Vanlife, wild swimming and doughnuts on a remote island in the Scottish Inner Hebrides
For ages, I had longed to visit the Hebridean Islands, captivated by the fairy tale allure I had read about and seen on my screen: sparkling clear turquoise waters, towering sea stacks, rich and varied wildlife, stretches of soft white sand, and remarkable traditional arts and crafts.
So, a few summers back Buttercup and I boarded a Calmac Ferry and set off for the Isle of Coll to squat outside my amazing bestie from Primary School's house.
The ferry to Coll is an early start; so I had parked up the night on the front in Oban, hoping that no one would move me on and force me to drive miles away for a couple of hours kip. Thankfully the Scottish are a friendly bunch and I was left to slumber peacefully with just the sound of the waves lapping at the sea wall next to me.
The ferry resembled a whale as it's huge mouth opened to reveal a gaping stomach waiting to swallow up all the vehicles that sat ready to board. Coll would be the first stop so on we went alongside a handful of cars, a delivery truck laden with food and packages for the island residents and a horse box, without a vehicle towing it, containing two rams! The vehicles for Tiree were loaded next and then off we sailed towards the Sound of Mull.
Sailing around the Inner Hebrides is really quite stunning. You chug out of Oban, the lights of the picturesque fishing town fading in your wake, and past the tail of Kerrera and a gorgeous wooden house that looks like something out of a Scandi film, before turning towards the southern tip of Lismore and it's pretty lighthouse balancing on the small islet Eilean Musdile in the Firth of Lorne. From here you can see Mull to your left and to your right is the dramatic coastline of the Morvern peninsula. As you travel up the Sound the mountains of Mull rise up at it's core and the coastline is dotted with bird laden cliffs, pretty fishing villages, the spectacular sight of Duart Castle and the famous colorful town of Tobermory. Past Tobermory the island turns to wild moorland and woodlands, and settlements become few and far between. Then you are free of the alleyway of the Sound and burst into open seas, rolling waves, an abundance of birdlife, and views out to the other worldly Treshnish Isles.
Coll and Tiree are laid out before you, flat and tiny in comparison to the likes of Mull, but pretty cottages dotted along the coastline and glimmers of bright clear waters and white sandy beaches entice you onwards to their shores.
Dolphins swam alongside us, darting in and out of the ferries wake, leaping and playing in the waves. The boat rolled with the swell and the breeze was salty on my lips. The Captain announced we'd shortly be arriving at Coll and it was time to return to Buttercup and get ready to depart to new soil, new adventures, new experiences and new friends.
As you come off the ferry at Coll, you'll instantly feel the community sprit - there are people milling around waiting for loved ones to visit or return from the mainland, the little post van is busy offloading the parcels and letters that were on the ferry and the postie is handing over anything to go back. The local delivery truck switch over is happening so that fresh food and anything not in the post van can go out to the shop, hotel, cafe and residents, and locals are waving and offering advice if you ask. The whalebone arch (a replica jawbone of a fin whale that washed ashore in 2004) on the hill welcomes you as you disembark at the port and start the short drive up the hill past the old canons and into the heart of the island, the wee village of Arinagour. Here a row of picture postcard fisherman cottages line the narrow 'main' street and look out onto Loch Eatharna and the small harbour, where fishing boats bob with the tides and seals can be seen playing in the kelp and basking on the rocks.
The village is small yet perfectly formed; with a very nice hotel, delicious café (I visit there a lot in this episode!), a post office, the most expensive fuel station ever (but it is expensive for a reason and run by amazing volunteers), a little shop selling groceries and, most importantly, a gin distillery!! Just up from the village's 'centre' is the wonderful community centre An Cridhe "the heart". This place is amazing and offers electric hook up and overnight parking for vans, vehicle charging stations, play areas, a wonderful hostel, a huge hall where there are weekly markets, events, sports classes, cèilidhs; there's a gym, bar, pop up shop, teeny library, and so much more; it truly is the heart of the community.
If you continue along the 'main' road you'll travel past the doctor's surgery and through beautiful moorlands, interspersed with lochans and views of the sea to your left, before you get to the island's airport - a small but integral facility that offers commercial flights to Oban and is also there to help keep locals safe in medical emergencies. Just beyond here you can find the 15th Century Breachacha Castle and the lovely bay that shares it's name, and not much further on are the stunning white sands of Crossapol and Feall beaches, which sit either side of a slim peninsula that continues to the far south westerly end of Coll and the spectacular Calgary Point that looks across to the small isle of Gunna and Tiree beyond.
