Welcome to my Isle of Coll Expedition page, although on this particular trip I did a lot more than that.
The trip encompassed the USSCR summer tour in Cheshire, a trek up Ben Nevis, a visit to the Isle of Coll, and participation in the Coll 10k race. This page covers the second part of the trip including the Isle of Coll.
You can find out about the first part of the trip on my Ben Nevis Expedition page.
After a 04:30 alarm on Wednesday 15 August, I struck camp at Gallanach and headed for the Ferry Terminal in Oban to check in for the 05:45 Caledonian MacBrayne sailing to Tiree and Coll.
Upon arrival on the Isle of Coll I went to Uig to pitch the tent at the Garden House Campsite where I would camp for the next four nights.
Over the following days I was able to explore some of the island, including the beautiful beaches at Feall Bay and Hogh Bay, before running in the Coll 10k Race on 18 August.
It was a shame, the day after the 10k race, to have to leave Coll. So after a brief visit to Breachacha and a last look around Arinagour, I boarded the ferry with hundreds of other runners for the journey to Oban.
This trip had begun with the USSCR summer tour in Cheshire and I was fortunate the following day to visit Sue, my former Deputy Master of the USSCR in 1984/5 who had been unable to join us on the tour.
Sailing to Tiree and Coll
At the Ferry Terminal for 05:45 CalMac sailing to Tiree and Coll
Approaching Scarinish, Isle of Tiree
The Ferry Terminal at Scarinish, Isle of Tiree
Departing from Tiree
Next stop: Arinagour, Isle of Coll
Isle of Coll
Arinagour, the main village on the Isle of Coll
The Kirk, overlooking the village of Arinagour
An Acarsaid, the gift shop and Post Office in Arinagour
Warm and breezy at the Garden House Campsite at Uig
One of the flock of Hebridean sheep next to the Garden House Campsite
A cottage with a view, near Bàgh Craimneach and Clabach
Machair at the Coll Nature Reserve
(Machair is a habitat of grasses, wild flowers, other plants, birds on sandy soil of low-lying coastline.)
Wild flowers of the Machair
Wild flowers of the Machair
Grassed sand dunes next to the Machair
A sea of grassed dunes
Looking towards Hogh Bay
Feall Bay
Grassed sand dunes and Feall Bay
Feall Bay: this could be the Caribbean
Alone with my shadow on Tràigh Feall
(Feall Beach)
Picnic on the beach
Sand and crushed shells of Tràigh Feall
Tràigh Feall and Ben Feall
Breaker!
Slow and gentle
Tràigh Feall and Feall Bay
Tràigh Feall and rocks
The 10k race start near Totronald
(Two days to go)
Lichens
Hogh Bay
Hogh Bay
Hogh Bay and Tràigh Hogh
We are not alone!
Tràigh Hogh
(Hogh Beach)
Tràigh Hogh
Another sea of grassed dunes
Heather
Loch Breachacha and Breachacha Castle
Sky on fire!
Coll Half Marathon and 10k Race
Finishing the Isle of Coll 10k
(Photo courtesy of a Coll Half Marathon volunteer photographer)
Finishing line at the Community Centre, An Cridhe, in Arinagour
Competitor's medal
Heather
The (Full On) Marathon Ceilidh with Trail West
Breachacha
Sunshine on Loch Breachacha
The 'new' Breachacha Castle and the 15th century Breachacha Castle
Farewell Coll
The Kirk and the Coll Hotel
Loch Eatharna
Whalebone arch at the ferry terminal
Farewell
360° panorama of Tràigh Feall and Feall Bay
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360° panorama of Arinagour from the pier
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360° panorama of Loch Eatharna, Arinagour and the Kirk
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360° panorama of Loch Breachacha and castles
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This page was last updated on 4 February 2020.
