Isle of Colonsay, Inner Hebrides

...am I talking about? The Isle of Colonsay, of course.

== Location, location, location – idyllic but with its own problems ==

Colonsay lies about five miles north of Rhuvaal Lighthouse, on Islay’s northernmost tip, and about the same distance from the uninhabited north-western shoreline of Jura. It is about eight miles from the northernmost point on Colonsay to Rudha Ardalanish on the Isle of Mull, just south of Bunessan, ...
...distance away. Only the isolated Dhu Heartach skerry and lighthouse lies to the west, some 18 miles away – beyond that, the next landfall is North America! Immediately off Colonsay’s southern coastline is the much smaller island of Oronsay, connected at low tide by sand flats which it is reasonably safe to drive a 4x4 over, providing you know the correct route.

Colonsay itself is about eight miles from top to toe, and around three miles ... more

118 people in the middle of nowhere

One of Scotland’s best kept secrets is located mid-way between the islands of Islay and Mull. It won’t surprise anyone to learn that it is somewhat difficult to get to, has a resulting high cost of living and there is an ongoing struggle to keep people living and working there. However, there are certain benefits about this particular postcode – there is no recorded crime (apart from one solitary burglary incident some years ago and that involved a Glasgow man who was temporarily working on the island), everyone knows each other and take the time to speak to visitors, and there is one of the most spectacular beaches outside of the Western Isles. Half the houses on the island seem to be used as holiday lets, though, and are usually full throughout the season - such is the appeal of this tranquil spot. New build houses are proving to be quite popular, though the cost of transporting materials from the mainland can be prohibitive for many who dream of the island lifestyle, and in most cases such properties end up as second homes anyway. Still, even as a destination for a week or two to literally “get away from it all”, or even just as a day-trip from Islay, this place takes some beating. Where am I talking about? The Isle of Colonsay, of course.

Location, location, location – idyllic but with its own problems

Colonsay lies about five miles north of Rhuvaal Lighthouse, on Islay’s northernmost tip, and about the same distance from the uninhabited north-western shoreline of Jura. It is about eight miles from the northernmost point on Colonsay to Rudha Ardalanish on the Isle of Mull, just south of Bunessan, and the Torran Rocks south of Iona lie a similar distance away. Only the isolated Dhu Heartach skerry and lighthouse lies to the west, some 18 miles away – beyond that, the next landfall is North America! Immediately off Colonsay’s southern coastline is the much smaller island of Oronsay, connected at low tide by sand flats which it is reasonably safe to drive a 4x4 over, providing you know the correct route.

Colonsay itself is about eight miles from top to toe, and around three miles across at its widest point. Despite occupying such an idyllic location, living here does offer its own set of challenges. Back in May 2009 when I visited the island, there were exactly 118 residents, of which ten per cent were expected either to die of old age or leave the island after finishing school – a dwindling population is one of the main problems faced here (and on many other islands), so local people are desperately trying to work out ways of encouraging residents with families to stay, and folk from the mainland to go and live and work there. Children over primary school age have to board out in Oban through the week since there is no secondary education on the island, which can have a disruptive effect on some families. School leavers are faced with a difficult choice whether to return to Colonsay or experience more of the wider world in order to maximise employment and housing prospects – most choose the latter.

Colonsay’s “capital” is Scalasaig, a spread-out sort of settlement that has its centre (if such a thing actually exists) sited on the ferry terminal, pier and linkspan. The only shop on the island can be found about 400 yards away to the east, and a café (The Pantry – recommended, but always busy before the ferry arrives!) is situated about the same distance but in the other direction. Other settlements can be found at Kiloran (at the northern end of the island, where there is also a tearoom), Kilchattan (where the primary school is) and Port Mor (home to a rather tiny bookshop) on the west coast, again these are loose groupings of houses and not real population centres. Elsewhere, cottages and a number of smallholdings are spread out across the remainder of the island.

How do you get to such a remote place?

