In 2026 I was an intern for Eco Cascade, a Community Interest Company based in Kyle of Lochalsh. Eco Cascade is the only seaweed primary processing service in Scotland, and was set up 4 years ago to provide processing services for the emerging seaweed farming industry in the Highlands. I applied to work with Eco Cascade after graduating from St Andrews University. I wanted to remain living on the West Coast of Scotland where I grew up and working in the seaweed industry was the perfect opportunity to use my chemistry degree and build a career in this area.
Me with wild sugar kelp found during wild harvest survey, Broadford, Skye
The internship started off with preparing for the upcoming harvest season. Preparation involved tidying up and moving equipment into place ready for the first harvest delivery, as well as installing equipment for improving the process. My favourite part of getting ready for harvest was making a metal chute with Chris, Production Manager, to allow us to chop the seaweed and immediately set it down on the drying racks.
During harvest season I was involved in processing seaweed and wet stabilisation trials. Processing seaweed involves washing to remove any biofouling, it then goes on to be chopped and then allowed to drain. The chopped seaweed is spread out on racks and put in the dryer for around 24 hrs. Wet stabilisation involved finely chopping the seaweed and preserving it in acid solution. I got to apply my chemistry lab skills for this work! My role was to test the seaweed straight after harvest and determine the amount of acid required to preserve each batch.
I also received training in how to survey the foreshore for wild harvest gathering, under the direction of Dr Duncan Smallman who is an expert in seaweed species identification, and sustainable wild gathering. We visited several sites, and I learned how to use quadrats for sampling and gained an understanding of how species vary between the tide marks, and marking the co-ordinates using the GPS. This provided a practical introduction to survey techniques used for assessing seaweed abundance and hand-harvest potential.
Survey quadrat to estimate variety and volume of seaweed across foreshore
This internship helped to bridge the gap between university and industry; giving me valuable experience in all aspects of seaweed processing. I hope to continue working in the seaweed industry and gain more experience and knowledge of processing and harvesting. And I am hugely appreciative of The Pebble Trust, and Eco Cascade, for giving me the opportunity to work in the emerging seaweed farming industry in The Highlands.