Oran an Fheamnaidh – song of the seaweed gatherer: an archaeology of early 19th-century kelping

At the very end of the 18th century, economic circumstance and the capricious consequences of warfare on the continent turned seaweed on the West Coast and Isles of Scotland into an important industrial resource. This resource was kelp: a glassy substance used in various industrial processes, particularly in the glass and soap industries. Chiefs and landowners in the west of Scotland were quick to take advantage of the economic opportunity it presented. The industry would have profound effects on the people who lived and worked in coastal communities. This paper seeks to outline a landscape archaeology of kelping as it was lived and experienced. It will draw on archaeological, documentary, and historical evidence, and will also consider Gaelic culture and oral tradition. Using a case study from Loch Aoineart, South Uist, the kelp industry will be considered in the context of an early 19th century Hebridean community.