Join WILLIAM THOMSON on his journey each month exploring a Shipping Forecast region
The Cromarty Shipping Forecast region, cradled within the rugged embrace of the Scottish Highlands with Fair Isle to the north and Forth to the south, is steeped in a tapestry of Gaelic lore and maritime history.
The name comes from the town of Cromarty, which derives from the Gaelic ‘crom’ and ‘bàgh’, meaning ‘crooked bay’, which makes sense when you look at a map.
Nestled on the northern tip of Black Isle, a peninsula 25 miles north of Inverness, the town itself is a time capsule of Georgian and Victorian splendour, a testament to its historic prosperity and cultural significance.
The key to this importance is the Cromarty Firth, an arm of the sea that stretches its fingers deep into the Highland landscape to create a naturally sheltered harbour that has cradled vessels from the tempests of the North Sea for centuries. Bordered by a mosaic of wildlife-rich wetlands and the rolling green tapestry of the Highlands, in this serene basin the water whispers tales of ancient mariners and echoes the songs of seabirds, while bottlenose dolphins play in the wake of history that floats upon its surface.
While it is certainly a place of natural beauty, above all Cromarty is practical, a refuge from the ravages of the North Sea. Beyond the sheltering arms of the Firth, the ocean bares its teeth, with strong winds creating formidable waves that are steepened by powerful tides and shifting sandbanks. Interspersed between these perilous hazards are hidden reefs and treacherous cliffs, testing the skills and resolve of those who ply these waters.
The more dangerous the coast, the more valued the harbour becomes, which explains why the whole Shipping Forecast region is named after Cromarty. But perhaps the area’s greatest strength is its ability to adapt to changing times.
During the oil and gas boom, the Firth became a hub for the offshore industry supplying the energy fields in the North Sea. But today, the focus has shifted to renewables and the infrastructure that once served the oil and gas titans of the North Sea is now being reimagined and reforged for the era of green energy. Offshore wind farms, harnessing the relentless power of the very winds that once imperilled sailors, now stand as beacons of a sustainable future.
This transformation is more than a change of industry; it is a renaissance of purpose, melding the region’s historical reverence for the sea’s power with a vision for an environmentally conscious future.
Cromarty has become a crucible for innovation, where the community, rooted in
