For the enthusiastic & active do-er, there are no end of possibilities. Colonsay boasts an 18 hole links golf course, kayak instruction & hire, endless sea for surfing, body boarding or swimming, miles of quiet roads & tracks to explore by bicycle and when on foot there are MacPhies to bag (Colonsay’s equivalent of the Munros), rocks to scrabble, cairns & duns to discover, and more sedately, a walk over the tidal causeway to Oronsay.

For the family there are long & un-crowded sandy beaches for swimming, kites, picnics & sandcastles. Quiet roads & tracks for walking & cycling, with hills & forts small enough for climbers with big ambitions but short legs. Family friendly facilities abound, from DVD night in the Hotel, to Saturday Ceilidhs, to the summer Sports Day & Regatta.

For the bird & wildlife enthusiast, the list of the rare & interesting is extensive. Expect to see chough, corncrake, buzzards, red shank, golden eagle, sea eagle, curlew, kittiwakes, lapwing, shags, guillemots, fulmars, hen harriers and even the occasional red kite. There are otters & seals. The Oronsay rocks of Eilean nan Ròn or Seal Island are an important Grey Seal breeding colony, and the varied wild goats (said to be descended from the survivors of the Spanish Armada ships wrecked in 1588) wander & graze the hills at will. The now rare Marsh-fritillary butterfly can be found in several places on the island, attracted by the wet meadows and the abundance of its foodplant, the Devil’s-bit scabious.

For those interested in archaeology & history there are the Iron Age forts and duns which dominate the Colonsay skyline still. Evidence of human activity goes back to 7,000 B.C. and all over the island you can find traces of Colonsay's long history, from the 14th century ruined Augustinian Priory in Oronsay to the abandoned fishing village of Riasg Buidhe, which was inhabited up to 1918.

For the botanist & geologist, the variety is huge. For the uninitiated, the red fuchsia & honeysuckle growing unchecked in the hedgerows, the smell of the wild garlic, the bluebells & primroses in spring; the heath orchids, wild roses, yellow flag irises, and the purple cushions of heather covering the hills in late summer. For those with a special interest, the hills, machair & shore contribute their share of botanical beauty throughout the year. Rarities include the Sea Samphire and Marsh Helleborine and the very rare Orchid, Spiranthes Romanzoffiana. Ice erosion during the period of glaciation & the fluctuating seas levels during this time produced raised beaches, cliff lines & caves in Colonsay, which are preserved above the present sea level and therefore ideal for closer examination.

The Idler will be attracted by the abundance of nature that can be viewed from the garden chair & the serene atmosphere of the island. On days when some activity is necessary, there are walks which require little physical exertion and plenty of sandy beaches for strolling along. Beachcombing & rock pooling are also a satisfactory way of passing an afternoon, with much treasure to be found. A trip to the bookshop, tea in the pantry, or a drink & meal in the hotel can also help to break up the peace & tranquillity of the day!