Please check out the Merch page to see this latest but brief initiative.  Stocks are now very limited so please do not delay.

This feed was drawn from the Cromarty Harbour website

Thank you to all that made Monday's event such a memorable affair.  A good time seems to have been had by all.  Special thanks to our Atlantic Rowers for opening the East Pier following its rennovation, to Duncan Chisholm for playing up at The Bullnose - good version on Facebook for those that couldn't hear - to Craig MacRitchie of GlenWyvis for playing the bagpipes on the walk to The Bullnose.  Also to the RNLI boats, The Dalmore and Balblair from the Port of Cromarty Firth, EcoVentures for the birls and finally to our legion of helpers who made the event the success that it seems to have been.  If we have missed you out, sorry and thank you again.

This feed was drawn from the Cromarty Harbour website

To celebrate the completion of the East Mole restoration Cromarty Harbour Working Group invites you to the 'Harbour Hoolie'.

On Monday bank holiday, the 4th of May, we will kick off with tea, coffee and cakes served by RNLI ladies in the Old Buoy Store.

Photographs and videos of the harbour in the past and present will be displayed there, with a suggestions board to collect your hopes and ideas for the future.

The East Mole will be officially opened around lunch time with a ceremonial dram and a special guest appearance and tune from Duncan Chisholm.

The rest of the event will involve hot food, music and maybe a wee street strip the willow. Jenny will open the Royal for the day.

There will be face painting and fun kids activities. Brave folk can swim and sauna. Visits from the coastguard, and the RNLI lifeboats, along with short Ecoventure and sailing boat rides too.

We would like to provide a number of spaces for small businesses to set up stalls of their wares. Contact us via the Facebook messenger or our website if you would like one.

Come and join in the fun. We hope to see you there!

This feed was drawn from the Cromarty Harbour website

Following completion of the East Pier renovation, the volunteer team has put together a proposal to renew the decking on the main pontoon.  This is subject to securing the necessary funding and listed building approvals.  The consultation for listed building approval has commenced and a notice is displayed on the harbour noticeboard.  You can view the proposal on The Highland Council's planning portal under reference 25/04435/LBC.  This is all part of improving our harbour and to ensure that users get a good experience.  The revenue from being able to berth vessels on the pontoon provides our core revenue, without it, we would be unable to maintain the harbour as we current try to do.

This feed was drawn from the Cromarty Harbour website

Having completed a most satisfactiory East Pier renovation, we now feel that we need to tighten vehicle access to The Mole.  Despite work three years ago, the surface is not holding up as we would have liked.  We therefore need to remind users that there is NO PARKING on the Outer Pier.  Tenants/berthholder using the Outer Pier for business will continue to have access but only when necessary and that they stay nearby their vehicles.  As most will know the harbour is not manned 24/7, so mitigation is the only lever we have in our control; we will continue to monitor vehicle movements in an effort to preserve the surface from further deterioration and therefore cost.

This feed was drawn from the Cromarty Harbour website

Storm Amy expected to arrive later today which will continue into most of Saturday when it will be at its strongest.  A 4m high tide is due around 11.30am, there could be some disruption and potential for damage at the harbour including the possibility that the West Pier gate may be temporarily closed.  With winds expected to be in excess on 50mph, we need to be mindful of safety considerations.  Please take care.

This feed was drawn from the Cromarty Harbour website

As summer turns to autumn the works on the harbour’s East Mole will continue until late October.  West Coast Stonemasons are gradually working their way back to exit the pier having repaired the surface.  We are pleased to report that the quality of the work, overseen by Historic Environment Scotland, is proving very high, and it ensures longevity for our harbour.  

As the season closes our thoughts turn to other areas we must address. Looming large is the need to do a dredge within the next two to three years to ensure that the basin remains navigable and therefore sustainable.  It’s not straightforward. Planning starts now, with significant sums of funding needing to be raised, and regulatory hoops to be jumped through before we identify and then commit to hiring a contractor.

Over 2 years ago we installed a gate at the entrance to the Bailey Bridge. As has been reported in the local press, this became the subject of a retrospective application for listed building consent which was subsequently refused by The Highland Council. The Trust appealed this decision on the grounds that the gate, whilst industrial in nature, was not materially different to the industrial hardware elsewhere in the harbour. The appeal was successful.  The full appeal process and the reasoned conclusions can be found here: 

www.dpea.scotland.gov.uk/CaseDetails.aspx?id=126698. 

During the retrospective consultation, we understand that many concerns focussed on access being restricted without cause.  We would like to assure stakeholders it is our intention, and remains so, that the gate will be used strictly for health and safety reasons, for which the harbour trust and its harbour master and officers are legally responsible. In the last 2 years, the gate has only been closed on one occasion, that being Storm Floris last month (which was notified on our website). We hope this demonstrates our good intentions, specifically to safeguard the harbour and harbour users. 

See our website and Facebook page for regular updates on all harbour happenings. 

www.cromartyharbour.org

https://www.facebook.com/share/17LyU8fLyF/?mibextid=wwXIfr

This feed was drawn from the Cromarty Harbour website

Regular maintenance is always ongoing to keep the harbour working. Here’s a wee taster of the volunteers’ work today. Click or paste the link below. 

https://youtu.be/E4wK6mBc6yU?si=MfVffSbd24cG6Bob

This feed was drawn from the Cromarty Harbour website

With the storm passing, the gate is now fully open again. Thank you for your understanding. We are also pleased to say that the neither the harbour nor any berthing vessel sustained any damage. Great effort by our volunteers.

This feed was drawn from the Cromarty Harbour website

For safety reasons the West Pier gate has been closed for today.

This feed was drawn from the Cromarty Harbour website