For now I headed right at one of only four or five junctions on the island and followed the estuary and rocky moorlands towards my new home... Kate's gorgeous old croft house sits at the crossroad (not a crossroad at all as it's a T'Junction - but whatever!) and has been beautifully and sympathetically restored and extended over the years to create one of those cosy island life homes you can only dream of. The pretty stone cottage is surrounded on three sides by lush gardens full of colour, gorgeous floral smells and raised beds bursting with strawberries and veg; the hens peck around their enclosure (and often out of it as they are cheeky!) and provide the best eggs daily, and the greenhouses are full with tomatoes starting to ripen, corn husks awaiting harvest and so many other yummy goodies.
If this isn't the good life then I've no idea what is. John has built and nurtured this amazing outdoor space, using the stone uncovered whilst creating the garden to build impressive stone walls, a pond, 'Coll Henge', an obelisk and goodness knows what else. He's used recycled and washed up materials to help build the raised beds, greenhouses and other structures dotted around, which provide them and many of the community with their delicious home grown produce.
After debating putting up a tent in the garden, I parked Buttercup up against their front gate, and plugged into their electricity, lobbed some washing in their machine and ensured I was making full use of my new abode! As park ups go, this one wasn't too shabby. I had facilities, I could set up my coffee machine in the van, Steve (The Starlink) was outside providing internet and I had a view of cows and the sea. Heaven!
My first beach experience on Coll was that evening as the sun was setting. George and I cycled to the nearest beach; Cliad. It's actually the closest sandy beach to the village and is situated next to the 'Golf Course'. I use bunny ears as it's not what many would expect from a golf course, oh and you have to pass the rubbish tip to get there; but don't let those facts put you off! Cliad offers a long stretch of soft sand interspersed with rocky outcrops, deep turquoise waters and reefs; the perfect place for spotting otters, seals and birdlife. Like all of Coll's beaches you need to walk to it from the road, so it's not until you round that last dune that you are confronted by the stunning sight in front of you.
We rode along the empty beach as the sun started to set, creating a beautiful light over the sea, and went for our first Coll swim with the seals. A short ride back and we were tucked up in Buttercup for our first night on this enchanting island.
You visit Cliad and think, 'well that's epic; surely nowhere else will be any better than that'. Then you get taken to Toriston... made up of two beaches, 'Big T' and 'Wee T', as they are affectionately known by the locals, are stunning swim spots and easy to access especially if you have a 4x4 or car you're not afraid of grounding! But even for those with a normal vehicle, you can park at the graveyard and walk the short distance across the fields to the beaches. When the tide is out you will be hard pressed to know which country you are in as you stand on 'Big T', with it's white sand, sweeping sandbar and bright clear waters. It's the perfect spot for a swim, snorkel or picnic, but nothing beats just sitting on the rocks staring at that water. It is so tranquil and peaceful... no screaming kids, hoards of tourists, half buried disposable bbqs; just the sand, sky, sea, birds and your thoughts.
'Wee T' is equally tranquil and there's even room to camp in your campervan or tent on the surrounding grass (avoiding the machair) overlooking this cute beach. It's private land but you can book to stay there, and although there aren't any facilities, you can wake up with the sound of the birds and waves and maybe even spot an otter whilst enjoying your coffee. 'Wee T' is also the site of the many community antics, including the much anticipated annual Coll Beach Football and Beach Rugby tournaments; definitely get involved if you are on the island when these hotly contested champs are on!
So, thinking I've found my favourite beach, then I visit Red Rocks... Just along from 'Wee T', Red Rocks is a small bay surrounded by, you've got it, red rocks, seals a plenty, a lovely sandy beach perfect for a bbq or overnight camp in your tent or bivvi, and another chance to possibly spot an otter mooching from the sea and up the fresh water stream that runs down to the beach. To the right as you drop down over the dunes you'll see the stunning home being built by fabulous Keith and Julia, and instantly feel extremely jealous that you don't own it! Now, despite the many many beaches that Coll has to offer, and there are a lot, Red Rocks remains my favourite, as it is just so incredibly beautiful in the early morning sun, when the rocks almost glow pink, the sea turns a deep blue and seals watch you as you swim around the bay, sometimes bobbing close to you wondering 'what is this funny hairless creature in my pool'. After rain, the sea turns the colour of tea from the rocks and red sand that lines the fresh water stream; yet it still has a certain allure that draws me to want to swim here over and over again.
