Back to Colonsay now. Scalasaig is a wee, albeit the largest settlement, spread over quite a large area and has, besides a hotel, brewery, and a beautiful church an excellent shop annex post office annex petrol station. The reason why I mention this shop is that when you’re out and about for a day on Colonsay you might want to stock up first because this is in fact the only shop on the island. If you’re a day tripper from Islay you’ll have about six hours to discover the island before you have to return to Scalasaig for the return ferry.

If you’re a first time visitor of Colonsay and arrive at Scalasaig either with a car of bike you’re probably doing the circular road which starts and ends in Scalasaig. The best known attractions on Colonsay are Kiloran Bay in the north-west of the island, Colonsay House and Gardens in the centre of the island, the House of Lochar bookshop in the west not far from the golf course/landing strip and Oronsay with it’s priory in the south. The island is also an excellent place to to discover by foot

Of course there are other means of visiting Colonsay besides a day trip to the island from Islay. The island has direct ferry and air services with Oban. Colonsay has some excellent facilities such as b&b’s, guesthouses, a hotel and a good selection of self catering cottages which makes the island a perfect destination for a longer stay. For more information you can visit the Colonsay page on this site or the Colonsay community website

Another reason for this blog post has something to do with the population on Coll, which is currently around 200 people. There is an interesting story to tell about the decline and growth of the islands population. The following article appeared in the Oban Times titled Isle Of Coll Population Explosion and was written by Moira Kerr:

The Scottish island of Coll is enjoying a population explosion with the number of residents now at its highest for 30 years, up 70 per cent compared to the 1981 census. And one couple, whose four children have all moved back to Coll to raise their own sons and daughters, have received the community’s “Oscar” for best breeder, as their family of 21 now make up almost ten per cent of the island’s population. There were 131 people living on Coll in 1961, when the island, which lies in the Inner Hebrides, had no electricity and relied on gas heating and lighting. But today the numbers have soared to 228, with the island bucking national trends to boast a bumper population of children, with 56 under-16s, including 22 at high school, 20 at primary school, eight of pre-school age and 12 under-threes.

Island nurse Esther MacRae, who has lived on Coll for 35 years, said: “I remember, at one time, in the 1970s, the population went down to 104, although that wasn’t at the time of a census. Improved transport links and the coming of electricity has changed it.” Julie Oliphant, who has been running Coll Hotel with her husband Kevin for the last 25 years, said the island’s population was really booming at the moment. She said: “When we came here the population was 150 but now it’s going up and there are babies everywhere. “There are lots of young families here now. They have decided that this is the perfect place to bring up their children.”

One family in particular is contributing to the island’s vibrant population more than most. For all four of Brian and Moira MacIntyre’s children have now come back to Coll to raise their own families. The couple’s immediate family on the island number 21 and Mr MacIntyre, 61, said: “We are told that we now make up around ten per cent of the population. I think the population was 123 and there were five children at the local primary school when we moved here 23 years ago, but now there are 20 pupils at the primary school and it will go up to 25 next year.” He added: “We moved here from mainland Argyll and our four children all grew up here and then went away travelling around the world, or away to work. Now they are all back, with our eleven grandchildren. Mr MacIntyre, who is a farmer, said: “There was a charity fund raising ceremony on the island a couple of weeks ago and we got the Oscar for best ‘breeder’ on the island! Just because you are divided by a bit of water, some people think we are isolated here, but I don’t think we are.”

Seonaid Maclean-Bristol and her husband Alex moved here from London five years ago, back to the island where he grew up. The couple now have three children. Mrs Maclean-Bristol said they made a conscious decision to give up better paid jobs in the city to reap the rewards of a better lifestyle on the island. An improved ferry service and a new air link to Oban are helping to make the island more attractive to young families. However, the island’s population has a long way to go to reach past heights. In the late 1700s there were about 1,000 people living on Coll with the main industries farming and fishing.

A Remote Scottish Island In the Southern Hebrides

‘An island or isle is any piece of land that is surrounded by water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls are called islets. There are two main types of islands: continental islands and oceanic islands. A grouping of geographically and/or geologically related islands is called an archipelago. The word island comes from Old English ‘watery land’. However, the spelling of the word was modified in the 15th century by association with the etymologically unrelated Old French loanword isle.’

When I think of an island in relation to that special island feeling certain words emerge such as remote, lonely, magic, solitude, scenery, harsh, community, wild and wildlife, secluded beaches, wind swept and inaccessible just to name a few. Have you noticed that words like tropical and palm trees are not included in my list? For me islands have more appeal in a non tropical climate but that’s just a personal preferance. I find that an oceanic climate adds something extra to the island feelings of isolation and loneliness. In connection with dreams and islands I found the following: ‘To dream of being on an island can express the dreamer’s feelings of isolation and loneliness. At times, it can represent the desire to escape the hassle of everyday life.’

Others have tried to capture the magic of islands, and particularly the Scottish islands, in beautifully phrased descriptions such as Hamish Haswell Smith, the author of the book Scottish Islands: “There are few parts of the world which possess such magic and mystery as the seas around Scotland. This is an area of breathtaking beauty with a character formed not only by the proximity of mountains and sea but also by the complexity of the geography and the geology, of the climate and the social history. It is a serene yet chaotic landscape in which every isle has a distinct personality Each is an individual entity with differences so remarkable that the mere crossing of a short stretch of water can be like visting another continent.”

Sunrise over the Isle of Jura seen from Port Askaig Islay

On a Dutch website by Ruud Bijlsma I found another fitting description of islands and its people: “As a result of their prolonged isolation their atmosphere is different from the mainland. On an island you feel somewhat detached from the rest of the world. You can’t get off any moment you like, unless adverse weather prevents it. Other people cannot easily reach you there. That’s why people living on an island are different from ‘mainlanders’. They are more thrown together, more concerned with their own small community than with the wide ‘outside world’.” I think it’s true that island communities are often close knit, specially the smaller islands, which is probably something that remained from the old days when people had no other choice than to rely on each other.

I would like to end this story with a nice description of the Scottish islands, my favourites and probably yours too: “The islands of Scotland are some of the most enchanting places on earth. Even the tiniest of them has its own individual character and charm. Dramatic sunsets, spectacular scenery and a traditional Scottish island welcome are just a few of the things that await you.” Aye to that!

Back in 2005 I started the website www.islayinfo.com some years later followed by the www.jurainfo.com site. Both sites are dedicated to some of the most beautiful islands in the Inner Hebrides. The Southern Hebrides website and blog is for me a logical follow up of the Islay and Jura websites and it’s also a homage to this magical part of Scotland.

There are many islands in the Southern Hebrides, most of them are not (yet) visited by me. But that didn’t stop me from making this website. Building each page and doing research on the islands and their history was a learning process, something I did, and still do, with great pleasure. For me it’s an escape into a world I don’t live in but would love to be a part of. My trips to this part of the world are the highlight of each year and every time I discover new features, learn more and get to know more people and even make close friends.

The Southern Hebrides blog is a place where I want to share snippets of island information and pictures which I find on my real as well as virtual journeys. Don’t expect daily posts but every now and then I will try to give you some background information about this fantastic area which is so much worth visiting and cherishing.

Thanks very much for your visit and I welcome you back anytime. If you have any comments, want to see certain information here or just want to send me an email please feel free to contact me through my feedback form.