Cromarty Firth: Landscape and Archaeology
The coastal landscapes of the Cromarty Firth are an important resource, affecting the perception by both resident and visitor of the areas quality and attractiveness and contributing to the overall enjoyment of the area. The richness of the resource arises from a combination of its distinctive natural features and their interaction with human activity and settlement.
The overall character of any particular stretch of the Firth is dominated by its relative openness, the degree to which it is enclosed by surrounding slopes and the views afforded of Ben Wyvis and the mountains to the west. The variety and contrast in the nature and juxtaposition of key features is the basis of the landscape resource of the Firth.
In Nigg Bay, for instance, the scale of the bay, the extent of the mud flats and salt marsh and the flat farmland to the north-east combine to create an experience of great spaciousness, open horizons and dynamism of light which is amplified by the shifting tide and the bird activity for which the bay is so important. Views to Ben Wyvis and the western mountains appear distant. Conversely, in Udale Bay the slopes of the Black Isle, the vertical frontage of Invergordon and the rising land to the north give a sense of relative enclosure and intimacy which is in striking contrast with the dominating presence of Ben Wyvis.
Coastal Archaeology
Historically, and indeed prehistorically, the Cromarty Firth formed part of a vital highway along the coast of Britain and across the North Sea to Europe and Scandinavia. Access to the sea was important not only for peaceful trade but also because this was how unwelcome visitors such as Viking raiders and settlers, for example, could arrive. The Firths sheltered situation and large natural harbour are likely to have been particularly important at all periods and its maritime archaeology is expected to be correspondingly rich and generally relatively well protected from erosion processes (compared for example to many west coast areas where there are strong currents and rocky shores).In addition, the sea provided resources which were important, such as fish and shellfish and other perhaps less obvious things like salt, or seaweed. The development of the fishing industry in the 19th century produced ice-houses, warehouses and smoke-houses and fishertown settlements.
The sediments of the Firth hold not only a record of human artefacts but also a record of past environmental change. Archaeologists are increasingly turning to aquatic sediments to interpret changes in surrounding land use, for example the history of deforestation and agriculture in a catchment area. In this as in many other aspects of its archaeological record, the Cromarty Firth holds exciting potential for research and interpretation.
The information recorded for the intertidal zone or the area below low water in the Cromarty Firth is sparse. Much of it relates to naval vessels and aircraft. However, for the reasons given above the potential of the Firth is high - especially in its more shallow, sheltered areas where natural processes have favoured deposition rather than erosion. Techniques, such as the use of side-scan sonar, could provide much further survey information.
Around the firth itself there are known sites of virtually all periods from Neolithic Henge monuments and cairns to depopulated settlements associated with the Clearances of the 19th century. Particular points of interest in the area include the fact that it is at the centre of a particularly important group of Pictish carved stones including those at Shandwick, Nigg, Dingwall and Rosemarkie, which Ross and Cromarty District Council has promoted through its Pictish Trail. Dingwall was an important Viking centre, although it has been inadequately researched. There are undoubtedly many more sites to be found throughout the Firth and its surrounding area.
Historic Buildings
The shoreline of the firth features a number of maritime or coastal structures of historical and/or architectural importance. These often vividly illustrate the firths long history of use: ranging from medieval ecclesiastical remains to piers and 18th century granaries which were used to store estate "rents" prior to their shipment southwards. The frequency of the latter, of which there are listed examples at Foulis, Alness, Invergordon and Ferryton, is particularly distinctive of the area.
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