Our next beach venture was to Hogh Bay. Trialing our bike packing kit, we loaded up the bikes and rode along the quiet B8071 single track main road, past Grishipoll, a herd of 'heilan coos' (that's Highland Cows if you're not aware!), a field of alpacas, the tallest 'hill' on the island 'Ben Hogh' (104m), the pretty Loch Ballyhaugh and to the gateway at the Project Trust HQ. Here we pedaled across a field of cattle and sheep and then through colourful machair and onto Hogh. This beach can only be accessed by foot or bike, but you can park near Project Trust or at the RSPB carpark the other end of the bay at Totronald. The trip is worth the effort though as you are rewarded with a huge sweeping bay of pink sand, backed by tall dunes, and a wild churning sea that offers amazing surf. Possibly the best surf beach on the island, it's a great spot to play in the waves but beware of currents and the speed at which the tide turns here. There was no surf on this day but the sea was a pretty pale green and the sky glowered a dark grey the threat of rain imminent. We grabbed our bikes and whizzed back the way we came, home to Buttercup and a cup of tea.
After a week on the island, we headed down to the village to restock at the little shop, grab some lunch and visit the market that is held every Saturday morning in the village hall. In the village you can find everything you need and the delicious Island Cafe will provide you with tummy filling cakes, breakfasts, lunches and really great coffee. On certain days they offer woodfired pizzas that you can have in or takeaway, and local produce (Heather's home reared lamb is heavenly) is showcased on your plate which goes very well with a bottle of wine or two. On Saturday's in the summer there is often the chance of a hot freshly cooked doughnut, but be warned there will be a fight to get your hands on one, so get there early!
The market hosts local artisans, crafters, home cooks and producers, with a variety of delicious and beautiful things available to buy. If you miss the market, many stock their wares in the honesty shop in the hall's foyer, so no need to miss out on the incredible Coll honey... nom nom nom.
After eating too much and cycling back up the hill; Kate, George and I set off up the other main road towards the airport and the pretty cove of Gortan (Tráigh Ghortain). It's a little walk down to this beach, that generally hosts a herd of cattle chilling on the seaweed strewn sand, and it can be a little undulating and wet underfoot at times, but it is a lovely spot for a stroll and you'll generally only find locals here going for a dip, or sometimes a little bodysurf when the conditions are right. From here you can also plod across the moorland and rocky outcrops to a couple of other small bays.
This day however, we were meeting a fabulous bunch of ladies for a Wim Hof fundamentals workshop and swim. Jel Tje, a former GP on Coll, is a Wim Hof coach and when not doctoring (that's a word!) can be found encouraging folk to embrace the huge benefits of cold water exposure and the Wim Hof breathwork. We all laid down on our mats and towels, adopted the position and followed her careful and inspiring session through the breathing fundamentals before we all turned to mush and sank into the sand... ok not quite but it was fascinating to take time out to practice the breathing techniques from a professional, feel the amazing benefits, and then enjoying an exhilarating swim with a fun likeminded group of wonderful women. I also got accosted a lot by her gorgeous dog whom I had inadvertently made my best friend by throwing a stick before the session!
Our next big Coll experience was the annual Beach Football tournament. George had volunteered to join one of the local teams and Kate and I volunteered for cheerleading duties from the comfort of our beach chairs with wine and snacks! It was such a fabulous day; I think every islander and a few visitors were in attendance. The sun shone down on the sand, creating a warm pitch for the players to lay in, I mean tackle, and spirits were high all around. After a jolly good day of cheering on all the teams, the winners were announced, a trophy was filled with some liquid or another and the party continued into the night - not us, we're old and George forgot how hard playing football on sand is and was in need of a lie down! I just loved all the community events on the island and during our next visit the vibe and activities continued and we were able to join in even more of the fun.
