49613: Crofting in Cromore

Prior to improvements, the soil in Cromore was poor and thin. The natural vegetation was heather moorland with large areas of rushes and cotton grass. There are 27 crofts in the village today but each croft has its land split into different areas in an attempt to distribute the good and poor land evenly.

Until the Second World War, all the land on the crofts was cultivated with lazybeds used wherever possible. Potatoes and oats were the main crops with grassland reserved for scything hay. Before the introduction of chemical fertilisers, seaweed and byre manure were the two main forms of fertiliser used. The seaweed was brought to the carraidh (weir) and the port mor, for the crofts. During high tide, seaweed was floated into Loch nan Bodach. In the present day, only half a dozen crofts plant potatoes and vegetables.

In 1883, there were 127 cows and 310 sheep in the township of Cromore. By 1958, this had altered to 48 cows and 905 sheep. At present there are no cows but around 1500 sheep in the village. Shielings on the common grazing were used until the 1890s.

Peats were cut and carted home in creels or with boats round to the bay but with roads improving, the cutting was transferred to the Cromore moor from Caverstay to Gravir and brought home at first by horse and cart, then by lorry. Now the few families who cut peat bring them home by tractor.