Memories of Coll

When Dr Rankin retired as Coll's GP towards the end of the fifties he settled in Somerset and it was there that he met my father, a surgeon in Yeovil, and extolled the virtues of Coll.

In 1960, having rented Stronvar from the Stewarts, we came north from Somerset, staying overnight at Lockerbie before arriving in Oban on the Friday evening. In those days you could then sleep in cabins on the Claymore, the MacBrayne's island steamer, before sailing early Saturday morning. The excitement for a young boy as we approached Coll for the first time was immense and only beaten by the thrill of getting into the large red open boat from the side of the Claymore. With no visitor's cars on the island we got a lift to Stronvar.

We spent the holidays on the beach and fishing from a rowing boat borrowed from the Stewarts. Milk and eggs were brought from Arileod and we walked into Arinagour once or twice a week to collect bread and food.

Whilst on the beaches the most prized treasures were the old glass lobster float pots which were still in use by the fishermen. Angus Kennedy, coming around from Arinagour to tend some of his pots in Breacacha Bay, used to give us lobsters and crabs as we were friends of Dr Rankin.

Apart from good walks we spent time playing in the ruins of the old castle and Port na Luing and exploring the local area. We learnt to shoot rabbits with a .410 and collected cowrie shells from particular beaches. I remember fondly my father rowing us all up and down Breachacha Bay in an old rowing boat so we could trawl behind it to catch mackerel and saithe. The only thing we disliked as young children was having to take our turn at pumping water in the house whenever water was used! Fifty pumps for every lavatory flush!

We came to Coll for about seven years and, apart from one year when we stayed for one week in a caravan at Chroic, or Red Rocks as we call the lovely bay, and one week in Mrs Hinkson's house on the opposite side of Loch Eatharna from Arinagour (Airivirig), we lived at Stronvar.

My wife and her brother visited Coll in the seventies to stay with the Ogg family at Port na Luing. She and I returned to Coll when we were courting in 1980 and camped with Mrs Hinkson at the Garden House.

Now with a young family, we have returned to Coll every year since 1992 and have stayed at Stronvar, though for a week on one occasion we stayed at the Mill. My mother comes each year with us and my sister and her family have returned to Stronvar and the Mill on a number of occasions and even my brother who lives in the USA has returned to Coll twice with his family for a holiday with us, such is the draw of Coll.

Having a car has enabled us to visit all parts of the island and its' lovely beaches. The variety of orchids: Irish Lady Tresses, Marsh, Frog, Butterfly, Pyramidal and Early Purple and all the other flowers, are a continuing source of delight, as are the otters and the corncrakes.

Three years ago we brought a small dinghy with us and that has certainly given us great fun, sailing and fishing in Breachacha Bay. Many parts of the island have gained their own family names, for instance 'Narnia' (from The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis) is the beach overlooking the skerries in the north east of the island.

People often ask us if we have noticed changes since we first came to Coll. The scenery is still beautiful and when you arrive in Coll all the memories come flooding back and the land looks much like it used to. The ferry has made a difference because, with the car we can visit more areas of the island - but with it, an increase in traffic is obvious.

The people living in Coll are still very friendly, but where it seemed in the 60s all were inlanders, now virtually all seem to be outlanders. Coll is still to be a most welcoming place to visit and stay. There are certainly many more visitors and where once you had the beach, for instance Crossapol, to yourself, you may now have to share it with another family!

Coll is a lovely and relaxing island and one we much enjoy visiting. Thank you.

Ian Vere Nicoll MBE RA