There are only two methods of travel to and from the island. Most people and all vehicles arrive from either Kennacraig on the mainland (or Port Askaig on Islay) on the Wednesday morning Caledonian MacBrayne ferry or from Oban on the daily (not Saturday) services – including the Wednesday evening one that continues onto Port Askaig and Kennacraig. The ferry from Oban arrives at different times depending on which day it is – either just before lunchtime or mid-evening, and returns there afterwards (apart from the Wednesday run). It cost me £8.00 as a foot passenger for the return sailing from Port Askaig on the Wednesday Calmac service – departing Islay around 0930 and returning there after 2000 hours. Once the ferry passes Rhuvaal Lighthouse on Islay, Colonsay can be seen as a low smudge on the horizon – it’s hills never really grow much larger although the rocky nature of the island becomes more and more sharply defined as you draw closer to it. There is a reduced ferry service during the winter – just three sailings a week from Oban.

Although private vehicles are allowed on the island, the total road network does not exceed eight miles, so it is hardly worth the effort unless you are planning to stay more than a day or have a disability that affects your mobility. Cycles can be hired locally or you could just walk around – a minibus based at the pier is also available to take you anywhere on the island. There doesn’t really seem to be a lot of point taking a car if you’re able bodied, though: the road system on Colonsay consists of just three roads – the “main” one being a “loop” which starts in Scalasaig, then heads north along the eastern coast for a mile before turning inland to go towards Kiloran, then heads south-west to Kilchattan and Port Mor before running east to the ferry terminal again. A minor road leads north from Kiloran up to the sandy bay of the same name, located at the north end of the island – it also passes Colonsay House, which is home to the present Lord Strathcona, owner of Colonsay Estate. Port Mor is a small number of houses and the equally tiny bookshop – between here and Scalasaig are the golf course and the aerodrome. A little way beyond the latter is another minor road which heads south through a narrow little glen to the crossing to Oronsay. All of the roads on Colonsay are single track with passing places, but sight lines are rather good (apart from the hill to the north above Scalasaig, the Oronsay road and along the road to Kiloran Bay, which goes through a pleasantly wooded area).

The usual circuit driven by the minibus is anti-clockwise around the “loop”, and costs £2.00 each regardless of distance. I arranged with the driver to drop me off at the aerodrome, three-quarters of the way around the “loop” back to Scalasaig, with the intention of retracing my steps north and being picked up on the afternoon “tour” again. It took me about two hours to aimlessly walk along virtually the entire western side of the island up to Kiloran Bay, before being picked up again by the minibus and dropped off at the ferry terminal that afternoon. Tours of the island take place on Tuesdays and also Wednesdays (the latter for the benefit of day-trippers like me from Islay). The same minibus also acts as the school bus – so don’t be surprised if it passes you with a load of kids waving happily!

It should be noted that motor-homes and towed caravans are *not* allowed on Colonsay unless prior permission has been obtained for a pitch from a suitable landowner. Owners of such vehicles also have to book space on the ferry through the island’s Calmac office rather than the company itself. The feeling is that the island is so small that they would simply clog up the roads and the small handful of off-road parking areas that exist. Of course, there is also a sentiment amongst many in the Hebrides that motor-home users do not always benefit the local economy in the same way that visitors using hotels, self-catering or bed and breakfast accommodation do. Rightly or wrongly, I suspect this opinion forms some of the reasoning behind this prohibition as well – plus the fact that large motor-homes will cut down on the number of private cars the ferry would otherwise be able to carry instead. Wild camping with tents is allowed, however.

If you are lucky enough to have access to a light aircraft, or can afford the fare charged by Highland Airways, then you may wish to consider using Colonsay Aerodrome, with its recently-laid hard-surfaced runway, parking apron and wooden terminal building. Originally a somewhat dangerous grass strip, the site was upgraded a few years back ostensibly to allow flights for children attending school in Oban each week, and to offer visitors an alternative method of transport to the island. Load levels on the Highland Airways schedules (twice daily on Tuesday and Thursdays only) have unfortunately proved to be rather poor, however, with many being cancelled – prices can range from £65 return if booked well in advance, right up to around £80 for last-minute decisions. (The school flights are always full, though.) Prior permission is required for private pilots using the aerodrome. There is a small tarmac parking area although aircraft using the site for longer periods of time are usually pulled onto the nearby grass.

