There is a lot going on in the harbour just now (June 2025) so one day recently I started to write a note about how we had gotten here for this latest stage. It has literally been five years in the making. Blog 1 is below for your consumption. Should I or anyone else write Blog 2, Blog 1 will be archived below and so on.
Blog 1 - Rebuilding a heritage asset.
The next major phase of work in restoring our harbour has commenced and will last for six months. The work will be centred solely on the East Pier and access will be severely restricted whilst the contractor is onsite. The work will focus on repairing the failing stonework around the quay side and to reinstate sandstone on the surface. It is obvious to all that the wall facing into the harbour needs much attention. Here stonework will be replaced and repointed using stone sourced from a quarry in Darlington which is a near match to what is required. Lime mortar too will be sourced to be in line with Smeaton’s original specification. One big job, or really two, is to replace the concrete and failing steps and these will be reset with new sandstone as per Smeaton in 1784. The steps in particular will be a showpiece and hopefully impress. Other aspects will be addressed such as tar and cement infill on the surface. We are not saying that the clock will be turned back 240 years, but we will have a pier that will be around for generations to come and continue to be enjoyed.
Getting to this point was not easy but over the years we have shown that we can deliver on such projects and this is the last phase of our restoration of the old Smeaton harbour. My first involvement in pitching to grantors for harbour improvements started back in 2016, when we applied and were successful in securing a £100,000+ grant from the Local Action Group. This and subsequent grants brought new sheds – from which the harbour continues to secure a valuable revenue stream today – new lights, CCTV upgraded, five new finger pontoons, stonework repairs and just as importantly, new fenders which can accommodate the ferry and much more.
Having brought improvements, focus was switched to repairs and renovations as we worried about failing stonework, voids withing the bullnoses and the general fabric of the harbour. All the previous improvements would have been short lived had we not additionally focused on ensuring the old original harbour was preserved - the original Smeaton harbour built in 1784. That original stonework has been adapted over the years with additions such as the bridge connecting the West Pier to the Mole and the naval extensions around the Mole, including the pier out to the West side (known as the Outer Admiralty Pier) which in time we will concern ourselves with. In recent years we have therefore repaired the Mole surface and the West pier walls, its surface, although not necessarily back to pristine condition but definitely life extending. We have done what we could with the funds available to us.
Funding is undoubtedly a challenge for the very obvious reason that the harbour does not generate enough income beyond what it needs on a daily basis. Restoration just would not happen without being able to access grant funding and to tap into other fundraising activities. Here we have been especially clever by establishing a charity that can front heritage activity and not to allow any renovation grants to get mixed up in the day-to-day workings of the harbour. This ensures that funds raised via the charity – in this case, Friends of Cromarty Harbour – are only ever used to further its heritage objectives, simply put, to help Cromarty Harbour Trust in their efforts to repair and restore Cromarty Harbour. The existence of the charity and its ability to facilitate matched funding should not be underestimated and is certainly something I would encourage others to think about, although there are compliance requirements to consider.
Over the years we have been successful in building a consortium of funders to support our large scale renovations. Again a tip, funders tend to be most comfortable in the company of other funders, particularly if one has a heritage reputation. In our case that means Historic Environment Scotland (HES), who have been firm supporters but rightly challenging. This will be the third time they have supported an initiative from Cromarty Harbour which speaks volumes about their commitment to helping us restore our heritage harbour. I would add that they have been most tolerant of us being volunteers and not responding to them in quite the desired timescale. We are hugely appreciative of their support.
In the Cromarty Newsletter for May 2025, I announced the commencement of the next part of our restoration – the historically significant and curved east pier of the harbour and disclosed HES’ primary funding role and also that played by other supporters including The Cromarty Trust and Friends of Cromarty Harbour. The former has been a good supporter over the years in all our restoration work and assisted us in securing matched funding on a number of occasions; so much so that I felt that in launching FoCH could do something similar and indeed that has proven to be the case. You may recall jigsaws back in 2020 and 2021, some 400 were sold, and posters, prints and cards have all provided matched funds for the East Pier project.
Since its formation in 2019, FoCH has facilitated some £30,000 of funding; that is a lot of jigsaws! In reality, this year FoCH made a step change in its fundraising by organising the filling of a whisky case with local spirit that will be ready to bottle in 2034 to celebrate the harbour’s 250th anniversary. In all we were looking to secure the advanced sale of 200 ‘angel shares’. At present we at around 110 ‘angel shares’, so there is the capacity to sign up new subscribers or for existing ones to take another share! Further support would always be welcome if you are minded to do so. Why? To deliver the East Pier project, FoCH has effectively depleted their resources to max out the funding position. They will need to rebuild for further projects down the line like the Outer Pier. Please do consider supporting FoCH and their merchandising activities – every penny goes to the heritage project. Note that we have a donation pillar on the entrance to the West Pier; we will also encourage those fishing later in the year to consider donating to the heritage cause. We work using the principle that if you use and enjoy a facility, you should be prepared to support its upkeep, if you are able to do so. We have not been able to tap into footfall previously, let us hope we can.
Returning to the East Pier, please expect some disruption to access and this may extend to the West Pier where our contractors will site themselves close to our electricity supply. Work expected over the next 6 months - repointing, replacement stonework, paving, replacement stairways (x2) and the bullnose. We will do everything we can to limit any restrictions to access or excessive noise but please bear with us.
Lastly, I do want to give thanks to the current consortium of funders who, despite some bumps and the loss of one substantial partner, have stayed the course. It felt dark for a long time during the second half of 2024, but to their credit HES maintained their commitment and delivered the support necessary to allow the project to commence. The hard work continues.
Please consider supporting the activities of FoCH, more information at cromartyharbour.org.
Colin Dickie
26 June 2025
