Colonsay

]] There are a variety of ruined hill forts on the island such as Dùn Cholla and Dùn Meadhonach. The 8th-century Riasg Buidhe Cross has been re-erected in the gardens of Colonsay House. St Cathan's Chapel may date from the 14th century. The ruins of the Chapel of St Mary are little more than foundations and may date to an even earlier period. in 1549 Dean Monro wrote that Colonsay was "seven myle lange from the northeist to the southwest, with twa myle bredthe, ane fertile ile guid for quhit fishing. It hath ane paroch kirke. This ile is bruikit be ane gentle capitane, callit M'Duffyhe, and pertened of auld to Clandonald of Kyntyre." A Viking grave at Kiloran Bay, including a boat and…

The 1945 film I Know Where I'm Going!, directed by Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger, was principally shot on Mull and references the fictional "Isle of Kiloran", which was based on Colonsay. The American author John McPhee, descended from a Colonsay emigrant, spent a summer on Colonsay, out of which was published The Crofter and the Laird in 1969. In 2008, Colonsay hosted the first ever Ceòl Cholasa, the island's own folk festival. This has now become an annual event and has seen performances by numerous well-known artists including Phil Cunningham & Aly Bain, Karen Matheson, and Karine Polwart as well as performances from local island musicians. Since 2011 the island has held a…

The island's population was 124 as recorded by the 2011 census, an increase of nearly 15% since 2001 when there were 108 usual residents. During the same period Scottish island populations as a whole grew by 4% to 103,702. At the time of the 2022 census the population was 117. The island has a tiny bookshop specialising in books of local interest; it is also the home of the House of Lochar publishing company, specialising in Scottish history. The hotel overlooks the harbour, and there are also a café and bakery, a shop and post office. Colonsay's best-known beach, Kiloran Bay, is a vast stretch of golden sands and draws locals and tourists alike while maintaining an isolated and peaceful…