From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Coll |
| Location |
 |
| OS grid
reference |
NM207584 |
| Names |
| Gaelic
name |
 Cola (help·info) |
| Pronunciation |
[kʰɔlˠ̪ə] |
| Meaning of name |
Hazel |
| Area and
summit |
| Area |
7,685 hectares (29.7 sq mi)[1] |
| Area rank |
18 |
| Highest elevation |
Ben Hogh 104 metres (341 ft)[1] |
|
Population |
| Population
(2001) |
164 |
| Population rank |
35 out of 97 |
| Main settlement |
Arinagour[1] |
|
Groupings |
| Island group |
Mull |
| Local Authority |
Argyll and Bute |
  |
| References |
[2][1][3] |
| If shown, area and
population ranks are for all Scottish islands and all inhabited
Scottish islands respectively. |
Coll (Scottish
Gaelic: Cola[4]) is a
small island, west of Mull in the Inner Hebrides of
Scotland. Coll is known
for its sandy beaches, which
rise to form large sand dunes, for its corncrakes, and for
Breachacha Castle.
Geography
and geology
Coll is about 13 miles (20.9 km) long by 3 miles
(4.8 km) wide and has a population of fewer than 200. Coll's
sandy beaches rise to form large
sand
dunes. The highest point on Coll is Ben Hogh in the south west
of the island which rises to a height of 341 feet
(104 m).
Settlements
- Acha (Scottish Gaelic: An t-Achadh).[5]
A crofting settlement which is located 3 miles (4.8 km)
south-west of Arinagour.[6]
- Arileod (Scottish
Gaelic: Àirigh
Leòid).[5]
Located on the west coast; 4 miles (6.4 km) south-west of
Arinagour.[7]
- Arinagour (Scottish Gaelic: Àirigh nan Gobhar).[5]
The main settlement on the island; located at the head of Loch
Eatharna, on the east coast.[8]
- Arnabost (Scottish
Gaelic: Àrnabost).[5]
Located 2 miles (3.2 km) miles north-west of Arinagour;
it is the junction for travel between Sorisdale, Clabhach and
Arinagour.[9]
- Ballyhaugh (Scottish Gaelic: Baile Hogh).[5]
Located on the northern part of Hough Bay; 3 miles
(4.8 km) west of Arinagour.[10]
- Bousd (Scottish
Gaelic: Babhsta).[5]
Located 4 miles (6.4 km) north-east of Arinagour.[11]
- Clabhach (Scottish
Gaelic: A'
Chlabaich).[12]
Located on the north-west coast; 3 miles (4.8 km)
north-west of Arinagour.[13]
- Crossapol (Scottish
Gaelic: Crosabol).[12]
Located on the south-west coast.[14]
- Totronald (Scottish
Gaelic: Tobhta
Raghnaill). Located on the west coast; 4 miles
(6.4 km) southwest of Arinagour.[15]
- Uig (Scottish
Gaelic: Ùig).[12]
Located 0.5 miles (0.80 km) north-east of the head of
Loch Breachacha.[16]
Transportation
There are only two main roads on Coll. The main hub of the
island is the island's largest settlement—Arinagour. About
1 mile (1.6 km) south of Arinagour is the Caledonian MacBrayne ferry
terminal.[17]
The ferry travels from Oban to
Coll to Tiree; and a return trip
from Tiree, to Coll, to Oban.[18][18]
The airport on the island (IATA:
COL) is located between Uig and Arileod.[8][17]
Skyscanner states that
the main airline flying into the airport is Highland
Airways, which is based in Inverness.[19]
History
Coll was home to a branch of the Clan Maclean for 500 years, not all of
which were peaceful. In 1590 the Macleans of Duart invaded their
cousins on Coll with the intention of taking the island for
themselves. A battle was fought at Breachacha Castle where the Coll
clan overwhelmed the Duarts, chopped off their heads and threw them
in the stream which is still known as "the stream of the heads".
The Macleans of Coll retained their baronial fief and Castle of Breachacha until 1848 when
Alexander Maclean of Coll emigrated to Natal, South Africa where he died unmarried.
Coll, like other Hebridean islands, has several crannógs (artificial
islands) located in some of its lochs. One such crannog is Dun Anlaimh which is
thought to date to at least the later Middle Ages. Local tradition states that
the dun was the fortress of a Norse
chieftain who was defeated in battle by the Macleans.
Breachacha Castle on the south coast dates from the 15th century. It was
restored by the Project Trust,[20]
a gap year organisation
that sends school leavers abroad for a year's voluntary work. They send 17-19 year olds
on a whole year abroad, and have extensive selection and training
weeks.[21] An 18th century mansion house stands
nearby.
The population of Coll was much higher in the past. In the late
1700s there were about 1,000 people supported by agriculture and
fishing.[1]
During the Highland Clearances of the 1830s
and 1840s, half the population left, many of them moving to Australia, Canada or South Africa.
Traigh Feall (Feall Beach), Isle of Coll
Project
Trust
Project
Trust, founded by Nicholas Maclean-Bristol and based on the
island, has sent over 6,000 volunteers overseas, many of them gap year students. In 2008
this organisation, which brings over £370,000 per annum to Coll's
economy, celebrated its 40th anniversary.[22][23]
Wildlife
There is an extensive RSPB reserve towards the west end of the
island.[24] One
of the main attractions is the rare corncrake. Traditional
local farming practices have helped this once common British bird
survive.
Coll in
fiction
Mairi Hedderwick, the illustrator and author, lives on Coll and
has used the island as the setting for her Katie Morag
series of children's books. In the books, Coll is known by the
fictional name of the Isle of Struay.[25]
See also
References
External
links
Coordinates: 56°38′00″N 6°33′26″W / 56.6333333°N
6.55722°W / 56.6333333;
-6.55722
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