About Craignish Restoration Of Marine And Coastal Habitats
In early 2016, in response to local concern about the decline in biodiversity, scallop dredging in the loch, expanding aquaculture, poor water quality and lack of community consultation on coastal management and protection, members of the Craignish community formed a voluntary association called Craignish Restoration of Marine and Coastal Habitats (CROMACH, which means a walking stick or shepherd’s crook in Gaelic).
CROMACH's aims are to promote
● Sustainability: To encourage and promote sustainable use of local waters for recreation, fishing and other marine activities.
● Knowledge: To promote and carry out research, surveys and investigations of the local marine environment.
● Engagement: To involve the community, to raise awareness of marine issues and related cultural heritage
● Education: To educate and involve all members of the community, young and old
● Conservation: To protect and allow recovery of biodiversity and natural processes in Loch Craignish, the Sound of Jura and the Firth of Lorn, the seas of Scotland and the wider marine environment.
If you want to know more or join CROMACH email info@cromach.org
Write to your MSP
Scotland has designated over 230 Marine Protected Areas covering roughly a third of our seas — yet without enforceable management plans, bottom trawling and dredging continue unchecked within their boundaries.
If you are concerned about the lack of action from the Scottish Government re. the MPA's please find the attached letter you can send to your local candidate for the Scottish Parliament, to put more active management measures in place so that Scotland's MPAs protect marine life in practice, not just on a map.
UPDATE
COMMUNITY EVENT July 11th Craignish Village Hall
“Everything is Connected: Seeing the Craignish Landscape Differently”
The CROMACH Community Event is a community-led gathering celebrating the connections between people, land, and sea across the Craignish Peninsula.
It will combine informal learning, creative expression, and hands-on activities to highlight the incredible work being carried out by local individuals and organisations. It aims to encourage residents and visitors alike to “look at things in a different way” — recognising the deep connections between land, sea, wildlife, and community.
The event will include opportunities for the local community to share ideas for small-scale projects they would like to see CROMACH progress while the D&R MPA proposal continues over the next 18+ months.
Winter and Spring 2026
CROMACH Speaker Series
We are running a series of events with local and Scottish speakers to engage and inform with audiences about local and wider coastal and marine issues.
After a really successful first outreach event at the village hall with legendary film maker John Aitchison we received funding from Argyll and Bute Supporting Communities Fund to run 4 more. See more more on our what we do page
This Sunday 19th April: an inspiring story of community action and ocean recovery.
CROMACH are delighted to welcome environmentalist, activist and Goldman Environmental Prize winner Howard Wood (OBE) to the final talk in our current Speaker Series.
From co-founding Arran Coast to helping establish Scotland’s first No-Take Zone in Lamlash Bay, his work is a remarkable example of grassroots marine conservation in action—giving local citizens a voice and helping communities shape the future of their marine environment.
He’ll also share an exclusive preview of the Emmy-nominated Hope in the Water, featuring the story of COAST and exploring the importance of sustainable seafood.
The final talk in this series — one not to miss.
Sunday 19 April | 2:00pm
Craignish Village Hall, Ardfern
Free talk | CROMACH Speaker Series
#CROMACH #MarineConservation #OceanBiodiversity #SustainableSeafood #CommunityAction #EnvironmentalActivism #HopeInTheWater #abplace2b
CROMACH welcomed back BAFTA-winning wildlife filmmaker John Aitchison following his hugely popular talk last November. Over a long career filming the natural world — often working alongside Sir David Attenborough — John has helped bring extraordinary wildlife stories to audiences around the globe, capturing both the beauty and fragility of our natural environment.
In this new talk, John explores what drives wildlife filmmakers and what they hope to achieve. Drawing on decades of experience behind the camera, he will share insights into how storytelling, beauty and emotion can inspire people to care more deeply about nature — and how powerful wildlife films can help move hearts, minds and ultimately create change.
Sunday 29th March | 2:30pm
Craignish Village Hall
Free event
CROMACH speaker series
#CROMACH #MarineConservation #WildlifeFilm #NatureMatters #Argyll #OceanConservation #WildlifeStorytelling #abplace2b
Autumn 2025
Our CROMACH application to the Scottish Government for a Demonstration and Research Marine Protected Area for Loch Craignish was submitted to the Marine Directorate in the Spring 2025. Receipt has been acknowledged, we await further developments and we'll keep you updated on progress.
