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O~~ICIAL GUIDf.. ~******•**************************** * * ·:l:: THE LEADING ESTABLISHMENT ! :l:: IN CROMARTY :l:: ** * * MORNING ROLLS * *** CONFECTIONERY * ! FROZEN FOODS :l:: :l:: VEGETABLES :l:: * * * ~ * ~ ~ : ~ "~~~([; ~~ ! : \.i ~~ ~'e'>~~<\. :l:: : \~~ c~~- c<.O'e'>.~ tr. : ~~~ 0~0 ~~~ ~~ : # ~~ ~\.Y~ c.,\.0~ -\)\.'\.~~ :l:: : ~~ o~"' <'\ ~~ tr. * ~~ 'e'>\.~~y *-)(- * * * * :* *t * VISITORS SPECIALLY * * CATERED FOR * * REGULAR VAN D ELIVERIES * * IN TOWN AND COUNTRY * * * *# BANK STREET, CROMARTY :l::* * Telephone 209 * * . : :l:: . * ~**********************************~ *~**********************************~ * * * ~ R. M. CHAPMAN ~ * * * * ~ Church 8t . Cromarty ~ * * *:l:: NEWSAGENT AND :l::* * STATIONER * * * * * * * * * Local Views and Devon Pottery * * * * * :l:: f***************************** :l:: * * :l::* D. J. MACKENZIE :l::* * * * - Ironmonger - * !* Phone: Cromarty 263 :l::* :l::* HARDWARE ffiONMONGERY :l::* * * * LocaL Souvenirs and Fancy Goods. Fishing * :l:: TackLe. China, G ~ass and aH HousehoLd :l:: :l:: Equipment. Modern Furniture, Bedding, :l:: * Rugs, LinoLeum, etc * :l::* T e"Levision and ELectricaL AppLiances :l::* :l::* Agent for " CaLor Gas " and FueL OiL :l::* * * t**********************************~~ !* When visiting the . !* ! stay at t * * * THE ROYAL HOTEL * * * !* CRO·MARTY * * * * * * over looking the Cromarty * !* . and enjoy every comfort . . . !* * good food, good service, good * * accommodation . . . moderate charges * * * !* Telephone : Cromarty 217 !* * * * * t**********************************: CROMARTY

T.he Official Guide

Published by CROMARTY TOWN COUNCIL

Printed in Scotland by HIGHLAND PRINTERS LTD., Cromarty from the West CR.OMARTY "Meane weH, speak weit and doe wei!"

IF YOU LOOK at •a map of the north of Scotland you will observe that the town of Croma.rty is perched at the end ·Of a peninsula jutting into the , one side of it washed by the Cromarty Firth and the other side by the Inverness Firth. The town itself is situated near the mouth of the Cromarty Firth under the shelter of the South Sutor, one of the massive headlands which guard the entrance to the magnificent Land-locked harbour known to the ancient map-makers as Portus Salutis. By virtue of its geographical situation, its extremely low rainfall, and its modern water and drtainage systems, Cromarty is one ·of the most br•acing ·and health-giving holiday resorts in Scotland, an ideal spot set amid unrivalled scenery. Cromarty, which at the 1951 census had 726 inhabitants in the burgh,, has had quite a romantic history. To the antiquary the Grey Cairn at Glen Urquhart ·and the w skirt­ ing the Gaelic churchyard known as " The P ave," down the Big Vennel to the beach, thence across the Ferry. In March, 1497, he stayed overnight with the priest at Crom arty, and it is on record that the three boats required for himself and his party cost His Majesty half a guinea. On 13th November, 1501, h e aga.in crossed the Ferry when 'he paid the ferryman eight shillings, returning from Tain by the same route. In 1592, the Earl of 'Bothwell ·also crossed the F erry on his fli ght to the ;far north. Later in February, 1746, Lord Loudon' s for·ce crossed the ferry on their way io Sutherland, chased by Prince Charlie's Jacobites. In May, 1957, Her !Majesty Q ueen Elizabeth II and the Duke of 'Edinburgh, reviewed the Home Fleet ~n Cromarty Firth, 'arriving on the Royal Y·acht, Britannia, ·and remaining for three days. The existing town of Cromarty is really the third of that name. The site of the fi rst is now covered by the sea, .a nd the " Kirk-stanes " below the Fishertown m ark the spot where .a chur·ch and churchyard once stood. The site of the second is a lso p 1rtly covere:l by the sea, but a part remains at " T he Causeway,'' where the Town Cross (now in front of the Town Hall) used to stand, a nd which is the road to St. Regulus' Churchyard and the Hill. The •present town is divided into two parts, one of them is the Fisher­ town which, like the rest of the town, is industrially only a shadow of its former self. Durin g the nine­ teenth century a nd until compan tively r e c€ nt years a flourishing fishing industry wa s •carried on, but t he .change from sailing-'boats to steam-tboats and motor bo·ats, the flight of the herring, the destruction of the inshore fishing by the depredations of trawlers, and other su.bsidhry causes have reduced the in:iustry almost to vanishing point a nd with it the number of intrepid fishermen. Tempera muta,ntur, nos et mutaanur in illis. On the land the m ain industry is farming on a l arge scale. Other industries include forestry, fruit growing a nd salmon fi shing. In the burgh itself on the west, the derelict 'hemp factory is now utilized as stores, etc., and there is also the old brewery on the €ast. G How can the tourist get to this old-world burgh which is such a stronge mixture of the old with the new? There is no :railway line. The visitor from the south can reach it from Invergordon by a ·comfort­ able motor-boat, and the half-hour sail across the Firth is an enj·oyable experience; or he can cross Kessock Ferry (half-hourly service, cars transported) at Inverness and be conveyed by motor-bus, if on foot, to his des t in:~tion. There is a good bus service .. also from Din~wall which runs along the other side o1' the peninsula. The m otorist can choose his own route, and the roads are excellent.

