Colonsay is a small but perfectly formed island in the Southern Hebrides, permanent home to around 125 hardy souls, but also to many thousand others who, despite the fact they only visit for a week or two every year, each believe it to be their own, secret isle. Colonsay – as well as its smaller neighbour Oransay, which is linked by a tidal strand – boasts a fantastic range of flora and fauna, particularly bird-life, as well as a breadth of geography and habitats that belies its diminutive scale.

 

From sweeping golden beaches, dramatic cliffs, machair and woodlands to one of the finest collections of rhododendrons and magnolias in Scotland. And one of the largest seal colonies on the west coast. Not to mention a herd of wild goats said to be survivors of the shipwreck of the Spanish Armada. Plus endless standing stones, evidence of pre-historic buildings and a mediaeval priory to match its more famous counterpart in Iona. No wonder the island is known as ‘the Jewel of the Hebrides’. You can find out more at the Visit Colonsay website.