The next few days were wet and windy but that wasn't going to stop us adventuring; so off we went to the most eastern point of the island way past Red Rocks and Toriston on the B8072 and the only segment of dual road on the island, to the small horseshoe bay of Sorisdale. There's a large turning area that you can park in if you are respectful, and then it's only a short stroll past some old croft buildings and sheilings to the beach. From here you look towards The Small Isles of Canna, Rum, Eigg and Muck, and on a clear day the view is one of the best on Coll. We had a lovely swim and cuppa before snuggling into Dryrobes and wooly hats and mooching back for dinner and some fun playing Rummikub (new favourite game for travelling!).
After a short bike packing trip to Tiree (another blog folks!) we continued to try and swim at every beach on Coll, eat too many cakes from the café and indulge in too much tequila at the Col Hotel! Our time to leave and head towards Barra was fast approaching, but there was still time for one last adventure and that was to visit the most remote beach on the island; travelling to the end of the B8070, way past the airport, beyond the castles and even beyond a footpath... we would be crossing miles of dunes and moorland to seek out the trig point at Calgary Point.
We parked up in the RSPB carpark; a large flat area surrounded by towering dunes and neighbouring pastureland randomly strewn with great boulders, from where you can access Feall and Crossapol beaches (more on Feall later) that sit either side of the 1km wide sand dunes at the tail end of the island. To get to Calgary Point we headed down the sandy farm track to Crossapol Bay and followed car tracks (yes this is the only way to access the farms and houses at the far end of the island) in the white sand to the little hamlet of Crossapol, where an ancient small burial ground sits proud overlooking the largest beach on Coll, a juxtaposition to the huge wind turbines that slowly dance like prima ballerinas at Caolais Farm. From here we followed a farm track over grazed moorland, where cattle and sheep happily viewed us as we passed, and made our way to Tráigh Halum, a cute secluded beach, that took a little creative off piste action to get to. Made up of sand and pebbles, the bay is scattered with lots of sea battered shells and other beachcombing gems. This was the most remote we had felt to date on Coll; just us, the sea, and the wildlife for company, plus the odd sheep eating the kelp. We didn't linger as the wind was whipping around the small bay and so we pressed on to our destination of the trig point and the spectacular views of Tiree and Gunna from the unbelievably breath taking beach that stretched along this remote western shore.
Tráigh nan Síolag is certainly worth the 4 (ish) mile hike; the sea is quite shallow between the shoreline and Gunna, creating a Maldives'esque looking bay, with the pale sand and colourful waters glistening under the sun. If you had a kayak or small boat, paddling and sailing around this area would be spectacular, and to be able to land on Gunna and visit the small white sandy bays there would, I expect, be rather magical. After pulling ourselves away from this little slice of heaven, we started the long hike back over the very boggy and marshy moors towards Caolais Farm and the track back onto Crossapol Bay and the van beyond. If you do this walk, don't go back the way we did! I'd suggest sticking to the route in as it's far easier underfoot and there's a track most of the way to Calgary Point if you don't divert to Halum. We got back absolutely knackered; it had only been around 9miles but the second half had been tough going and sugar levels were plummeting! A quick bite to eat and cup of tea in the van and then we returned to our squatters pitch for our last couple of days on the island.
That trip may have come to an end but in 2024 Buttercup and I returned...this time for longer but still making use of our new home outside Kate's at the crossroad that isn't a crossroad!
Like before, we ventured far and wide, visiting the beaches we had frequented the year previous and finding new ones too. I spent a lot more time in the café, joined the Saturday morning fight for doughnuts, became part of the Dip a Day crowd, and we even tried out the ancient and expensive fuel pump!
I already felt like one of the gang as I waited for the ferry in Oban and got chatting to a lady I recognised and who recognised me from the previous visit; it was only Julia the lady with the epic house at Red Rock... she updated me on the house's progress and I updated her on my adventures over the past year, before we got on the delayed ferry to head the long way around to Coll - going via Tiree is an extra hour and it's quite frustrating sailing poast Coll to Tiree to turn around again! Coming off at Coll the normal comings and goings were happening and as I started the drive up the hill a lone chap was plodding fully laden down with a rucksack, so, now being an honoury local - or swallow as the locals call the part time islanders - I offered him a lift. After whizzing out towards the airport to drop Niall home, I swung around and headed to Kate's. She thought I'd got lost as I'd been so long from the ferry docking but I informed her that I was doing my islander bit! I soon settled back into my little spot on the island and the routine of swimming at one of the glorious beaches each day regardless of the weather (which transpired to be pretty crappy that summer!).
