The very sudden passing of Calum MacQuarrie last November brought a deep sense of shock and sorrow to all who knew him. Calum, though born on Tiree, was a true Collach, and could regale any company with tales of the island he once knew, adding a wry sense of humour which was attributed to him alone.

Throughout the years he retained a keen genealogical interest in various family trees, and was never hesitant to seek knowledge from anyone who might help him in his quest. As a lad of 18 years he volunteered to join the RAF in which he served for seven years in various postings, including France with the B.E.F.. On returning home to Coll he drove the schoolchildren to Arinagour school when the other three island schools were closed. He was also Officer-in-Charge of Coll Coastguard, or L.S.A as it was then known, and for which he received a long service medal. In 1955? he joined the Post Office as Postman, delivering the mails for the first time by van. This new van was greeted with little enthusiasm at first, the general cry being "a van will never work on Coll". Of course, we were islanders, slow to change and unwilling to accept any innovations. Calum however, proved the cynics wrong and gave us many years of faithful service. I recall when he was snow bound on one of his initial deliveries, but not to be deterred, Calum delivered the mails on foot.

On his retiral, for which his services were accordingly recognised, his main interests were his garden and his lobster fishing in Arinagour Bay - though he was often heard to say "there are no lobsters left in the bay!" Sadly, he may have been right, the small bonuses for the `golden oldies' are no longer there. Calum's willingness to help those whose needs were greater than his was evident when he could be seen helping his neighbours in various ways. His passing has left a void in the community, another Collach gone, another Gaelic speaker gone, but remember him we always will. Our sympathy and thoughts go to Annie and her family.