After the Whelks

All day the wind has been set in the northwest bringing sunny intervals and wintry showers. At ten this morning the thermometer was stuck at 2C which, with the wind chill, probably made the actual temperature closer to zero. With a new moon today, this all made for perfect conditions for going after the whelks.

Of all the activities followed by the crofters to make a living, the whelks are the hardest - and it's an occupation usually pursued by the women. May Angus spent two and a half hours this morning bent double out on the kelp beds as the tide dropped towards low. The first half hour or so, she said, were a bit of a waste of time as the tide wasn't low enough and such whelks as could be found were small. Later, in a slightly different place and the sea further out, she began to pick good, big ones.

Two and a half hours of bitterly cold, back-breaking toil brought two and a half stone - that's about 15 kilograms - of the molluscs. May has no idea what she'll be paid for what she's collecting as prices vary so much. Around Christmas time, when the demand is highest, she might get £100 or more for a bag.

She'll be out on the shoreline after the whelks again tomorrow. A strong onshore wind is about the only weather that will put her off - it keeps the tide high, so the best whelks are inaccessible.

Whelks are the common periwinkle, Littorina littorea, winkles in England. Along with seaweed, fish and other shellfish, they are a traditional crofting crop. The Ormsaigbeg crofts are organised so each croft has a length of shoreline, giving access to beach and sea. These days, the whelks go for export.