Sector

Cromarty Coastguard is part of the Inverness Sector run by a full time Sector Manager, Hamish Young.

The Inverness Sector’s operational area runs from:
Alness Point in the Cromarty Firth (21 658680) to the mouth of the River Findhorn where it enters Findhorn Bay (27 031621) including Loch Ness and the Caledonian Canal to Bridge of Oich.

Inverness Sector is at the very core of the Highlands and covers much of the inner Moray Firth area from Alness in the Cromarty Firth to Findhorn Bay. Within the Sector is a very significant part of the Caledonian Canal, including the deep and cold waters of Loch Ness. The Sector covers a broad range of topography and foreshore, so Coastguard teams within the Sector are equipped and trained to deal with most likely rescue scenarios.

The urban bustle of the transport hub and expanding city of Inverness is at the heart of the Sector. The picturesque Black Isle with quieter coastal towns like the historic town of Cromarty, where our team is based, plus the scenic towns of Rosemarkie and Avoch make it a popular tourist destination and a popular area to live and work in. On the coast sailing and sea kayaking are very popular summer activities, the area attracts a large number of craft travelling through the Caledonian Canal to Fort William. The Victorian resort town of Nairn offers a fine beach area but for the more adventurous coastal walker it is said that a whole village is buried beneath the shifting Culbin Sands. The rolling expanses of the Culbin Sands, the Culbin Forest and the mudflats of Findhorn Bay attract thousands of visitors every year, many of whom are following the Moray Firth Coastal Trail which runs from the coast near Forres to Cullen in the East. The spectacular Great Glen, the Caledonian Canal and Loch Ness add to the mix and make our area of emergency response as diverse as the scenery.

In and around Cromarty itself we have a rich tapestry of wildlife that inhabits the shores, waters, cliffs and mountains. Historically, at the time when sail ruled the seas, Cromarty harbour was one of the most important coastal trading ports in Scotland with vessels trading all around northern Europe. Today the harbour is slightly more relaxed with a small fishing community, a busy sailing club, boats running dolphin trips during the summer months and a ferry that runs to Nigg on the northern shore of the Cromarty Firth. The old lighthouse at Cromarty has been home to an Aberdeen University cetacean research station for over twenty years and is next door to our Coastguard Station.

The Cromarty Firth has an interesting history more recently, in Victorian times, it became one of the nation’s most significant naval bases. It remained active until after the Second World War and much of the infrastructure can still be seen in the area. Today the Cromarty Firth is very much associated with the North Sea oil industry and chances are you will see oil rigs of different types moored in the firth. Dolphin spotting is a popular attraction for visitors all around the Black Isle; the Moray Firth is a site of SSSI (Site of Special Scientific Interest) and is home to a significant population of Bottle-Nose Dolphins. There are RSPB reserves on both sides of the Black Isle where mud flats and intertidal sands support a wide variety of native and visiting birds including wintering geese. You can find out more about the community of Cromarty and the local area by visiting www.cromartylive.co.uk or visit other sites off our links page.

HM Coastguard Search & Rescue declared assets within the Sector include 4 volunteer Coastguard Rescue Teams, two lifeboats and ARCC Kinloss.

SAR Co-ordination is undertaken by the MRCC (Maritime Coastguard Rescue Co-ordination Centre) at Aberdeen.

Sector Management & Teams

The Sector Manager for this very active Sector is based in Inverness.

TEAM CRT/IRT Type of terrain

•  Cromarty CRT: mixture of cliffs and rocky shores including the Cromarty Firth.
• Inverness CRT: mixture of rocky shores and sandy beaches including the Beauly Firth.
• Fort Augustus IRT: covering Loch Ness.
• Nairn IRT: covering area between Inverness and Findhorn Bay.