More Cromarty revelations

More of Cromarty's historic buildings are beginning to emerge from a summer of conservation work.

The Cromarty Courthouse has been coated in scaffolding during work to seal leaks in the tower and to patch the harl. New rones (gutters) have been put on, and the whole building has had a much need fesh coat of paint. Out at the back there has been a major rebuild of the wall, which had begun to bulge dangerously as a result of tree growth on the far side. The building is owned by the Highland Council, who commissioned and managed the work, for which the Courthouse trustees are very grateful.

The Courthouse is open until the end of September and has a great range of exhibitions about Cromarty and its surrounds - including a display of some of the East Church artefacts. The courthouse scene is still going strong and remains a hit with visitors. To find out more take a look at their website.

Heading along Church St from the Courthouse to the East Church you'll pass by Hugh Millers cottage, also undergoing major works. In this case it is a complete re-thatch, and the skilled work of the craftsmen has attracted many admiring comments from visitors.

The East Church still has some building action to offer visitors as the Laing Traditional Masonry team get to work on re-harling the boundary wall. This time round the wall is much drier, and they are applying the first coat under power in order to give a stronger adhesion to the stone work. Work will continue apace on the wall over the next few weeks, after which it will be a matter of all fingers crossed for not too harsh a winter.

To find out more about what is happening at the church take a look at the worksite page.