The first few days I swam at Cliad as I was going solo, but after this I joined Kate and some of the other 'Dip a Day'ers for early morning dooks. Red Rocks and 'Wee T' became regular haunts, and each morning we would see a beautiful hare making his way across the fields, enjoy the colours across the bays as the sun came up or the rain clouds rolled in, and if dry, sit with our coffees and just be at one with the world and wildlife that surrounded us.
One morning Kate and I went solo to Struan (Tráigh Bhousd), a beautiful, quiet beach, where John and Kate got married. It's one of those very tranquil spots, where you just want to sit and enjoy the surroundings. Sometimes you'll find sheep or cows on the beach, and early mornings you'll spot otter footprints in the sand. Swimming here is super pleasurable and the walk from the parking area isn't too strenuous, so another great spot to spend the day with a picnic. Our daily drives to the beaches became quite a comedy show - alas there was no one to witness our hysterics! We'd be driving along and we'd both shout 'weeeee' over every hill and around each bend, call out 'sheep' as one crossed the road, or 'biiiird' as a swallow darted low into our slipstream seeking out bugs for breakfast. As for another car coming towards us; well, that was cause for great hilarity!
I had a day off of work, so grabbed my bike, rain coat and snacks and rode into the village for breakfast (obvs!), before I headed out on the airport road enjoying the fresh air, hail smacking into my face, the huge puddles forming in the road and the gorgeous semi misted views! Also, there seemed to be an influx of traffic this day - perhaps the ferry had just come in and everyone was whizzing to their warm homes to shelter from the onslaught of the abysmal weather, but it made cycling a little frustrating having to pull over every 5minutes to avoid a soaking! Finally the cars had subsided once more, and other than another wet cyclist going towards the village, an eagle and a few sheep, I was alone again as I continued on towards Breachacha.
Breachacha is larger than it first appears; it has an extremely high tide, making it feel more like an estuary than a beach as it becomes quite narrow and is surrounded by lush green mud banks, wading birds and low level multicoloured rocks, but when the tide is out it reveals a huge sandy bay where the islands two castles stand proudly looking out to sea and a shallow bay of clear water creates a perfect safe haven for paddling and snorkelling. The older of the two structures was built in the 15th Century as a tower house and was the seat of the Macleans of Coll, but was replaced by the larger, manor house looking, castle in the 1700s. Access to the bay is simple, as you can park near the castles and walk the short way down the private track to the beach or alternatively hike to it along the coastline from Port na Luing near Crossapol Bay, or from Gortan in the other direction. Both are tough walks with undulating and rough terrain but a great day out if looking for an interesting hike with quiet bays for lunch stops.
From the castle I took a right, which led me down a track to the RSPB carpark at Totronald, and from here a fun sandy slightly off piste track led me behind the dunes to the far end of Hogh. I passed a couple bike packing and setting up their camp for the night and another group camping down near the beach. It was great to see so many people out enjoying and exploring this beautiful island despite the terrible weather. I stopped at Hogh to enjoy my snacks, sitting on a rocky outcrop watching the sky turn delightful shades of blues and greys as a storm brewed out at sea; the beach stretched out to my left looking especially colourful, the sand almost peach, the sea deep blues and greens and the waves looking almost surfable with their bright white peaks crashing onto the rocks and sand.
This was the most beautiful I had seen Coll; the light was perfect and despite the continued threat of rain and the wind whipping around me; I was caught up in the moment and felt unbelievably happy and honoured to witness such a perfect scene. It was started to get chilly, so with a heavy heart I set off once more to return to Buttercup, a hot shower and dry kit.
After I'd been on the island for a couple of weeks and getting into the routine of swims, work, coffee breaks, Saturday morning doughnut fights and pizza nights; George decided she had FOMO ('Fear Of Missing Out' for my older readers!) and headed on up to Scotland. After a slightly traumatic overnight nap in her very small car that was full with her bike, kit etc. she arrived safe on Coll and slotted right back into island life joining us on our daily swims and supporting the local economy by indulging in tea and doughnuts at the café too!
