Nithraid – Celebrating Dumfries’ Historic Connection to Salt.

Salt, that stuff we pop on our chips, might not seem so important in today’s digital age, where your domestic fridge can tell you when its contents are soon needing replenished, but back in the past, salt was one of the world’s most precious commodities.

Centuries ago, Dumfries and its coastline were a vital part of the global salt industry, and as such we pay homage each year to this by hosting the town’s annual river festival.

But, what has this got to do with Nithraid?

Well, lots! 

Mark Zygadlo and Alex Rigg, with a little help from a few others, built this tower. That’s us in the first picture above. According to Blackthorn Salt, we are currently the only Salt Graduation Tower builders in Europe, and this is the only one to have been built, probably in our lifetime. 

Alex and Mark have worked together on many projects from timber framing to performance art. Mark was involved in Nithraid’s inception and Alex, as well as taking part in many of them, is leading the Rite of the Salty Coo at Nithraid 2024.

Salt and the Salty Coo. Salt is a central element of Nithraid. Salt is a potent symbol in many traditions; bread and salt are offered in welcome in eastern European homes. Salt is a preservative and represents lasting friendship and, if spilt, is bad luck. We toss a pinch over our left shoulder, into the devil’s eye, to reverse the bad luck! Salt has been made in southern Scotland for centuries, exported from the Solway along with livestock, meat and wool. Hence the origin of the Salty Coo. 

When all the boats have arrived, she gets put in the river and floats downstream with the tide.

Imports? Exports?

Dumfries, until the early 19^th century was a very busy seaport. The Port of Dumfries; Carsethorn, Glencaple, Kingholm and Dock Park, was one of the main trading harbours of Scotland. For instance, it was Scotland’s biggest tobacco port before the American Revolutionary War of 1789. But the Nith, being tidal and shallow in its upper reaches, and ships ever increasing in size, meant the tobacco trade moved to Glasgow which, like Dumfries, had to train and scour its river to admit bigger ships.

What is the Rite of the Salty Coo?

Every year, as part of Nithraid, we cover the Coo with salt and bring her to the river to watch as the boats come up with the tide, echoing the historic trade in the Port of Dumfries. This year they will bring flags which will be taken to the Suspension Bridge and flown from Flag poles.

These flags have been made in communities all over Scotland, expressing their hopes and fears for the environment.

The Tide?

The tides in the Solway are huge, at Nithraid this year the difference between high water and low water will be over thirty feet! On a big tide like this seawater rushes up the Nith in a bore, a wave, which can reach right into the middle of town. It will pass Glencaple at about 2.15pm and get to Dumfries if there hasn’t been too much rain, by about 3.00pm.

Tides are an enormous global dynamic system. As the earth turns in relation to the moon and the sun, unimaginable volumes of water are drawn up by their magnetic fields and surge towards or away from the edges of our land areas creating the phenomenon of rising and falling tides. 

The rising tide rushing into the Nith reverses its direction of flow for a couple of hours, during which time Nithraid boats will be helped into town on a wave of salt water. The sea reaches as far in-land as the caul, five miles up river from Glencaple and the Nithraid’s course.

Salt is produced from seawater in the machine pictured above, called a Salt Graduation Tower. Seawater is pumped to the top and trickles down through the blackthorn twigs which pack the framework. Water evaporates in the process and the salinity of the seawater being circulated increases until, just at the right moment, it is pumped off to crystallise in heated tanks.

This is an ancient method of making salt, it requires very little more than seawater and wind.

Written by Mark Zygadlo.

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