THE COLONSAY Timesapril 2021

THE COLONSAY TIMESApril 2021 The Colonsay The Pantry The Old Waiting Room Gallery The place to go for delicious local The Colonsay Pantry is a family run and Information Point seafood, meat and organic vegetables business, serving breakfast, lunch & This gallery is opposite the pier at and salads, simply cooked, all fresh. dinner, teas & coffees, cakes and ice- the harbour. The gallery and shop Open fires, bare floorboards, comfy cream. Carry-outs and deliveries are are under the new management of sofas, you can choose to eat or drink available through the downloadable Trini Graham-Stewart. Trini makes in the bar, old dining room, log room mobile app HOPT, or by phoning. sea glass jewellery and other crafts or restaurant. Children are truly There is a selection of Colonsay from found objects. She will also be welcome: we offer a menu of fresh sweatshirts, local crafts, postcards, selling many other local artefacts. proper food, games inside and a honey and other gifts. Seafood nights The gallery also operates as the garden to play in outside. Open all are on Wednesday & Saturday. Steak island’s Tourism Information Point. day for coffee or tea, from 1200- nights are Monday & Friday. Closed Usually open at ferry times. 1430 for lunch and from 1800-2100 on Tuesday evening. Booking for Other opening hours will be on the for dinner (1700 on Fridays and evening meals is essential (& door and can be seen on Sundays). We close around 2300 advised for lunch when the weather www.visitcolonsay.co.uk unless it’s busy, in which case we is wet); phone 01951 200325 ------stay open! Bar is open from noon. or [email protected] Colonsay Wild Island Distillery We have a great value set price 2- (next to bookshop at Scalasaig) ------and 3-course supper which is 3 different gins, a vodka, a blended Colonsay House Gardens, guaranteed to be served on time for malt- something for everyone. Woodland Gardens, Old pre-ferry travel on Fridays and Open Monday, Thursday, Friday Workshop Café Sundays. The restaurant is very 1600 -1800 The gardens are famous for their popular and it is best to book: Tel Tuesday 1000 -1200 wide variety of rhododendrons, 01951 200316, or email Wednesday and Saturday 1200 -1300 including many rare species. There [email protected]. and 1600 -1800 are also sub-tropical plants and trees There is normally a children’s DVD If needed we are happy to open from around the world. The private night on Tuesdays which must be outwith these hours. Please phone gardens include the rose, lighthouse booked, the very popular Quiz night 01951 200104 or 200117 email and kitchen gardens. Don’t miss the on Thursdays and sometimes local [email protected] ancient statue guarding St Oran’s players have an informal evening ------well, the burn cascading down from music session – check on the website The Colonsay Bookshop the Pond, or the fattest cypress in the or ask at the hotel! There is WIFI Next to the Distillery at Scalasaig, UK. Colonsay House private gardens throughout the hotel. the bookshop specialises in Scottish are open to the public from April to ------publications but also has a supply of end of October on Tuesdays and Colonsay General Store, Scalasaig good holiday reading and children’s Thursdays from 1200 to 1700. Opening Hours books with a distinctly Highland There is an entry fee of £3.00 per Mon to Sat 0900-1730 flavour. The Bookshop will be open adult, £1 per child. Hot and cold Early closing Tues 1300 from May 17th, Monday – Saturday drinks, light lunches, home-baked Opening hours may change during 1500 -1700, or by appointment: Tel cakes and ice creams are available. peak times; please see in shop for 01951 200 320. The Woodland Gardens are open to details. ------the public every day free of charge. The shop sells local produce when Wild Thyme Spirits Distillery & Entrance is via the old road by available, including salad leaves, Shop Avenue Cottage or through the gate local meat and free-range eggs. Off- Home of multi-award winning at Pondside Cottage. Please park at licence sales are available. There is Colonsay Gin located in Upper the Old Village Hall. a range of beer and spirits, including Kilchattan along from the Primary ------Colonsay Brewery beers and lagers. School where all our products are Bike, Paddleboard and Wetsuit 01951 200265 or available to sample and purchase. Hire [email protected] Opening hours: Colonsay Bikes and Boards has The current rules permit four people Mon – Thu 1200 – 1800 men’s, ladies’ and some children’s in the Shop at any one time, one per Fri & Sat – 1200 – 1600 bikes for hire. Children's seats and family group. Distillery tours and private tastings tag-along are not available, but you ------by appointment: Tel 01951 200 082. are welcome to attach your Colonsay Post Office, Scalasaig ------own. New for this year: Opening Hours: Colonsay & Oransay Heritage paddleboards and wetsuits for Mon, Fri: 0900-1300; 1400-1700 Centre hire, plus paddleboarding lessons Tues, Weds, Sat: 0900-1300 The door is usually open in what was with Jen! Thurs: 1000-1700 formerly the Baptist Church; come www.colonsaybikesandboards.co.uk Sun: 1600-1700 and have a look at exhibitions and Tel 07970 673 942 (Jen) ------artefacts of local interest. Leave us a email [email protected] comment in the book and perhaps a donation in the box! THE COLONSAY TIMESApril 2021 Golf fish introduced by the monastic and if you order more than four There is an eighteen-hole links