A project is afoot to create an archive of the Coll Magazine. As has been stated on the back of every issue since its inception in 1983, “The Coll Magazine is a once yearly publication of one small Hebridean Island’s personal imprint.” As such it is a unique document, pertinent as an annual read, but also as a historical document. With some issues now out of print, and a general increase in the use of the internet to source materials, I thought that an archive would be a useful and fun resource for existing and new readers.
The archive will be accessible via the web and there will be two ways to view it. One will be to browse through an entire magazine, in which instance you would be viewing the magazine page by page exactly as it was published. The alternate method will be to call up a specific article or image by searching the website for example, by author, illustrator, general subject, or names and places. Users would be able to print individual articles or, where available, order back issues. Work has already begun. A whole host of people on Coll are involved in scanning, cataloguing, proofreading, typing and setting up the website. We have decided to reproduce each article exactly as it originally appeared. This means any spelling mistakes will be carried through and also that there will be no general standard for the spelling of names or place names. This makes for lively proofreading sessions, where in one hour you can encounter as many different spellings of Breacachadh as there are Coll children currently under five years of age (a staggering 16 by the way). Personally I feel that the different spellings of place names are in and of themselves interesting indicators of the author’s background. Likewise people’s use of grammar can give an idea as to their manner of speaking, and as such should be left well alone. Cataloguing of articles has proved to be a daunting exercise. Broad categories like history or nature are two of the more obvious choices, while cookery (remember corncrake pie) and humour (always debateable) have caused more discussion.
The project will run for two years and the resultant website will hopefully benefit anyone curious or passionate about or indeed intrigued by life on Coll. The website will be updated each year following the publication of the traditional paper version.
The archive is part of a larger project headed by the Education Forum and is being funded by Heritage Lottery Funding, Scottish Natural Heritage, Whelk Leader Plus and the Magazine itself. In kind donations are coming from volunteer consultants and free advertising in Coll’s newsletter, Coll Information and News.

If you would like more information on this project or if you have submitted articles, photos or illustrations in the past and do not wish to see your work published on the website, please contact Emma by email emma@isleofcoll.org or write to Drimcruy, Isle of Coll, Argyll, PA78 6TB