Colonsay’s Attractions

Peace and quiet is arguably the biggest draw – people simply come here to “get away from it all”. Although modern everyday life has reached Colonsay in terms of telephone, broadband, transportation and inside plumbing, there’s still a wonderful feeling that you’re somehow living on the fringes of the world. Once the ferry departs from the pier, you are literally stuck on a very small island with few obvious trappings of contemporary existence until it comes back again, and that adds to the sense of adventure that you get from visiting such a place in the first instance. But enough of the romantic twaddle, what do you do once the ferry leaves?

The aforementioned minibus tour around the island is an excellent way to get acquainted with Colonsay in a very short space of time, especially if like me you are only there for the day. The driver (Kevin) is also the pier-master (in addition to driving the school bus and conducting occasional boat trips to Jura, Mull and Islay for groups or wealthy individuals), so prospective tour-goers have to wait until the ferry departs for Oban and his paperwork is done for the morning! Kevin is not only very friendly but a veritable mine of facts, figures and stories about the island, many of which he recants as he drives visitors around the “loop”. It’s a very enjoyable way to spend half-an-hour, even if you simply wanted to see the island from inside the minibus, but it’s also an essential way to get around Colonsay in the limited time available to day-trippers – especially if you want to experience the western side of the island by foot.

In addition to the land-based tour, Kevin also offers a couple of trips around the island by boat on a Tuesday, aforesaid vessel resembling a “rigid raider” with a large wheelhouse and passenger cabin bolted on top – obviously it is certified safe by the relevant maritime authorities but I can’t help thinking many people might get put off at first sight of it! From the boat you get a different perspective of Colonsay, and also are able to watch the plentiful sea bird populations on the island’s small cliffs. Again, Kevin proves to be an able and interesting guide – prices currently are a hefty £33 for an adult (boat fuel being expensive to transport across to the island) but you do get a couple of hours’ worth for your money.

There is a spectacular amount of bird life on Colonsay, but by far the island’s most famous resident is the rather elusive corncrake – I heard a pair during my visit but never actually saw them. The RSPB reserve on Oronsay is therefore a must for “twitchers” but pretty much anywhere on the two islands will see a fair variety of species. (The bookshop at Port Mor has a small tome devoted entirely to the birds found on Colonsay and Oronsay.)

A golf course is situated next to the aerodrome (the old grass landing strip apparently used to run through it!), about a mile west of Scalasaig. It is reputed to be around 200 years old and has a 9-hole course incorporated into it. There are no green fees payable but a membership fee of £20 per year is levied, no matter how many times you play the course. Fly-fishing is available on all of the small lochs on Colonsay, although only four may be kept out of a day’s catch. Visitors are asked to join the island’s fishing association as a condition, but this does give access to boats on each loch. Tennis players will find a court at Colonsay House which can be booked in advance.

As mentioned above, walking is a joy on Colonsay – particularly if the weather is good (I was lucky to have a really hot, sunny day back in May 2009 for my visit to the island). The complete “loop” can be walked around in the space of half a day at a leisurely pace, but the minibus tour comes into its own when you want to spend some time at a certain point on the island. A popular past-time with some visitors to Colonsay is something known as “MacPhie-bagging” – you’ve heard of Munro-bagging, well none of the hills on the island rise above 469 feet (in the case of Carn an Eoin), but those more than 300 feet are known as “MacPhies”. There happen to be 21 of them on Colonsay and a solitary one on Oronsay, and again it is possible to do the lot in a single day – a 20 mile trip. Most people that do this break the list up into handy-sized chunks – it is a holiday, after all. Even if you are not hell-bent on completing the full list, one at least should be attempted – this is the aforementioned Carn an Eoin, which provides a splendid view southbound over the sandy expanse of Kiloran Bay and its clear blue waters. Obviously there is no trespass law, so walkers can pretty much go wherever they want within reason – just watch where you step and keep clear of livestock.

