Kelp: Scotland’s Seaweed Industry

Join Jenny and Annie as they don their waders and explore the kelp forests that surround Scottish shores. These astounding seaweed ecosystems are home to countless species.

In the late 18th and early 19th centuries, the demand for kelp soared and the landowners of Scotland had an answer. Thousands of families were moved from their ancestral lands to the coastlines in order to burn kelp seaweed in order to produce the much sought-after kelp ash. The decades-long kelp industry on the Isle of Tiree is explored along with some traditional folklore from Benbecula.

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