Hugh MilLer's birthplace LOO·KING AROUND Notable p eople and buildings THE VISITOR HAS plenty of opportunities to occupy his leisure time. One with a knowledge of geology will find much to interest him in a bears the figure of a daymore •a nd the date 1600. The visitor to this churchyard should not fail to see the flat grave­ stone situated just outside the high railing. It marks the grave of one Sandy Wood, who died in 1690. Sandy had had a quarrel with a neighbour En:i on his deathbed had -asked to be buried outside the churchyard wall, so that on the Day of Judgment he would be able to put his case to the Alm:ghty before his opponent! It was the existing belief that in the Sheriffdom, Judgment Day would be held at Navity. Visitors may also "inspect" the LIGHTHOUSE, on the eminence immediately atbove the pier and adja·cent to the co:J.stguards' station. It was here that witches were burnt, and, when the foundations for the lighthouse were being dug, a quant'ty of skeletal remains were found. ACCOMMODATION: There is an excellent hotel, The Royal, and apartments are also available. Prospective visitors desiring further particulars should apply to the Town Clerk, Cromarty, CARAVAN SITE : A sheltered site, close to the sea, is approved and has become increasingly popular with caravanners .and camoers. The amenitiEs and ser­ vices are excel:ent, especially the elect ~i cally-lit hut which is available on the site, with rest and re-ading room, games room and washing and drying facil:ties. The charges are reasonable and bookings should be made in advance t hrough the Town Clerk, Cromarty, in order to avoid disappointment. 9

FOR THE SPORTS LOVER Players, Spectators and Children FOR THE YOUNG and energetic there is abundant scope for recreation. Boating a nd fishing m ay be indulged in and angling from the pier-head for " cuddies " may be varied with trolling for mackerel. Anyone desirous of fishing for cod and other deep-sea fish may have his wish grat ified. The inside of the harbour affords a natural pond, excellent for swimming in safety. There are also stretches of sand for the children east and west of the pier. The annual Regatt,a with Srwimming Gala, held in July, is a highly popular event. The blaise tennis courts and the bowling green are at the east end of the burgh and visitors are made welcome. Tournaments and matches continue throughout the summer. Football is played on the Recreation P ark beside the Victoria Hall where playground facilities are available for the children. Across the Firth lies Nigg, reached in five minutes by a motor-ferry. It is a sheltered spot among the dunes and its glorious sands provide adults and children alike with endless enjoyment. For golfers there is a very good 18-hole course at Rosemarkie which can be reached by car in 15 minutes. Bird watchers are reminded that almost the whole of the Black Isle is a veritable ornithologist's paradise, land, sea, lake and mud fiats all contributing. nlernorable VValks WALKS TO THE top Of THE SUTOR, to the Site Of the Gallows, a relic of feudal times, to THE LOOKOUT, and to MCFARQUHAR's BED will be found memorable. The roads and paths are excellent and the panorama ot sea and land, on the magnificent scale. At McFar­ quhar's Bed-a favourite picnicking spot-is a sal­ mon fishing station. The MARCUS CAVE is close by and easily accessible. Rock-climbing is dangerous and should on no account be indulged in. About .two miles from the town is EATHIE BURN, a picturesque gorge with three waterfalls. Hugh Miller relates that he talked with an old woman who, when a little girl, had seen myriads of fairies dancing on the edge of the burn. The story of " The Passing of the Fairies " is charmingly told by Miller in ·his Old Red