Cycling is also a great way to get around the island - bikes can be hired from a house in Kilchattan or by those staying at Colonsay House. The roads are extremely quiet and therefore very safe.

A trip across to Oronsay is also a must for those spending more than a day on the island (the tides can make it difficult for day-trippers to accomplish this). People are discouraged from taking vehicles across the sand – the most direct route is not the safest and soft sand can mean your car digs in and will be caught by the next incoming tide. Far better to walk across, the maximum time available including return crossing and visiting the island is around four to five hours. Apart from being an RSPB reserve, Oronsay is home to a particularly well-preserved priory, dating from the 14th Century, which is open to visitors all year round.

Located at the northern end of the island, just before you reach Kiloran Bay, is the magnificent Colonsay House, plus its wonderful rhododendron gardens. The private gardens (and a tea room) are open on Wednesdays and Fridays – the minibus tour route actually goes into the car park so visitors need not walk too far. There is also a woodland garden of some 20 acres, this apparently is open beyond the advertised times.

The bookshop at Port Mor is run by Kevin’s wife and despite being a tiny building, seems to be almost Tardis-like in terms of the number of titles it contains. Naturally, the stock includes just about everything that has ever been written on the subject of Colonsay and Oronsay, but there is also a healthy general stock for those simply looking to broaden their horizons – I picked up a history of the Kyle of Lochalsh Railway which I’d travelled on back in January (my cousin’s boyfriend drives a train on this line). The bookshop is open every weekday afternoon and Saturday during the summer and is definitely worth a look.

Located near the island’s shop in Scalasaig is the Colonsay Brewery, which is open to visitors throughout the year. Some idea of the relaxed nature of the company can be found via their website, each member of staff’s picture being that of a seal! Two ales and a lager are brewed here – the products can either be bought at the brewery shop or by mail order if you can’t get across to Colonsay but would love to sample them!

Okay, you’ve sold me on Colonsay – but where can I stay?

Apart from the restrictions placed on motorhomes, the island has a wide variety of accommodation. There is one hotel, namely The Colonsay Hotel, situated on the road leading west out of Scalasaig, which has nine rooms, a bar and a restaurant. The Colonsay Estate owns no less than 24 self-catering cottages and apartments located around the island, with varying prices to match. There are at least another 20 privately-owned properties available. A handful of bed and breakfast establishments exist, although only one offers an evening meal – staying at the others would entail using either the Hotel or The Pantry at Scalasaig for meals. If you are backpacking but don’t want to wild camp, then the Estate owns a small 16-bed hostel at Kiloran – washing machines and dryers can be found up at the Colonsay House laundrette.

Land of the Corncrake

I was pleasantly surprised just how welcoming, relaxed and totally peaceful Colonsay was, even despite its normal population being swelled to three times the size by the numbers of visitors streaming off the MV Hebridean Isles one hot Wednesday morning back in May 2009. Yes, it is a tiny little place in comparison with the likes of Arran, Islay or Skye, yet seems to cope easily with ferry-loads of tourists that go away much more content than when they arrived. Don’t take it from me, though – everyone I spoke to whilst waiting for the ferry again that evening didn’t have a bad word to say about the island, most in fact were only too keen to rave on at length about how they wanted to return as soon as possible. No doubt Colonsay is a fairly bleak place in the middle of winter, or when Atlantic storms will whip salt-laden spray from one side of the island to the other, but I’m sure that only adds to the charm of the place during the better months each year.

The fact that it’s a bit difficult to get to ensures that many don’t even try – which means that if you’re enthusiastic and determined enough to do so, you’ll not only be rewarded by its tranquillity and peacefulness, but you’ll find ample enough time to take life at the pace it’s supposed to be lived – relaxed, enjoyable and rewarding. Just don’t tell anyone how good it really is, otherwise it will eventually sink beneath the waves due to the sheer weight of numbers!
 

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