“… always knowing from early childhood that the East End was the place to be. Once a year we would get an invite to the Castle, but it was always good to get back home. The West End was very sociable on account of all the incomers working on the Estate, but there was a much greater sense of community at the East End. In fact, each end of the island was very separate - folks hardly meeting except for annual events.

Our best outings were the Sabbath School (Free Church) Picnics. I remember paddling at Struan beach with my best dress on. Nobody minded. Everyone was having a good time. The ladies always made lots of scones and pancakes and tea."

Annie Jessie Sliep

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“... being so very welcomed on my first visit to Coll in the late '50s. I was a student minister of the Free Church, on furlough from South Africa. I deputised all over the Highlands and Islands at that time.

I got the impression Coll was a very nice place to be. Though I found it quite an experience getting from the big rolling boat into the equally rolling little ferry boat. I'll not forget that!

And I didn't forget Coll. I came back. It must have been the island calling, or was it the person to whom I am now married?"

Rev Sliep

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"...standing with the rest of my brothers at the breakfast table every morning watching Father give Mother her daily glass of stout which he got from a keg that was delivered from the mainland. My Mother did not keep good health. I remember how special the glass was; it was very tall and thin. We children clustered around, ever hopeful that we would get a taste but would never dare ask.

" Flora MacLennan

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"...me, a Tiristeach, coming to Coll with my new husband, a Muileach, both of us for the first time. Jimmy had got a job as Gamekeeper on the Estate; I was to work at Acha. Our home to be the Garden House. It was wartime. Jimmy had been invalided out of the Army. We had met when I was working in the canteen at the Lochaline silica mine. He was in the Royal Observer Corps. It was love at first sight.

After our wedding on the mainland and honeymoon on the Isle of Bute we sailed to Tiree first to see my Mother. The Tiree folks advised us not to come to Coll: 'the house you are going to has no road to it!' They were shocked.

It took us a week to reach Coll owing to bad weather. The Coll ferryboat was badly damaged on the first abortive attempt to get alongside the mailboat. The Captain, John MacKinnon, thought the Coll ferryman was being a coward and cursed his lack of effort to set out to meet the mailboat on subsequent attempts. The week was spent doing the triangle of Tiree, Mull and hopefully, Coll. The Collachs, not having had a boat for a week, were all down in force at 6.00am when the ferryboat finally made it. I was amazed at the number of people standing on the jetty watching us come up the stone steps. Was it for me? Everyone was eyeing me up and down. "She'll not last long," I heard someone say. Others thought 'he' would.

A horse and cart took us to the Garden House. The horse was called Jock. I'll never forget that horse.

" Katina MacDonald

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"...saving the pennies to buy my first suit. I was only a lad at the time, working at Gallanach. The height of my ambition was to have a navy blue suit like the other men had. I was measured for it in Coll Stores. It was made on the mainland and cost £1/10s and was saved for going to church, funerals, weddings and Show Day. It was at a Show Day Dance that my wife to be, Iza Irvine of Crossapol, and I danced the night away. Aye, I liked that suit fine!".

Bob Stewart.

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"...the night the Tapti went aground. I was just walking out of the Ballard back door and the sky was alight. We didn't bother much for it wasn't long after the War and the beaches were awash with flares. The young folk would set them off for a laugh. But by the morning we knew it was for real. She had gone aground on Soay. There was no cargo aboard and two strange things happened with that boat. The lifeboats and motorboat of the Tapti were all put over the side and when the Captain and crew were finally taken to safety by the Mallaig lifeboat, the Tapti’s boats were left tied alongside until a decision was made about salvage.

Next morning that motor boat was gone. Nobody on Coll took it for we would have known. Likewise anyone from Tiree. I think it would have been a seine netter in the night.

When the salvage vessel arrived it moored in Breachacha Bay. The crew went over to the wreck in a small boat and took off the two end hatch covers. With the next tide the afterholds flooded and down she slid.

The Tapti was only a few years old. That is the other strange thing about that ship."

Alec MacLennan

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"...coming home after our wedding in March 1949. Hughie and I got married on the mainland and after our honeymoon made for Oban and the boat. Just as we were about to step onto the gangplank the Captain blocked our way. "You'll not be going to Coll in this boat, I'm afraid. The remains of the Laird of Caolis are going home for burial." It was unlucky for a bride and groom to travel with a corpse aboard. The flag of the Lochearn was at half mast. So, Hughie and I had two extra days of honeymoon in Oban!

On the next boat out, the flag was not at half mast. There was bunting all over her, as was the custom with newly married couples travelling home."

