Argyll - The Rough Guide to Scottish Highlands and Islands - page 85

ARRIVAL AND INFORMATION ISLE OF COLL

1

By ferry Throughout the summer, the CalMac ferry from
Oban calls at Coll (2hr 40min) and Tiree (3hr 40min).
Destinations Castlebay, Barra (Thurs 1 daily; 4hr); Oban

(daily except Wed & Fri; 2hr 40min).
Tourist information In the absence of a tourist of ce,
W visitcoll.co.uk is the best source of information.

ACCOMMODATION AND EATING
Coll Hotel Arinagour T 01879 230334, W collhotel
.com. Small, family-run hotel providing decent accommo-
dation in six rooms, four of which overlook the bay. The
hotel also offers bike hire, and can do pick-ups/drop-offs
from/to the ferry. Wild camping is also possible on the hill
behind the hotel, but you should contact the hotel first;
it's free, though a donation is appreciated. £100
Garden House Down a track on the left before the
turn-off for the Breachacha castles T 01879 230374.
There's more complete, though still very basic, camping at
this working farm in the shelter of what was formerly a
walled gar den, with showers, toilets and a camper's room.
April-Oct. £14 /pitch

lsland Café Arinagour T 01879 230262, W firstportof
coll.com. In the old harbour stores overlooking the bay,
offering hot meals all day, though Sundays are most popular
when they rustle up a superb two-course late lunch, compri-
sing a roast and a dessert (until 6pm; £12.50); reservations
are advised for this. Daily 11am-7.30pm.
Tigh-na-Mara Arinagour Bay T 01879 230354,
W tighnamara.info. The “House by the Sea” is a modern
guesthouse near the pier, with a selection of shared
and en-suite rooms, the latter being around £10 more
expensive. Such is its location that there's a good
chance yo u'll see some great wildlife while eating your
breakfast. £70

Isle of Tiree
Similar in size to Coll, TIREE , as its Gaelic name tir-iodh (Land of Corn) suggests,
was once known as the breadbasket of the Inner Hebrides, thanks to its acres of rich
machair. Tiree's population peaked at a staggering 4450 in the 1830s, but, like Coll, it
was badly affected by the Clearances, which decimated numbers. Tiree was ruthlessly
cleared by its owner, the Duke of Argyll, who sent in the marines in 1885 to evict the
crofters. Both islands have strong Gaelic roots, but the percentage of English-speaking
newcomers is rising steadily.
Nowadays, crofting and tourism are the main sources of income for the resident
population of around 750. One of the most distinctive features of Tiree is its
architecture , in particular the large numbers of “pudding” or “spotty” houses, where
only the mortar is painted white. In addition, there are numerous “white houses” ( tigh
geal ) and traditional “black houses” ( tigh dubh ). Wildlife -lovers can also have a field day
on Tiree, with lapwings, wheatears, redshank, greylag geese and large, laidback brown
hares in abundance. Tiree's sandy beaches attract large numbers of windsurfers for the
week-long Tiree Wave Classic every October ( W tireewaveclassic.co.uk).

An Turas
The CalMac ferry calls at Gott Bay Pier, now best known for An Turas (he Journey),
Tiree's award-winning “shelter”, an artistic extravaganza which features two parallel
white walls connected via a black felt section to a glass box which punctures a stone
dyke and frames a sea view.

Scarinish
Just up the road from the pier is the village of Scarinish , home to a post office, some
public toilets, a supermarket, the butcher's and the bank, with a petrol pump back at
the pier. Also in Scarinish you'll find An Iodhlann (June-Sept Mon-Fri 9am-5pm;
Oct-May Tues-Fri 11am-5pm; £3; W aniodhlann.org.uk) - “haystack” in Gaelic - the
island's two-roomed archive, which puts on exhibitions in the summer. To the east of
Scarinish, Gott Bay is backed by a two-mile stretch of sand.