Colonsay Sunday Sessions

Hi, Stuart,

Last time we were on Colonsay (2022), the quiz nights were on Friday, and the informal music session on Saturday. As visitors, we were welcomed at the quiz night. It was in the hotel, where we were staying. We were pretty hopeless, especially when it came to Britcoms (we knew "Butterflies"!), but we were able to pitch in with some of the U.S. related questions.

Unfortunately, we had to leave Saturday evening, and had to miss the session.

We tried to get to Oronsay, but the tide was not in our favour. I asked if we could ride over with the postie, but was told that the post van had met with an unfortunate incident while crossing the causeway.

They have an excellent bookshop on the island, and a lot of good hiking.

Hope you can get there sometime.

Best wishes,

Mike (Auchterless)

Oddly enough Ruth Aisling put out a new video yesterday about Colonsay- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M0zfCP04mpI

The point about this post is that I am trying to encourage people on this forum to visit more than the usual handful of islands which most people here visit.

I have actually been to Colonsay- I flew in from Oban on Hebridean Air Services and took the ferry back. And have also been on a day return by ferry.

The flight over is one of those glorious wave hopping fantastically scenic flights which all of the HAS flights are, and cannot be recommended highly enough. Britten Norman Islanders are always a fun aircraft type to fly.

The postman is not insured to take passengers and I would never ever suggest asking one to effectively break the law by conveying you.
Those days ended with the cessation of the postbus services. Only the postbus routes were allowed to take passengers. Colonsay was originally one of the postbus routes although I think it had an early ending, well before the final general closure. Luing and Lismore also had routes.

Colonsay sounds interesting. I swear, the next time I visit Scotland, I'm going to print out (or save) every post by you (Stuart) and you (Mike) so that I remember to visit all those wonderful out-of-the-way places! I realize I will need a lot of time for that, but I figure that's a plus. :-)

Hi, Stuart,

I go back to those days of yesteryear when you could actually use the postbus for public transportation, which is why I inquired about travelling with the postie. I had no idea that things had changed so much. Consider me chastised! :(

As an aside, we did drive out to the end of the road leading to An Traigh, with no intention of walking across, as the notice in the Colonsay post office (and in the hotel) had advised that there could be no safe crossing during our days on Colonsay. We were surprised to see a small truck (pickup type) making its way across the causeway. I don't think that I would want to take that chance!

Mike (Auchterless)

The postbus network is quite a loss. It is maybe not well known that it ran all across the UK with even some routes in the South East of England.

It was always fun riding them. I think I have told before of how one time on my way to Orkney I had broken my journey north overnight at Lairg. Then next morning took the post bus from Lairg to Tongue, planning to catch the once daily Rapsons bus to Thurso, for Scrabster. Lairg Post Office told me before leaving of rumours that the Rapsons bus had been retimed and now missed the connection. But even Tongue Post Office couldn't confirm. So I took the postbus, and yes it had been retimed. Tongue PO tried hard to find me a lift but eventually I had to call for a taxi from Thurso- 40 miles away.
An expensive mistake, but I wouldn't change that decision even now.

That was one of three times I overnighted at Lairg bound for Orkney, also once at Forsinard, I've also flown in and arrived at midnight on Northlink, and gone over on Pentland Ferries- both on the new boats and on the old MV Claymore. The best I think was my first visit on the then weekend mini cruise on the north boat the St Sunniva. Leave Aberdeen Friday night, all day Saturday berthed at Stromness (with included excursion to all the main sites), overnight to Lerwick, all day Sunday on Shetland, then back to Aberdeen overnight.