On George's first full day I took her to Feall. We drove across to the RSPB carpark at the western end where we had previously parked for our Calgary Point hike, and this time headed up the steep sand dunes ahead. Thinking the beach was literally on the other side of this peak, we were a little put out to find it was not! Just a sea of rolling dunes... now logically this was obvious as I've already stated previously the dunes are over a kilometer wide between Crossapol and Feall; so why I thought I'd climb this dune to the sea I have no idea! However, we plodded on like Bedouin explorers crossing the great desert under the burning midday sun (yes the sun had finally appeared for our one day of summer!), and after ascending and descending what felt like miles of dunes, we finally reached the sea. Well, it was certainly worth the effort, as a huge crescent bay of pale pink and chalk white sand greeted us, the azure blue sea lapping at it's shore and bright turquoise rock pools looked like man made swimming baths glistened under the bright sun. Tantilising caves backed into the grass topped cliffs, hiding all sorts of treasures, and birds swept around the rocks before diving into the sea to retrieve their lunch.
We donned our swim kit and leapt in to the clear rockpools before some wave jumping and swimming in the almost warm sea. We vouched to return with bodyboards another day to try and get some surf action as it is such a safe bay for playing in the waves compared with the rougher and bigger Hogh. People had arrived, so not wanting to share the beach we left! The walk back was easier as we just followed the well defined track directly to the car through beautiful meadows of machair bursting with colour and wildlife. A stunning circular stroll very much recommended to all but beware of those dunes!
A few days later we returned with John and Kate in tow, managed to drive nearly all the way down the bumpy track to the beach and in our neoprene we frolicked in the waves like teenagers, catching some epic surf and enjoying plenty of party waves whilst John kept watch on lifeguard duty (that was his excuse for not coming in!). So worth it and we'll certainly be doing that again on our next visit.
After deciding to do my back in with another herniated disc - no idea how I did it either - I was on rest for a few weeks (the doctor surgery on Coll is excellent by the way) and other than very gentle walks on my sticks to the easiest beach, a spot of floating in the sea, helping to feed the alpacas and sing to them (check out my Facebook for the Alpaca Song!), I was resigned to not doing anything too exciting and typically it was the time of all the exciting island stuff happening.
Firstly I missed the beach rugby and football competitions as I wasn't able to get to the beach let alone participate; I missed the Coll Show cèilidh, the fishing competition, the fishing cèilidh, and the Half Marathon to name a few of the events held over the summer. I was able to pass out Jelly Babies from my chair for the marathon and call out words of support to the runners and walkers but that was about it! However, we did manage to attend the Show, see all the amazing crafts, home grown fruit and veg, creative flower displays and cute crochet octopuses etc. George even took part in the very competitive Tug of War which Rob Wainwright took very seriously with his refereeing! The community spirit, competition, mick taking, passion and happiness really shines through at each of these events. Everyone chips in, everyone is welcomed with open arms and you are guaranteed of a very good time. I even won three bottles of fizz at the raffle - winning at life right there!
Once I was able to walk more than 50 metres with my sticks, Kate took us to a secret spot for some snorkelling. Ok it's not that secret as it's on the Visit Coll website, but it was a little tougher to get to than the other beaches mentioned to date. Tráigh Eileraig is a small pebbly bay which is accessed by a little walk over some boggy ground from a small pull in on the road to Sorisdale just past the cattle grid. The 'track' follows the wall and fence from the road before dropping down to this quaint sheltered spot, where a large rock sits deep in the middle of the cove, surrounded by kelp forests full of fish and sea creatures. It's perfect for swimming and snorkeling and you can even dive off of the rock into the clear water below. We donned our wetsuits as the summer heat still hadn't come about despite now being mid August, and enjoyed time swimming through the the clear water spotting fish, a potential octopus, lots of anemones and other sealife. It was great fun, and afterwards we perched on a rock enjoying a flask of hot coffee and the peacefulness of the bay.
The rest had significantly reduced our adventures but we were still swimming every day at the normal spots, a few new 'secret' ones, and eating too much at the café. We even splurged out on an evening meal at the Coll Hotel - very very tasty.
Near the end of the trip we had one more beach we really wanted to visit; Tráigh Tuath or the 'North Shore' as it's known locally. It was a beautiful day (typical seeing as summer was pretty much over!) so we packed up a lunch, towels and drinks, hopped in George's car and mooched up towards Sorisdale. We found somewhere to abandon the car - trust me that's what you do on these islands - and with the help of my sticks we set off to find a new beach.