Chrissie MacKinnon

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"…. the telephone system. Our house, the old Tigh na Mara, was the Post Office and Telephone Exchange, linked to Tiree. The New Castle, Acha and the Lodge were the only connections on the island. By special arrangement the locals were allowed to use the service on occasion. My father sold gramophone records and when the Tiree folk got to know of this they were keen to buy but wanted to hear the selection before sending any money. "No bother!" said my father, "Just pick up the 'phone!" And that's what he did - played the records over the 'phone to Tiree. Songs with singers like Neil MacLean, Jenny Curry and Margaret Duncan - our Thirties 'Top of the Pops'

Robert Sturgeon

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"...the snowstorm of '56. I had just become the sole island postman taking the place of the three bicycle postmen. I was to have a van - a red Morris Minor with the Royal Insignia on the sides. On January 9th the GPO Supervisor came over from Mull to assess the routes. When it came to delivering the mail to Caolis I drove down to the edge of Crossapol beach. It was no bother for cars in those days; the track was not gouged out by heavy tractors and trailers. The Supervisor said he would wait in the van. Snow started to fall as I walked the beach. By the time I got back it was blizzard conditions, a gale coming in from the south east. The Supervisor had not thought to get the van back to the road. We were blocked in the sand dunes and had to walk for help carrying the mail bag. The Laird, Kenneth Stewart, gave us a lift to the Village in the Landrover.

It stopped snowing by 8.00pm but there were snowdrifts across the roads for days. The official Post Office bicycle had not been returned to the mainland so that is how I delivered the mail until the snow was gone. Quite a start for the first ever Post Office van on the island!"

Calum MacQuarrie

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"...the day this man came into our house saying he was wanting to give the houses in the Street names. He was an artist living in Stronvar. And that was how we gave the name Lochview to our home. Limetree was next and Tigh a'Chuan and others followed. It became very fashionable indeed!"

Katie Sproat

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"... the highlight of the school week. It was Friday. Especially if the weather was good. My brother and I were allowed to go to stay the whole weekend at Uig ( now belonging to Stephen and Karlijn Dickison) with Auntie Flora and cousin John Allan.

We walked the whole way from the village and thought nothing of it.

Arivirig was our home. My father was the last person to farm there. We children had many chores to do. That was why Fridays in the summer months were the highlight of the week!"

Annie MacQuarrie

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"...my first job after I had left school as a maid at the Castle. The Brigadier was living on his own at that time. I was taken on as a 'between maid'. The full complement of staff was as follows: housekeeper, secretary, cook, between maid, tablemaid, chauffeur, handyman and gardener.

We maids had two uniforms. We had to buy them ourselves. In the morning we wore a blue pinafore with a white apron and flat shoes; in the afternoon it was a blue taffeta dress with a creamy coloured apron and shoes with a heel. I liked them fine.

Even although I lived at Broadhill I had to stay at the Castle. The maids were obliged to; other members of staff lived out. Every morning at 7.00am I took up hot water to the bedrooms and then helped cook prepare breakfast for 8.30am.

Before sitting down for breakfast there was Morning Worship for all the household.

When the tablemaid left I got her job. I stayed for three years. But I was always homesick even although I could see Broadhill thro' the windows!

My next job was at Stronvar, working for a family that had been evacuated from France. He was a chartered accountant. This was better - more money and I could sleep at home!"

Morag Kennedy

"...being bilingual at home but having to speak English at Acha school. We had it easier than the children who only spoke Gaelic. The teacher was Miss Brodie. We walked to school, of course, from the Roundhouse. Sometimes we got a lift but I remember one unkind driver who would always ignore us. Every morning we each took a jam jar with a spoonful of cocoa and sugar in it. At school either hot water or milk was added but often we had eaten the delicious mixture long before we got to school."

Flora Kennedy

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"...watching Father load his muzzle loader gun. All the men had guns like these. They were a fixed piece; everything stemmed down the barrel from the muzzle. First a small wad of cotton wool, then the gunpowder about two teaspoonfuls' worth - and finally the lead pellets. You always had to remember you'd loaded; couldn't leave it too long without firing - a day at most.

To fire, a little copper cap ( a bit like a thimble) containing a small amount of gunpowder was fitted to a hollowed out groove above the trigger. When the trigger was pulled a hammer hit the cap. The flash ignited the gunpowder within the barrel. It was some flash sometimes!

When I grew up I had a cartridge gun..."

Johnnie MacInnes

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"...Leslie and Carol not telling me about the ferryboat! If they had I would never have ever come to Coll...

We were visiting my Aunties at the Roundhouse for the first time. When the Claymore slowed down at the head of the bay I knew something was definitely wrong. And when the crew said "Women and children first" at the open side door with the little ferryboat trying to get alongside down below I knew the ship was sinking. Despite my high heels and terror I was one of the first to get in the ferryboat. For a townee I thought I moved very fast. Leslie told me later that the MacBrayne's timetable said that 'Coll passengers use the Coll ferryboat at their own risk.' I thought it was a lifeboat!"

Bunty Bale

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"... being left with Bunty and Carol sitting on our luggage on the middle pier. We were like the Pilgrim Fathers. Stranded. No one to meet us.

Everyone else disappeared so quickly. There was only John Allan seeing to the ferryboat. When he was finished he came over. "You'll be for the Roundhouse. I'll be taking you."

How did he know who we were??

He packed our bags in the Vauxhall Vanguard.

Auntie Fottie was at the door waving a Union Jack. There was some other flag waving too. Auntie Katie was inside putting on the kettle and Mrs Campbell, the neighbour, came round. What a welcome!"

Leslie Bale

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M.H.