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We’d been trying to arrange our first trip to the Hebridean Island of Colonsay for a few years now as we have plans to add this to our range of Island Escapes.

With a population of just over 100 and promises of crystal clear waters, endless white sandy beaches and one of the highest records for sunshine in Scotland we had great expectations.

With this in mind we headed out on the 2 hour ferry crossing from Oban and inevitably endured driving rain for much of the journey which relented to a pleasant drizzle when we arrived at Scalasaig, the tiny main settlement. 

But the beauty of these West Coast islands is you just have to wait a while and the weather soon blows over. Having arrived in rain we ended our 4 day visit on the stunning beach at Kiloran Bay basking under beautiful blue skies with the sun sparkling off the ocean watching a dozen children enjoying the crisp Atlantic surf.

Along with the small population Colonsay boasts one shop, a Post Office and one restaurant. It also boasts a delightful 18th Century Hotel, an historic Country House with subtropical Gardens bursting with rhododendrons and its very own Brewery. The island has many returning visitors year after year and it’s easy to see why. They come for the magnificent white beaches, stunning scenery, big empty skies and wonderful wildlife. When people dream of Scottish islands, Colonsay is the kind of paradise they have in mind.

Walking and cycling are popular pastimes for any visitor, and there’s even an 18-hole golf course to challenge the best, kept in immaculate shape by the local sheep population. On one of the many coastal walks if you don’t spot an otter, seal, golden eagle or dolphin you’ll definitely share it with one of the local sheep or wild goats.

The island’s only Hotel offers charming rooms named after the local Bays and beaches you’re bound to visit as you explore the island. Relaxed and informal, the Hotel has luxurious beds, lovely sea views and a menu sourced from the surrounding land and sea.

Colonsay is connected to its tiny neighbour, Oransay, by a tidal causeway and this makes for a great half-day walk, picking your way across The Strand beach at low tide and exploring the 14th Century Priory on the other side. The beaches are really quite something and its well worth making the effort to find as many as you can – a 90 minute walk over Colonsay’s highest hill (a 143 metre MacPhee – Colonsay’s equivalent of a Munro !) took us to Balnahard Bay which wouldn’t have been out of place in a brochure for the Caribbean.

While the scenic attractions of Colonsay are obvious for anyone who spends a little time here it’s also easy to see why people return – it’s a great chance to experience a perfect island escape. It’s so easy to slip into island life, where time is measured by the daily ferry not by the clocks on the wall. As the leaflet for the island’s Hotel quite rightly points out…….real holidays begin on Colonsay.

You can find some pictures of our trip to Colonsay on our Facebook page by clicking here.