Useful links

You may find the following links useful in giving you an idea of the sort of amenities and activities that Colonsay offers. While intended to give you an idea of the island and its surroundings, the list is by no means exhaustive — please contact us if you have any specific questions or enquiries.

Amenities

Although small, Colonsay has an impressive range of amenities for use. See the linked websites where available for opening hours and further details.

  • The Colonsay General Store - The shop has an excellent range of goods including fresh, locally produced meat and seafood. Additionally, a delivery service is offered so your shopping can be waiting for you at our properties when you arrive.
  • The Colonsay Pantry - The pantry is a cafe located just left of the pier and stocks freshly baked cakes and pastries, barista grade coffee, locally themed gifts and is the only place on the island which stocks Colonsay wildflower honey.
  • The Colonsay Hotel - The hotel offers a welcoming, rustically themed bar stocking a range of malt whiskies, ales, locally produced Colonsay beer and gin. Additionally, the adjoining restaurant offers a range of meals using locally sourced seafood, Scottish lamb, beef and pork.
  • House of lochar publishers - Our independent publishing house stocks a variety of quality titles for the discerning bibliophile. Books on subjects such as local and maritime history, roads and railways, genealogy and biographies from award winning authors are offered.
  • Wild Island Distillery and Colonsay Brewery - Colonsay is the smallest island in the world to sport its own distillery and brewery, which produces award winning gin and a range of artisan beers.
  • Colonsay House Cafe - Located in the beautiful woodland and rhododendron garden of Colonsay house, the cafe serves light snacks, tea and coffee. Postcards and local gifts are also available.
  • The Old Waiting Room Gallery - The gallery stocks an array of art, crafts and gifts created by both local and visiting artists, and also homes the tourist information point on the island.
  • Christine's Den - A gift shop which is home to local arts and crafts items, and also stocks gifts from further afield.
  • The Service Point - Provides clerical facilities for the use of the community, such as photocopying, faxing and Internet access. The library is also located here.

Activities

Your holiday on Colonsay can be as sedate and relaxing or as active as you desire. The island offers many unique activities for all ages and tastes - see the linked websites where available for further information.

  • Ceilidhs - Traditional Scottish dances are held in the community hall on Saturday nights from 8pm in the summer and school holidays.
  • Ceòl Cholasa music festival - The island hosts a popular folk music festival every September.
  • Colonsay book festival - Once a year, world renowned authors give short readings of some of their titles.
  • Spring festival - Held in celebration of the spring, the festival includes a mix of nature and craft activities, guided walks and evening talks.
  • Colonsay rugby festival - Rugby matches are held every year which are attended by many professional teams from around Scotland. This is all the more surprising when you consider that Colonsay doesn't have a permanent rugby pitch!
  • Guided tours - We provide guided tours of the island, detailing both natural and cultural history. The tours available vary in length and topic - for further details see the Colonsay website.
  • Bike hire - Local resident Archie McConnell offers a variety of adult and childrens bicycles for hire on a daily or weekly basis.
  • Charter boat hire - Coastal connection have chartered boats for hire and tours around a variety of locations in the western isles, including Colonsay.
  • Fishing - In addition to sea fishing, visitors can fish in the local lochs. Loch an Sgoltaire and Loch Fada are resident to brown trout, descendants of fish introduced by the monastic community in Kiloran Abbey. Visitors desiring to fish in the lochs are requested to join the Colonsay fly fishing association at the hotel or Colonsay estate office, which gives access to the fishing log and boats.
  • Golf - Colonsay offers a largely natural 18 hole golf course with modest green fees (paid at the hotel), which is reputedly over 200 years old.
  • MacPhie climbing - A popular activity for walkers in Colonsay is that of MacPhie climbing, a MacPhie being a hill in excess of 300ft in height. 22 such peaks are recorded in the official list, with a total circuit of approximately 20 miles in length. Walkers often aim to visit all of these in one run, and record their route and time - locations, heights and OS references are available on the Colonsay website.
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