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Eachdraidh an iasgaich air a' Chomraich

 

O chionn fhada, bha mac an duine a' gabhail brath air a' mhuir airson bidhe. Chaidh sgrùdadh arc-eòlach a chumail ann an 2000 a lorg fianais gun robh comas aig daoine mu 6000RC trosg a ghlachadh ann an uisge a bha fìor dhomhainn.

 

Chithear cuideachd caraidhean air a' chladach ann an Toghsgaig, Camas Teile, Treabhar nam Preas agus ann an Loch Mòr (mar a bha aca air Bagh na Comraich) a chleachd muinntir na sgìre airson èisg a ghlacadh.

 

Dar a sgrìobh an t-Urramach MacCuinn na faclan a bha a' toirt dealbh mionaideach de bheatha na Comraich aig deireadh na 18mh linne, bha adagan, cudaigean, saoidheanan, sgaitean, cuidhteagan agus leòbagan gu math cumanta far a' chladaich. Ann an uisge nas fhaide a-mach, bha trosg, langa agus falmaire ri fhaotainn.

 

Cuideachd, gheibheadh sgadanan anns na camasan is na h-òban, agus bha iad air leth cudromach ann a bhith na thaic dhan t-sluagh. B' ann na b'fheàrr is a bhiodh iad eadar meadhan an Iuchair is meadhan an t-Sultain. Ach, gu cudromach, leis nach robh e furasta no saor salann a chur gu feum is leis nach robh e furasta èisg a thoirt gu margaidh, cha robh gnìomhachas an iasgaich mar a bhiodh sinne ga aithneachadh beò aig an àm sin.

 

Bha bradanan ri ghlacadh anns na h-aibhnichean, ach b' ann leis an uachdaran is a bha iad; bha lochan beaga na Comraich gu tric air an comharrachadh airson na bha annta de bhric - chithear ainmean mar Loch na h-Oidhche (a' ciallachadh iasgach glè mhath air an oidhche) no a leithid air na mapaichean.

 

Dh'fhàs iasgachd a bhith na bu chudromaiche is na b' eagraichte tron 20mh linne, is an lin-sruthaidh is an lin-cuairteachaidh cudromach. Anns na beagan bhliadhnaichean às dèidh an Darna Cogaidh, bha iasg geal na phrìomh thoradh anns an sgìre, ged a bha an lìn-cuairteachaidh cudromach is cumanta fhathast ann a bhith a' glacadh an sgadain. Eadar mu 1967 agus 1975, bha giomaich air tighinn am bàrr mar thoradh na mara, oir bha iad na b'fhasa is na bu phailte na èisg. Cuideachd, bha margaidh ann air an son agus bha airgead glè mhath ri chosnadh.

 

 

 

The history of fishing in Applecross

 

Since long ago, people took advantage of the sea for food. Archaeological studies have shown that as far back as 6000BC people were able to catch deepwater species such as cod. 

 

Fish traps can be seen on the shore in places such as Toscaig, Camusteel, Tornapress and Applecross Bay which were used historically.

 

As Reverend John MacQueen wrote in the First Statistical Account at the end of the 1700s, haddock, saithe, skate, and flounders were all common inshore species while cod, hake and ling were in deep water. 

 

Similarly, herring were caught in the small bays and were critical to the survival of the people, with their best season from mid-July until mid-September. But, without easy access to salt supplies and markets, the fishing industry as we'd recognise it today didn't exist.

 

There were salmon and trout in the rivers, but they 'belonged' to the landowners. On today's maps, you can see many of the hill lochs which bear names associated with night-fishing and the trout that resided in them.

 

Fishing grew more important throughout the 20th century thanks to the drift net and the ring net, but by the post-WW II years, white fishing was king. From 1967 to 1975, prawns became the prime catch as fish stocks declined. With a market available, many made good money from shellfish.

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