The walk to the North Shore by the route we took was certainly not the easiest and I did start to wonder if we had made a mistake... we ploughed on through some very muddy and boggy terrain until we clambered over a mound to see a stunning bay stretch out before us. With the sun shining, the sea was crystal clear, the sand sparkled, and like most beaches on Coll it was totally deserted. Beyond the bay you could see the Cairns of Coll, a series of small islets that offer great snorkelling and sun kissed white sandy bays, but is only accessible by a small boat or kayak. Yippee, we thought, as we descended to the soft sand, kicking our shoes off and creating fresh prints as we plodded along debating where to set up our perch for the day. George left me in a semi comfortable spot and headed off to explore the rocks and rock pools that accompany this pretty bay, and I just enjoyed the sun on my skin and the sounds of the sea gently lapping away.
We decided as no one was around we'd enjoy a little au natural dip. So we stripped off and 'ran' into the cooling water. This bay is very deep and there's a rock that sits not far from the shoreline that is easy to swim to. George wanted to climb up to jump off but it was covered in prickly barnacles and she didn't have swim shoes on; so abandoning that idea we decided to swim around the rock. After a little while George decided she was getting a bit cold so headed back as I carried on around the rock to come back to shore via a narrow channel between the rocks. It was at this point I realised this was a bad idea! The under current between the rocks was so strong that it was creating a strange churned area where you could neither swim towards the shore or back the way you had come. Trying not to panic or freak George out, I calmly started to swim at full strength back out to sea hoping there may be a current to pull me back out. After a lot of effort for only a meter or two of gain I broke free of the current but now had to swim against the tide back around the rock to return to shore. By this point George was panicking! I was secretly panicking too; would I end up beached like a fat naked mermaid on top of a rock slightly further out to sea that I knew would be the easier option to swim towards, would I drown trying to get back around the rock, or would my poor arms hold out and return me safely to the soft sand in an Oscar winning performance like that of a shipwrecked survivor? I couldn't use my legs to swim as my back wasn't strong enough still, which left my un-Arnie arms to do all the hard work. I got onto my back knowing I could swim better that way and avoid risk of inhaling seawater in my self rescue attempt, as George ran up and down the beach debating whether to call the coastguard or leap in and end up with us both stuck. The thought of the coastguard coming out and the embarrassment of my being dragged unceremoniously from a rock in my birthday suit spurned me on, and I somehow found the strength to swim out of the current and back to shore... Enveloped in George's arms (not sure how she didn't keel over with a heart attack after all that pacing!) and a dry towel, I had a long drink of water, got dressed and lay on the sand to recover from another near drowning incident - must stop having those! It just goes to show no matter how strong a swimmer you are, your experience in open water or the preparation you do, the sea sometimes has other ideas. At that moment a couple pootled around the corner from the easier walk in to the beach, asked us if we'd enjoyed our swim, made polite conversation and mooched off again. Hopefully they didn't witness the ordeal minutes earlier as my white ass staggered on to the beach in the most unflattering manner!
We decided we had had enough excitement for one day; so plodded back the other way following the coast towards Sorisdale - if you come to this beach, this is the better route in; there's almost a path! By the time we got to Sorisdale I was done in, so I sat on a rock and let George walk to retrieve the car and come pick me up. That evening over pie and wine, we relayed the story to Kate and John, who found it quite amusing and shocking at the same time and told me off for doing silly things again; 'when will you learn' was uttered I believe!
Our time on Coll had once again come to an end, and as we mentally adjusted to having to live without our own personal egg tree and veg bushes to forage from daily, the vast array of local beaches to swim at, the community of smiling, happy souls, and the best doughnuts known to man, we knew life would be once again be a little less fulfilled. Between the hugs and tears we vowed to return again the next summer and off to the ferry port we drove ready for the sailing back to Oban and our onward journey to our next destination.
Thank you to Kate and John for your amazing hospitality; the community of Coll for being so darn friendly, the awesome swimmers who let me join in their daily dips, and to you all for reading this epic saga on the Isle of Coll...
MY 5 FAVOURITE BEACHES FOR A SWIM:
Red Rocks
'Big T'
Struan
Cliad
Gortan
MY 5 FAVOURITE BEACHES FOR DRAMATIC VIEWS:
Tráigh nan Síolag
North Shore
Feall
Clabhach
Hogh
MY FAVOURITE DOUGHNUT FILLINGS:
Jam
Still jam - why would you choose anything else!!
Next time I'll be heading to Tiree on a bike, and the beaches are quite special there too...
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