Activities
Golf
Colonsay Golf Course is reputedly over 200 years old, having first been played on in 1775. The course is owned and managed by Colonsay Estate and has an active Golf Club which organises tournaments during the season. The course is open from April to October each year. It measures 4,752 yards and comprises four par 5s, eight par 4s and six par 3s. Maps and score cards are available at the course.
About
The 18-hole course is situated on indigenous machair, shortish grass growing in sandy soil, typical of the finest Scottish links golf courses. The course is a unique and memorable links experience set amid the spectacular coastal scenery of Machrins, on the island's west coast, with breathtaking views across sandy bays and the Atlantic Ocean. Two beautiful, sandy Hebridean bays form the western fringe of the course and two burns traverse the course from east to west. Machrins is known to have been an area of early Norse (Viking-age) settlement, with archaeological evidence of habitation and burials dating back over a thousand years. On clear days there are wide views towards the Ardskenish peninsula and the distant Dubh Hearteach lighthouse. Nearby historic features such as the ancient hill fort of Dun Ghallain add to the feeling that this is golf played on a landscape with deep roots and stories to tell.
Payment
Daily green fees are modest (£15 per round per person), and payment can be made by clicking here or by scanning the QR code at the course. An annual membership is also available for £60, which includes a tag to display on your bag. When playing, please ensure you are able to show proof of payment if asked.
The course
1. Road Hole 312 yds, Par 4 _______ 10. Port Lobh 136 yds, Par 3
2. Westward Ho! 317 yds, Par 4 ___ 11. Sand Dunes 260 yds, Par 4
3. The Burn 271 yds, Par 4 ________ 12. Dubh Hearteach 324 yds, Par 4
4. Moor and Fen 265 yds, Par 4 ___ 13. Dun Ghallain 161 yds, Par 3
5. Machrins 199 yds, Par 3 _-______ 14. The Rushes 376 yds, Par 5
6. Vikings’ Grave 301 yds, Par 4 ___ 15. Ardharcan 160 yds, Par 3
7. The Fank 391 yds, Par 5 ________ 16. Muckle Carry 341 yds, Par 5
8. Ardskenish 238 yds, Par 4 ______ 17. Air Adhart 124 yds, Par 3
9. Reekin’ Kelp 206 yds, Par 3 _____ 18. Kilchattan 370 yds, Par 5
OUT: 2,500 yds, Par 35 IN: 2,252 yds, Par 35
TOTAL: 4,752 yds, Par 70
Fishing
The lochs are managed with a view to conserving the native brown trout. There are no rainbows and no imported fish. The native stock are a distinct strain, descendants of the fish introduced by the monastic community of Kiloran Abbey.
You may fish with a permit from March 17th to October 6th, using only fly fishing methods. Two good-sized fish (over 8 inches) per day may be kept for the table, all others to be returned.
A permit costs £30 per adult per week and can be purchased by clicking here or by scanning the QR code which you will find in the guest information book in your accommodation, or displayed on the door of the Colonsay Estate office.
Walking & hiking
There are many fantastic walks on Colonsay. The terrain is gently hilly and most parts of the island are easily accessible.
Walking tours
A wonderful selection of guided walks are available from The Wee Croft, featuring a mix of nature, history, and amazing island scenery with a knowledgeable and friendly local guide. You can choose walks ranging from gentle excursions to day-long hikes.
Self-guided walks
The Visit Colonsay website contains a range of self-guided walks, varying in length and difficulty. The Colonsay Estate office offers a range of local guides and leaflets and the Colonsay Bookshop also stocks a variety of local walking guidebooks and leaflets, including themed ones such as archaeological walking routes and points of interest.
Bagging MacPhies
The most challenging walks on the island are the MacPhies. Colonsay doesn't have any Munros so we have named our highest hills MacPhies (after the clan MacPhie which originates on Colonsay). The MacPhies are defined as hills with a summit of at least 300ft (91m). The MacPhies total 21 on Colonsay and another on Oronsay. Click here to find out more and view a list of the MacPhies.
Although there is no competitive element in terms of speed, details of your favoured route and time may be of interest to other people. For example, Eric Brown took 6hrs 44mins on 11 July 1996. More recently, on 2 May 2002, Jethro Lennox managed the remarkable time of 3 hours 56 minutes and 44 seconds, having started at the Strand and finishing at Kiloran Bay.
The Pilgrim Trail
Colonsay's Pilgrim Trail follows in the footsteps of the earliest Christian missionaries to Scotland. Local authors have published a book allowing readers to self-guide a walk along all of, or parts of, the trail. The book can be purchased from the Colonsay Bookshop or found here.
Stargazing
Wrap up warm, step outside after sunset, and let the incredible dark skies of the Hebrides take your breath away.
When night falls on Colonsay, the island’s remote location - with low light pollution and dark, open skies - make it one of the Hebrides’ finest places to gaze up at the cosmos. You can see the Milky Way with the naked eye, which is a measure of a truly dark sky aswell as a magical experience for both casual sky-watchers and keen astronomers alike.
Stars, planets and the Milky Way are most visible when the light from the moon isn't too bright - so if you're keen to see Colonsay's night skies, time your visit around a new moon for the darkest skies and best chances of spotting fainter stars and meteors. You can check upcoming moon phases on a lunar calendar like this one.
On the right evenings, you might also be lucky enough to see meteor showers streak overhead. There are lots of guides online with dates and peak times so you won’t miss these celestial fireworks. A handy meteor shower calendar like this one. can help you plan your stargazing around events like the Lyrids, Perseids and Geminids meteor showers.
More things to do
There's something for everyone in every season here on Colonsay. For more things to do, keep reading...
Birdwatching
Colonsay and Oronsay are dream destinations for bird lovers, with over 200 species recorded across the islands’ varied habitats. The whole of Oronsay is managed as an RSPB nature reserve and working farm by RSPB Scotland, where livestock grazing is used to create and maintain habitat for birds like the rare corncrake and the striking red-billed chough.
From the dramatic seabird nesting cliffs on the west coast – home to huge colonies of guillemots, kittiwakes, razorbills and fulmars – to the quiet machair and meadow edges where corncrakes still call, there’s always something to spot.
Here you can also see rare red-billed choughs and catch sight of soaring eagles or hen harriers overhead. For a deeper dive into local bird life, The Birds of Colonsay and Oronsay: An Island Avifauna and Bird Atlas is a remarkable reference full of maps and photos. Whether you’re a keen birder or enjoy casual wildlife watching, Colonsay’s rich avian world is one of its most unforgettable natural attractions.
Cycling and paddleboarding
Colonsay Bikes & Boards offers bicycle and paddleboard hire. They can deliver to your accommodation or location of choice and even offer wetsuit hire (whether you're paddleboarding or not).
Visit the Colonsay Smokery
Born of a passion for food and a passion for place, the Colonsay Smokery produces the finest traditionally smoked salmon on an old farm steading, filleting, curing and smoking the freshest Atlantic Salmon in the old-fashioned way – entirely by hand. Colonsay Smokery is at Scalasaig Steading, just a few minutes from the pier.
Distillery tours & gin tasting
Colonsay boasts two island gin companies - Wild Island and Colonsay Gin. You can visit the Wild Island shop, next to the bookshop in Scalasaig, or book a tour and tasting experience with Colonsay Gin.
Festivals
Colonsay has a range of exciting festivals, taking place throughout the year - from music, to nature, to food and books. Take a look at our 'annual island events' information here to see what festivals are taking place when.
