Seaweed

Seaweed is used as a natural organic fertiliser on some parts of the machair, especially those areas used to grow potatoes. It is collected from the various beaches from the new year through to Easter, and transported by the trailer-load to the appropriate patch. Berneray is probably one of the few places in Scotland, if not the world, where unlucky motorists can find themselves stuck behind a huge pile of seaweed for a while.

Date: 30th January 2006

Photographer: John Kirriemuir, Berneray