Editing Cromarty Firth

{{Short description|Arm of the Moray Firth in Scotland.}}
{{More citations needed|date=November 2023}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2018}}
{{Use British English|date=March 2018}}
{{Infobox body of water
| name = Cromarty Firth
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| pushpin_map_caption = Location in Scotland
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| location = [[Scotland]], [[United Kingdom]]
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| embedded = {{Designation list
| embed = yes
| designation1 = Ramsar
| designation1_date = 22 July 1999
| designation1_number = 1001<ref>{{Cite web|title=Cromarty Firth|website=[[Ramsar Convention|Ramsar]] Sites Information Service|url=https://rsis.ramsar.org/ris/1001|accessdate=25 April 2018}}</ref>}}
}}

The '''Cromarty Firth''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|k|r|ɒ|m|ər|t|i|audio=Cromarty Firth.ogg}}; {{langx|gd|Caolas Chrombaidh}} {{IPA|gd|ˈkʰɯːlˠ̪əs̪ ˈxɾɔumbaj|}}; literally "kyles <nowiki>[</nowiki>[[strait]]s] of [[Cromarty]]") is an arm of the [[Moray Firth]] in [[Scotland]].
{{Stack|[[File:CromartyFirth.jpg|right|thumb|Looking from Invergordon toward [[oil platform|oil drilling rigs]] in the Cromarty Firth.]]}}

==Geography==
[[File:Cromarty Firth entrance.jpg|left|thumb|Entrance to the Cromarty Firth, with oil rigs behind]]
The entrance to the Cromarty Firth is guarded by two precipitous headlands; the one on the north {{Convert|151|m||abbr=}} high and the one on the south {{Convert|141|m||abbr=}} high &mdash; called "[[The Sutors]]" from a fancied resemblance to a couple of [[shoemaking|shoemakers]] (in [[Scots language|Scots]], ''souters'') bent over their [[last]]s. From the Sutors the Firth extends inland in a westerly and then south-westerly direction for a distance of {{Convert|19|mi|km|1}}. Excepting between Nigg Bay and Cromarty Bay where it is about {{Convert|5|mi|km|0}} wide, and Alness Bay where it is {{Convert|2|mi|km}} wide, it has an average width of {{Convert|1|mi|km}}.{{sfn|Chisholm|1911}} The southern shore of the Firth is formed by a peninsula known as the [[Black Isle]]. Good views of the Cromarty Firth are to be had from the Sutors or Cnoc Fyrish.

At its head the Firth receives its principal river, the [[River Conon]], other rivers include the [[Allt Graad]], [[Peffery]], [[River Sgitheach|Sgitheach]], Averon and Balnagown. The [[Dingwall Canal]] remains connected to the Firth, although it is now disused. The principal settlements on its shores are [[Dingwall]] near the head, [[Cromarty]] near the mouth (from which the Firth takes its name), and [[Invergordon]] on the north shore. The villages of [[Evanton]], [[Alness]] and [[Culbokie]] are nearby. There is one [[Cromarty Bridge|bridge]], the [[A9 road (Great Britain)|A9 road]] crossing between [[Ardullie]] and Findon. In the past there were several ferries across the firth (for example at [[Foulis]]) but now there is only one, a [[Cromarty Rose|four-car ferry]] that runs between [[Cromarty]] and [[Nigg, Highland|Nigg]] during the summer.

==Nature==
[[File:Bottlenose dolphin cromarty firth 2006.jpg|thumb|Adult dolphin leaping in the firth]]
[[File:Dolphins in Cromarty Firth (2).JPG|thumb]]
The [[firth]] is designated as a [[Special Protection Area]] for wildlife conservation purposes. Many [[bottlenose dolphin]]s, [[harbour porpoise]]s, [[grey seal]]s and [[harbour seal]]s live here, while [[minke whale]]s seasonally migrate. Larger animals such as [[humpback whale]]s, [[northern bottlenose whale]]s, [[long-finned pilot whale]]s, [[common dolphin]]s, large fish such as the [[Molidae|sunfish]] and [[basking shark]]s are seasonal or occasional visitors to the firth.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ecoventures.co.uk/wildlife/|title=Dolphin and Wildlife boat trips, Moray Firth, Inverness|website=www.ecoventures.co.uk}}</ref>

==History==
The Firth forms one of the safest and most commodious anchorages in the north of Scotland{{sfn|Chisholm|1911}} and [[Invergordon]] was at one time a major base for the Royal Navy's Home Fleet. The Firth was the scene of the [[Invergordon Mutiny]] in 1931. Remnants of the Navy remain, such as the [[HMS Fieldfare|disused airfield]] near Evanton (now an industrial estate) which was built to take aircraft from the fleet carriers while they were at anchor. During [[World War II]], there was a large training and operational base for [[PBY Catalina|Catalina]] [[amphibious aircraft]] and [[Short Sunderland|Sunderland]] seaplanes, which extended from [[Invergordon]] to Alness point - also now an industrial estate. A memorial to the men who were killed on operational missions was placed at this industrial estate in 2001. A propeller from a Catalina was found and restored by [[RAF]] apprentices and now resides in the town of [[Alness]]. The tennis courts on the industrial estate are the only remaining parts of the estate which date from World War II.

==Commerce and industry==
[[File:Cromarty Bridge.JPG|right|thumb|[[Cromarty Bridge]] taking A9 across the Firth east of [[Dingwall]]]]
At Nigg there is an important [[North Sea oil]] and renewable energy centre owned by Global Energy Group since 2011. The yard with a [[dry dock]] for repairing and fabricating [[oil platform]]s, was opened in 1972 as a joint venture between [[KBR (company)|Brown & Root]] and construction company [[George Wimpey]]. The yard is presently known as Nigg Energy Park.

Elsewhere along the firth are facilities for cruise ships, oil processing, and bulk cargo handling.

Cromarty Firth Port Authority is the body responsible for regulating and managing the commercial and industrial resources of the firth.<ref name="cfpa1">{{cite web|title=Looking back at over 200 years of history in the Cromarty Firth|url=http://www.cfpa.co.uk/About-Us/History.aspx|website=Port of Cromarty Firth|publisher=Cromarty Firth Port Authority|accessdate=28 September 2017}}</ref>

==Further reading==
* interview with Tommy Lafferty, Convenor of the Joint Shop Stewards Committee at the [[Nigg, Highland|Nigg]] fabrication yard, in Burnett, Ray (ed.), ''Calgacus'' 1, Winter 1975, pp.&nbsp;20 – 22, {{issn|0307-2029}}
* Rosie, George (1974), ''Cromarty: The Scramble for Oil</i>, Cannongate, {{isbn|9780903937054}}
* Rosie, George (1978), ''The Ludwig Initiative: A cautionary tale of North Sea Oil'', Mainstream Publishing, Edinburgh, {{isbn|9780906391006}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}
{{more footnotes|date=November 2011}}
*{{citation |title=This Noble Harbour |first=Marinell |last=Ash |year=1991 }}.
*{{EB1911|wstitle=Cromarty Firth|volume=7|page=483}}

==External links==
*{{Commons category-inline}}
* [http://www.cfpa.co.uk/ Cromarty Firth Port Authority]

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Firths of Scotland]]
[[Category:Ports and harbours of Scotland]]
[[Category:Special Protection Areas in Scotland]]
[[Category:Ramsar sites in Scotland]]
[[Category:Sites of Special Scientific Interest in East Ross and Cromarty]]
[[Category:Landforms of Moray]]