AS local Hebridean businesses seek sustainable futures, in terms of both net-zero targets and a reduced dependency on tourism, some sorts have tapped into a very old and abundant resource on their doorstep.
There are more than 12,000 species of seaweed – which are technically macroalgae rather than plants – and they’re fairly important, given that they produce around 70% of the world’s oxygen.
Seaweed enjoys impressive sustainability credentials as, far from needing inputs for cultivation, it can serve to clean up ocean waters – and that’s before we use it to replace carbon-heavy synthetic fertilisers.
Seaweed is not a novel product on the Isle of Skye. In the 18th and 19th centuries, the kelping industry produced vast quantities of kelp ash for the manufacture of window glass, salt, soap, iodine and silver iodide.
In this instance, kelp refers not to a variety of seaweed but to the alkali produced when you burn seaweed.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, the work was dirty, dangerous and extremely arduous but was an important income stream for the crofters who needed other work in order to support their families.
In part owing to the Napoleonic Wars, Clearances and shifting economic markets, kelp ash became unprofitable and untenable and seaweed as an industry lost its workers and much of its appeal.
Bringing this historic product right up to date meant coming at things from a different angle.
The Isle of Skye Seaweed Co was founded by Sgiathanach Ben Oakes in 2017. He wanted to create natural skincare products that are firmly linked to his native island.
His great-great-grandfather sheared sheep in Staffin but his family are now in the scallop diving business. His father proved unsuccessful in keeping him out of the family firm but Oakes found an outlet for his passion for seaweed, his enthusiasm for which is undeniable.
He clearly knows and loves his hero ingredient and the products he’s developed.
Oakes said: “I was always fascinated by the sea and began to appreciate seaweed and all the things it does for us. Take the strand line at the top of a tide – that big bar of dead seaweed. That alone is wonderful. It stops beach erosion and it’s a breeding ground for crustaceans and other little beasties.
“It’s really special and you’d never know how important that little patch of seaweed is – there’s so much going on just in that little bit.”
Oakes went on to explain that he chose seaweed because: “It’s abundant, it’s everywhere. We’ve got a lot of it and it’s sustainable. You’re not going for a rare resource.
“It’s available to me – which is nice, up here [on Skye.] There aren’t a huge amount of options and I always wanted to be self-employed and start my own business.”
Oakes studied Sustainable Environmental Management at Edinburgh University. It made him realise that not enough people are attuned to the potential of managing the marine environment sustainably and he conceived of the idea of using seaweed in beauty products after seeing its abundance locally and how it can be sustainably harvested.
Not to mention, American Scientist’s assertion that ‘“marine macroalgae benefit people culturally, industrially, nutritionally, and ecologically” – quite the glowing recommendation.
Thanks to the trend towards natural skincare it’s fair to say that seaweed is having a bit of a moment as a super-ingredient owing to its antioxidant and nutrient content. And beyond marketing hype, there is good science to suggest this enthusiasm isn’t misplaced.
The Isle of Skye Seaweed Co makes a diverse range of products from beard oil and wax to lip balms and moisturisers.
A good deal of Oakes’s products are sold to some of the 650,000 tourists who visit Skye each year but they also have a presence in some of the year-round businesses the locals patronise. Quality products and attention to customer service have been reflected by buoyant sales figures and earned a four-star rating on Trustpilot. Oakes takes pains to ensure his company operates as sustainably as possible. All of the seaweed is harvested by hand and he takes only what he needs. He even gifts offcuts and trimmings to his landlord in part exchange for some of the vegetables they grow.
It’s far from a solo endeavour, though. Esther Brueggert joined Skye Seaweed in summer of 2024. She assists with production, product development and, in Oakes’s words, “has been my saving grace when it comes to social media”.
Scotland's coastal waters are ripe for seaweed propagation and, increasingly, at an industrial scale. Skye also plays host to Kelp Crofters and Kaly, based in the north of the island, has been the recipient of investment from Scottish Enterprise.
Seaweed cultivation is attractive because it requires no land, fresh-water supplies, pesticides or fertilisers. However, were industrial seaweed dredging to commence in Scottish waters, there are concerns about the ecological damage it may cause.
I asked Oakes what the future held for his company and he told me: “I’d love it to grow and it’s growing already. I’m about to release three new products and there’s a range of other little things I’m working on to add to the mix as well. And hopefully I’ll get a shop built to provide some more opportunities – I have so many ideas for seaweed to be honest.”
Oakes also let slip that there is a whole new product range about to be launched and to watch his socials.
Many of the larger seaweed outfits are approaching seaweed differently. They see the potential uses for seaweed – largely as a biostimulant in agriculture – and are investing in cultivating it in order to find a future market.
Moreover, it’s not all good news – Glenrothes-based Mara Seaweed entered administration in 2023 and the industry is not immune from the economic realities of the present fiscal landscape.
However, entrepreneurs such as Oakes are certainly not alone in wanting to steer his own career ship. Research from The King’s Trust Youth Index showed that more than one-third of young people want to be their own bosses.
SMEs such as his are utilising a historic resource on their beachfront to create a local product with a wide reach. Now, if you’ll excuse me,
I’m off to style my wayward beard – but only if the product contains seaweed.
