Ceòlas’s annual symposium has become an integral part of Uist’s July calendar, allowing for a community-led scrutiny of their shared heritage. The foreshore and its resources – specifically seaweed – featured as this year’s topic. For generations, the people of Uist have used seaweed in a plethora of ways, perhaps most notably during the kelp boom of the 18th and 19th centuries. However, with new developments in research and global commerce, the seaweed business may enjoy a resurgence on Uist.
Ceòlas’s aim for the symposium was to explore the industrial history and potential avenues for future development. A series of lectures were presented by speakers Philip Kerrison, of the Scottish Association for Marine Science (SAMS), and Dr Kevin Grant, of Historic Environment Scotland (HES), on the history and archaeology of seaweed extraction in current industry trends globally.