Explore the beautiful Isle of Colonsay off the beaten track!
The guided walk options below range from gentle excursions to day-long hikes - perfect to blow the cobwebs away, discover some history, and spend time in nature.
Discover rugged coastlines, bird cliffs, archaeology, nature & big skies!
1. From the croft back gate!
~ Sea cliff vantage points & archaeological interest ~
At the right time of year, the density of jostling birds at Druim nam Faoillean is memorable; raucous and smelly! Thousands upon thousands of birds return to perilous ledges to nest and rear chicks each year all along this dramatic coast. The vantage points allow great views of nesting birds and their flights out to sea – there’s a pair of binoculars to borrow if you’d like. The best bird activity between April and late July, after which it turns to quiet…well, the frothy crashing waves begin to make up for it in winter!
Discover limpet shells from an ancient midden, and hear what archaeologists found in the most recent dig beneath an atmospheric crag – occupation spanning a few thousands of years! Exploring with company, we can spot wildflowers, peer at lichens (looking incredible at x10 with an Opticron lens!), check out fascinating bird pellets and special sea beans washed up on our coastline.
It’s gorgeous out here on a summer evening – after dinner trips are a possibility. You’re welcome to have a look around the croft garden before or after – and for kids, if you’d like to feed our croft hens, just ask for some grain! A circuit of ~3km at a relaxed pace – from £30
2. Pigs Paradise and beyond
~ A coastline adventure ~
A half day excursion: exploring Pigs Paradise and back: ~ 5-6 km, some ascent required both ways, time for a packed lunch & exploration. From £50
A full day adventure: continuing on from Pigs Paradise, all the way to Uragaig: ~ 8km, one way, a full day out along Colonsay’s stunning rugged coastline. From £90, inclusive of transport
3. Colonsay’s central hills
~ Blow the cobwebs away, blustery heights & new perspectives ~
For kids, Beinn nam Caorach is a rewarding hill with a lot of character! A great vantage point from which to hear about the Vikings at Dun Gallain!
This is a stomp over high ground, over springy heather, seeking out wee cairns and great views. The high points in this area are Beinn nam Caorach 126m, Meall a’ Chaise and Carn Mor 135m, up from Machrins & Kilchattan. It can be a short trip, or longer if taking in Carn Mor; some steep ground, thick springy heather, boggy in places also – the views make it well worth it! Routes vary between 2.5 ~ 5km. From £40
Gorgeous on a summer evening – after dinner walks are a possibility. Few visitors to Colonsay explore these interior hills – truly off the beaten track!
4. Further afield
~ There is so much to explore! ~
Long before Calmac, when Colonsay’s high points were forts, and when limpets and hazelnuts were being processed and eaten under the shelter of crags, the sea was the road. For sea-faring people of the olden days Colonsay was a handy and fertile stopping place between Ireland and islands to the north; a seasonal feast for Mesolithic hunter gatherers, home for the hardy folk of the Iron Age, and then a Viking stronghold. From up high and along our coastlines you can get a sense of this. The sea stretching north to Mull and south to Islay was the road for people of the past we can just catch glimpses of through the hut circles, stones and traces they’ve left behind.