Part of Old Cromarty looking towards Nigg The Pier, Cromarty that the main street was cobbled. Towards the top of the road we come to the old burying ground of St. Regulus (see page 9). The spot is a very pretty one and is known to have inspired some of Hugh Miller's finest writing. " One night," says he, " towards the close of last autumn, I visited the old chapel of St. Regulus. The moon, nearly at full, was riding high overhead in a troubled sky, pouring its light by fits and starts as the clouds passed, on the grey ruins, and the mossy tilt-like hillocks, which had been raised ages before over the beds of the sleepers. The deep, dark shadows of the tombs seemed stamped upon the sward, forming, as one might imagine. a kind of ):feneral epitaph on the dead, but inscribed like the ha nd-writing on t.he wall. in the characters nf a strange tongue. A low breeze was creeping through the long withered grass at my feet; a shower of yellow leaves came rustling, from time to time, from an old gnarled elm that shot out its branches over the burying ground, and after twinkling for a few seconds in their descent, silently took up their places among the rest of the departed; the rush of the stream sounded hoarse and mournful from the bottom of the ravine, like a voice from the depths 13 of the sepulchre; there was a low monotonous mur­ mur, the mingled utterances of a thousand sounds of earth, air and water, each one inaudible in itself; and at intervals the deep hollow roar of waves came echoing from the caves of the distant promontory. The dead of a thousands years are sleeping at our feet; the poor. peasant serf of ten centuries ago, whom the neighbouring baron could have hung up at his cottage door, with the intelligent mechanic of yesterday, who took so deep an interest in the eman­ cipation of the negroes. What strange stories of the past, what striking illustrations of the destiny and nature of man, how important a chroni·cle of the progress of society, would this solitary spot pre­ sent us with, were it not that like the mysterious volume in the Apocalypse, no man can open the book." Close to the chur.chyard gate, on the outswe, may be seen the grave of Sandy Wood (see page 9). On the left a path will be found entering the wood. This leads to different parts of the Hill, and must be followed to the end of the wood, where the visitor can take his choice of three roads. The lower of the three, leads to Charlie's Seat; the middle one to the Lookout, and the highest to the top of the Hill. From The Lookout one of the m ost extensive and picturesque views in Scotland may be had. If the weather be fine no fewer than seven counties can be seen, viz., Caithness, Sutherland, Ross. Inverness, Nairn, Banff and Moray as well as the Beauly, Moray, Cromarty, and Dornoch . The walk may be continued round the Hill, till the road leading back to the Mains Farm is reached; this can be followed back to the town. Another pleasant walk in this direction leaves the town by the same route, p assing the Mains F arm directly acr oss until the shore is reached on the Moray Firth side. When the highest point of the road-a short distance above the farm steading-is reached, the view is very fine. Underneath on one hand we have the winding Cromarty Firth; on the other the Inverness Firth ; and northward i.n the distance the Dornoch Firth. The hill on the left bears the name of t he GALLOW HILL. The site of the gallows can still be traced. Following the road, and passing through the splendid avenue of beech trees, we then 14 descend the cliff by the footpath, a nd reach the salmon fi shers' hut. The large detached rock on the beach is known as McFarquh>r's Bed from the fact that a notorious smuggler of that n ~ me USE d to make it his watch-tower. Readers of My S{lhools and School­ masters will be familiar with the ooocor c .~VES, but these are accessible only by boat. None of these rambles on the Hill will extend to m ore than two or three miles. To Wick

Dornoch

To Ullapool and

To Perth

To Fort William EATHIE BURN will be found well worth visiting,

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