar Cabinet Secratary fae Finance in the Scots Government, as pairt o the Skye, Locahber an Badenoch constituency. Prior tae 2011, it wis pairt o the Ross, Skye an Innerness Wast constituency. As weil as the constituency MSP, Cromarty is representit bi seven additional-member MSP's, elected across the Hielands an Islands Region. Syne the 2024 Unitit Kinrick Election (When Douglas Ross returnit tae the Scots Pairlament), these hae been Anna Burgess (Green),Emma Roddick (SNP), Rhoda Grant (Labour), Jamie Halcro Johnston, Edward Mountain, Tim Eagle an Douglas Ross (Conservative).

Local Authority

Cromarty is in the Hieland Cooncil aurie, the sucessor tae the Hieland region which takked the place o Ross an Cromarty in 1975. Syne the local elections in 2022, it's cooncillors fae the Black Isle ward hae been Lyndsey Johnston (SNP), Morven-May MacCallum (Liberal Democrats) an Sarah Atkin (Highland Independent).

Commonitie Cooncil

The Cromarty and District Commonitie Cooncil consists o seven members, elected fae fower-year terms, three o these are elected annually tae the positions o Chairman, Secratary an Treasurer, as weil as twa Youth members aged atween 16-18, a minute secretary an mony Associate Members. The cooncil wis grantit a coat o erms in 1988. It is based oan the erms o Clan Urquhart.

Architecture an Landmarks

The Courthoose in Cromarty

Cromarty is architecturally important fae it's Georgian merchand hooses, suich as Forsyth Hoose, built bi William Forsyth, that staund within a tounscape o Georgian an Victorian fisherman's cottages in the local vernacular style. It is sometimes described as " the jewel in the croon o Scots Vernacular architecture." Hugh Miller's cottage, wi crow-stepped gables found oan Church Street, is noo the anely thatched biggin in Cromarty, wi maist hooses haein switched tae slate roofs.

Tae the east o the toun there is Cromarty Hoose, built bi George Ross in 1772 oan the site o the formar Cromarty Castle. Ross alsae built mony ither weil kent biggins in Cromarty: a seven-bay brewery, aince the largest in the Hielands, o which twa bays remain (which are noo used as an arts centre); Cromarty Courthoose, noo a museum; a hemp factory, convertit intae hoosing in the 1970's; the herbour, designed bi John Smeaton; an a new chapel juist ootside the toun tae hauld services fae the Gaelic spekin wirkers wha moved tae Cromarty at that time. It wis later used by Polish sudgers in the Second Warld War.

While the Gaelic Chapel is noo ruined, it is still used as the touns graveyerd, an the touns war memorial an a monument tae Hugh Miller are situatit next tae it. Ither biggins o note are the Stevenson lichthoose, built in 1846, an the East Kirk, an important example o a mediaeval kirk. It wis restored in the 2000's bi the Scots Redundant Kirks Trust.

Transport

Historically, maist travel tae Cromart wid hae been bi ship; ferries connected the toun wi Innergordon, an Cromarty's post arrived iy boat aw the wey intae the 20th century. The historic ferry atween Cromarty an Nigg wis used bi James IV o Scotland oan his regular pilgrimages tae the shrine of St Duthuc in Tain. This ryal connection is why it wis aften cried "The Kings Ferry". The route wis served bi Breetain's weeest vehicle ferry, the Cromarty Rose. The Cromarty Rose wis sold in 2009 an replaced fae the 2011 season bi a new fower-car ferry cried The Cromarty Queen, which continuit the service frae 2011 tae 2014. Efter a year wi no ferry in 2015, new operators, Hieland Ferries, wer awarded the contract an services commenced that year using the boat the Renfrew Rose. The Cromarty Ferry is the ainly vehicle ferry oan the east coast o Scotland.

Education

Cromarty has a sma primary scule cried Cromarty Primary Scule wi aroond 50 students. The University o Aberdeen Department o Zoology Lichthoose Field Station is locatit in Cromarty.

Commonitie an Culture

The samll commonitie is alsae kent fae bein a hub o creative activity, wi several arts venues, local artists an a sma cinema. The Cromarty Arts Trust, which restorit several biggins in the toun, including the brewery an the stables, organises a programme o art an music events, including concerts an gigs, an annual Crime an Thrillers weekend, a harp weekend an a stone letter carving an Silver Wirkin courses, while the Cromarty Group o artists hauld an annual exhibition o their wirk.

Ither commonitie groups include the Cromarty Historie Society, which haulds lectures aften, an the Cromarty an Resolis Fillum Society, which holds regular fillum festivals. The Fillum Society alsae operates a 35-seater cinema in the toun, which is run alang wi Eden Court in Innerness. It opened juist afore the UK Covid-19 Lockdoons. It is ane o the weeest cinemas in the Unitit Kinrick.

In recent years, as in ither places in Scotland, coastal rowing has become a major activity, and there are three skiffs based in the toun, which tak pairt in competitions across Scotland. O these skiffs, twa o them (cried Cromba an Tess) are owned by the Cromarty Commonitie Rowing Club, wi the third being privately owned. The Cromarty Commonitie Rowing Club hosts its ane regatta in Cromarty in the summer.

Traditional Dialeck

Main Article: Cromarty Dialeck

The toun made the news in October 2012 efter Bobby Hogg, the last speaker o the local North Northern Scots dialeck, deid. This wis a dialeck o Scots howiver it wis strangly influenced by the Inglis spakken in the Naval Base at Innergordon. The Hieland Cooncil haed made a booklet o traditional phrases an words frae the dialeck, takken fra Bobby an his brither Gordon afore they deed.

Weil Kent Fowk

• Sir Thomas Urquhart, Sudger an Writer
• Hugh Miller, Writer an Geologist
• Ian Rankin uses a bolt-hole in the toun
• William Forsyth, Merchand
• John Fraser, Sudger an Teacher
• James Ross, Engineer an Businessman
• David MacLean former MP fae Penrith an the Border 1983-2010
• James Thomson, surgeon in the Crimean War