golf community of Kiloran Abbey. You dozen, Andrew will come and open course at Machrins. Membership is may fish with a permit from March them for you. Telephone Andrew £60 per adult for unlimited golfing 17th to October 6th, using only fly- Abrahams on 01951 200365. for the season or £10 for the day; fishing methods. A permit costs £30 ------fees payable at the honesty box on per adult per week and can be Lobsters, crabs the first tee, or in the Estate Office or purchased from the Estate Office or Our local fisherman, Duggie Reid, the hotel. The Colonsay Golf Club the hotel. There are boats on Mid may be able to supply you; telephone holds competitions throughout the Loch Fada, East Loch Fada and Loch him on 01951 200368 season and all visitors are invited to Sgoltaire available for hire for £20 a play; details from the Secretary on day. Two good-sized fish (over 8 ------01951 200182. Clubs can be inches) per day may be kept for the Colonsay is a wonderful place to borrowed at the hotel. table, all others to be returned. explore on foot, but please remember ------that this is a rural community; we Public Lavatories The ancient Priory, Oransay would ask you please to observe the These are located at the pier The island of Oransay is accessible following: ------from Colonsay at low tide. The ruins • Do not walk on cultivated land. Colonsay Service Point, Scalasaig of the priory church and magnificent • Do not let your dogs roam freely Located at the far end of the Village Celtic cross date from the 14th amongst sheep and cattle. Sheep Hall, open 0930-1230, Monday to century. In the Prior’s House, there have been chased over cliffs when Friday. Sales of coal, anthracite and are around 30 beautiful carved stone panicked by strange dogs. gas. Access to fax machine, tombstones dating from the 15th and • Leave gates as you find them: photocopier and internet. Library 16th centuries. It is said that St open if they are open, closed if they books and local information. 01951 Columba landed on Oransay on his are closed. 200263. way to Iona in the 6th century. When ------he climbed Ben Oransay he found he Colonsay is perfect for family Community Gardens could still see Ireland and decided to cycling; peaceful, safe and fairly flat. Next to the village hall and service move on! You have about two hours However, even on Colonsay, cycling point, the gardens are maintained by either side of low tide to walk to and can have its hazards. Look out for local volunteers. Please help us by from Oransay, weather permitting. rough surfaces. We would ask you doing a spot of weeding! Tools in Check at the Office or at the Post to try and observe the following: the shed. Office for tide times. The RSPB ------manage the farming and dogs are • Please ensure your children know Public Telephones only allowed on Oransay if on leads. the basic rules of the road. There is a public telephone by the ------• Helmets, especially for children, pier. Ceilidhs and Music Evenings are recommended. ------Ceilidhs are usually held regularly • Do not allow children to career Doctor and medical services throughout the season in the Village down steep hills at high speed - it We have a doctor on the island. The Hall. Check the notice board in the would be a shame to ruin your doctor is on call 24 hours seven days shop or the Visitor Information Point holiday by spending it in the surgery. a week. Tel 01951 200328 for dates and times of various social • The roads are narrow - we would In the event of a medical emergency, events. There is often a music advise cyclists to allow traffic to an air ambulance will lift patients to session with island players in the pass by pulling into the grass verge the appropriate hospital in Glasgow - hotel on Friday evenings. Bring your or lay-bys and stopping. the service is very quick and instrument along… efficient. Call 999 in an emergency. ------AND FOR DRIVERS… ------“The Whale” by Julian Meredith Church Services A 500 feet long stone sculpture of a Please drive SLOWLY and with Regrettably the church in Scalasaig whale has been created at Port caution on our single track roads. is closed at this time. Please contact Sgibinis at Balnahard. Although not Kevin Byrne, Session Clerk, (01951 quite finished, it can be clearly seen It is strictly forbidden to drive on 200 320) for further information. to the left of the track to Balnahard, all tracks to cottages unless you Currently we are holding an online as you descend from the pass above are a resident there. service via Zoom, 1030 to 1100 Kiloran Bay. The sculpture is an every Sunday. Everyone welcome. ongoing project. Please feel free to It is not permitted to drive up the Please contact Alastair Scouller: add a stone to help fill in the head. track towards Balnahard. Please [email protected] for a The stone can be taken from park inside the gate at An Crossan Zoom invitation. anywhere outside the whale (but not just off the public road by Kiloran ------from the drystone walls!). bay and proceed on foot. Trout Fishing ------The lochs are managed with a view Oyster Farm 4 wheel drive vehicles must stay on to conserving the native brown trout. Arguably the best in the UK (if not roads (and tracks if relevant) at all There are no rainbows and no the world!) oysters are an essential times. imported fish. The native stock is a part of the Colonsay experience. distinct strain, descendants of the They must be ordered in advance, Thank you for your co-operation.