Cromarty Archive

The photo they tried to ban!

The photo they tried to ban!

Date Added: 13 July 2006 Contributor: Calum Davidson Year: 2006 Picture No: 1691

Here are the Restoration film crew, walking up down Church Street early in May. I nipped out from the house, asked if they would mind a quick snap for the "image library" and posted it here a couple of days later.

Then Garve was asked to remove it, as it preempted the marketing campaign for the TV programme. Fair enough so it was pulled, and I removed it from my other photo sites.

It's now back. I'm looking forward to the programme, but they - and a distressingly large number of other people, including residents of the town - keep calling Cromarty a village. For that I'm almost tempted to vote for North Ronaldsay......

Albums: Events, People

Groups: Cromarty East Church

16 Comments

If its not a village what is it? Comment left on 14 July 2006 at 17:22 by Fiona
It's a town!

It's been a town for the past 1000 years. Any habitation pre 1700 in Scotland is either a township (ferm toun), a town (often with Burgh status - Cromarty was/is a burgh, and was a Royal Burgh in the 16th and 17th Century) or a city.

Wick, Thurso, Kirkwall, Dingwall, Tain, to name but a few pre 1700 habitations are all towns, albeit a with a larger populations than Cromarty, and they are all clearly recognised as towns. But remember that at one time Cromarty was the largest town in the Highlands after Inverness. Just because the town of Cromarty is not as large relatively as it once was, does not mean it becomes a village (the concept of which, I understand, is difficult to recognise in Scottish law).

The threat to vote for North Ronaldsay still stands.
Comment left on 14 July 2006 at 22:47 by Calum Davidson
Well after much searching I will have to agree that Cromarty is indeed a town, 1 of only 6 in the Ross and Cromarty Area.

wikipedia.org/List_of_towns_in_Scotland

The above web-address lists all the towns in Scotland categorized by Region/Area.

Hope this helps.
Comment left on 15 July 2006 at 14:44 by Leigh Franklin
On another note Wikipedia also has some interesting information about the town itself

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cromarty

And even has a short mention about Cromarty FC
Comment left on 15 July 2006 at 14:55 by Leigh Franklin
well Callum you should be ashamed of you self you should vote Cromarty regardless of the small silly mistake. After all you live in the town and must realise what great need the church has for this. and what benift it would have for the village Comment left on 17 July 2006 at 13:08 by Anon
Well anon - you just called it both a town and a village - make your mind up - do you want my vote or not!

The future of the East Kirk is your hands.......
Comment left on 17 July 2006 at 20:27 by Calum Davidson
Cromarty is a Town, it had it's own Town Council up until the reorganisation of Local Government in Scotland in the 1970's. I've never heard referred to as a village in all my lifetime. To those 'not of our loins' (biblical quote), it may have the quite air of a village, but even the Cromarty video presenter
used the term ''this once busy little town''. It's still the old home town to me!! An Architectural Gem.
Comment left on 18 July 2006 at 17:54 by Clem Watson
I'm keeping well out of the "town" or "village" issue - that's for Croms to decide! All I know is that when Endemol were selecting candidates for Restoration Village, the population of the settlement had to be less than 10, 000 to qualify. The good thing about this series of Restoration is that you don't get a building in a place like Cromarty pitched against another building in a big city with lots more voters - this way seems much fairer. But seriously, every vote is important, so please support the East Church! Comment left on 08 August 2006 at 14:20 by Victoria Collison-Owen
Anyone reading this who has direct responsibility for the contents of the East Church, could they see that the LIFEBOAT BOARDS on display in the West entrance, along with James Jack's poem of
Cromarty Lifeboat's Sliver/ Bronze/Vellum Medal Rescue of December 1959, is carefully preserved
for retention in the Church after any refurbishment? The artifacts were placed there for safe keeping
by myself, when the Lifeboat Station was closed.
Comment left on 09 August 2006 at 22:30 by Clem Watson
Thanks for your comment about the lifeboat boards which are always much admired by visitors to the church (a photograph of one of the boards appears in the Restoration Village book which has just been published). I can assure you that the SRCT will ensure that ALL the contents of the church are cared for in the best possible way during the repair and conservation project, and afterwards. Everything in the church is of the greatest importance, however large or small, as it all goes to make up a unique whole. I hope this reassures you, but please do feel free to get in touch with me at [email protected] as I'm happy to answer any questions you might have. Comment left on 10 August 2006 at 17:04 by Victoria Collison-Owen
I don't care if Cromarty is a town or village, I'm still going to vote for it! Cromarty all the way! Comment left on 17 August 2006 at 15:29 by Cat Mackenzie
its a pity the programme Restoration Village on 18 August wasn't as good as "the picture they tried to ban". It really was the most patronising, jumbled, inaccurate, south-east-centric twaddle; it really didn't do the building or the town any justice. Comment left on 19 August 2006 at 21:05 by Fraser Mackenzie
Have to agree with Fraser I'm afraid. Everyone I have spoken to in Cromarty thinks the programme was awful. It didn't come across at all as a 'community bid' - probably because it wasn't; it didn't set the church in the context of Cromarty; and the envisaged future uses of the building were completely unconvincing. The East Church deserved better. Comment left on 21 August 2006 at 20:09 by Sandy Thomson
There's always someone that has to moan. Fraser, I think the programme was just fine. Nobody needs to talk or say anything about the kirk, the building speaks for itself and with Mrs Newell's performance on the programme I thought we did just fine. Pity some people have to gurn and not appreciate what's been done for the town. Comment left on 21 August 2006 at 20:20 by Ronald Young
Having just watched the Restoration programme repeat, I can honestly say that Cromarty Town comes across as an interesting and historically important place, and with the wonderful East Church which I have just voted for, it has certainly caught my eye. As a result of the programme, I have visited the Cromarty community website, and intend to keep in touch to learn more about the Town with the hope of visiting next year. Best of Luck Cromarty and East Church. Comment left on 21 August 2006 at 23:12 by Fiona Feest
Always been a town to me, hence fishertown, not fishervillage, always referred to as a town in the Inverness Courier as far back as 1830 and before. Comment left on 28 February 2007 at 11:40 by Anon
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