Corncrake Body 1

Well, here we are, midway through the year of 2005 already. Before we know it, we'll be decking the halls with boughs of holly...

The weather has been kind of late, with visitors enjoying warm, sunny days and rain being but a distant memory* The hottest day of the year to date was on Tuesday the 28th, when temperatures soared into the giddy 70's - that's Fahrenheit, in case you're wondering.

And a lot of visitors there have been too this Spring, with "weel kent" faces joined by a significant number of first time visitors, many no doubt encouraged to visit the island after seeing that fine BBC documentary "A Wild day in Spring". Most have reported that they will be back, and a number have also expressed the hope that the BBC don't show the documentary again, hoping to keep their new-found secret that is Colonsay to themselves.

And so we find ourselves in full "ceilidh season" with ceilidhean taking place at least once weekly from now until September. Take your partners please...

* That is, until yesterday...

Aficionados of Colonsay are familiar with the fact that, for such a small and remote corner of the world, the island does a fine line in the bizarre. The pages of The Corncrake, since its inception some five years ago, are full of stories of the unlikliest things imaginable, strange goings on, and weird and wonderful events ( and these are only the ones that decorum and the law allow you to print...). Yet there are still people who ask, in all innocence and naivety, "Does anything ever happen out there?" or "just what is there to do on that lump of rock?"

And so it was on Sunday last, when the word on the streets (a.k.a. the piershed, or indeed, the "goss" shed ) was that eight aeroplanes would be landing that night, that locals remained unphased and merely shrugged their shoulders, as if it was a fairly common occurence. The following morning, your Editor rose early, sniffing a scoop in the ether, and drove to the field commonly but rather ambitiously called "the airstrip". And sure enough, there in a corner of the field was a clutch of light aircraft :

Yes, it was bizarre to see so many planes on Colonsay. Indeed, apart from Alex's aeronautical comings and goings, it probably amounted to the equivalent of the number of planes that Colonsay might see in a couple of years.
All were of the same make and model, "Dynamic WT9", two-seater models manufactured in the Czech Republic. (Check the website as to just how cheap these aircraft are; your Editor seeks a sponsor - ownership of one of these beautiful little flying machines would really, really improve the depth and quality of The Corncrake to the joy of millio... well, quite a lot of people.)

The assembled aircraft were crewed by Czechs, Slovaks, Italians and French, apparently on a tour of the UK, prior to flying the "Dynamic" flag at an "air fair" somewhere in the South of England.

But, what was that crowd of people doing 100 yards or so away? And why were there so many "unphased" locals among the number? Fighting his way through the assembled throng, your Editor was met with another, even more bizarre, sight :

There was our man Graham McWhirter securing one of the planes on to a bed of, well, actual bedding, on one of the Kiloran Farm trailers. Was it being confiscated for non-payment of landing dues? If so, would he be coming back for the remaining craft?

The answer was however a little less exotic. Apparently, having landed successfully, the aircraft in question was taxiing up the "runway" when one of the wheels suddenly went into a deep rut or rabbit-hole, causing the wheel to smash through the wing. Disappointed to learn that there was no aeroplane repair shop in Machrins, or for that matter, on the whole of the island of Colonsay, the airmen resignedly but pragmatically enlisted the help of locals to dismantle the plane and to trailer it for onward transmission to civilization and the nearest aeroplane repair shop.

Adrian, a young Slovakian working with the Estate for the summer, seemed to be the only one happy, enjoying the opportunity to speak his mother tongue in the Hebrides. So the familiar Colonsay cry of "I kent his faither" rang out once again, but this time in Slovakian...

By now a large crowd had gathered, and an impromptu "car park" had sprung up as word of the situation spread. Your Editor was meanwhile contemplating just how bizarre this scene was, all these planes on Colonsay and one on the back of a farm trailer on a bed of bedding, and all these people conversing in Slovakian, when he glanced round as another car drove into the "car park"...

Well, of course! What else would you expect to come trundling onto this bizarre scene but a 70 year-old Austin 7?? This was just too much, and your Editor left abruptly to find a darkened room in which to lie down, before E.T.arrived, or Dr Who landed in his blue police box...

Hours later, and with his head still hurting, your Editor thought it would at least be safe to venture to the Shop for some aspirin, or perhaps some "water of life". Just as he neared the Shop however, he saw a sight that he never dreamt in his wildest dreams that he would ever see in Scalasaig - an aeroplane waiting on the next CalMac ferry...

"The Colonsay what?", I hear you ask.

And well you may. Is it the Shop? or the Hall? Or perhaps it is the Bookshop that is being referred to?

Well, it is none of these. Eagle-eyed Readers who spotted Angela Skrimshire's letter in Issue 117 will of course appreciate that "The Colonsay" is the new name that the new owners have given to what was once called The Colonsay Hotel. So why the change of name? Why has the word "hotel" been dropped when that is, after all, what the business is? Over then to joint owner Alex Howard for an explanation :

"Yes, it is a hotel, but principally it is a Bar and Restaurant" explained Alex once he'd climbed out of the bath and dried himself off. "The three aspects of the business, namely hotel, bar and restaurant, are all important, but it is the latter two which will be open year-round and be more important to more people than the hotel side. We wanted the name of the business to reflect that simple fact."

" We also saw what we wanted to do with the business as being quite different from previous formats, and what better way to signify that to customers than a change of name?", he added. "In fact", Alex concluded, "the full and proper name of the enerprise is "THE COLONSAY bar, hotel, restaurant"". Indeed, this is in fact graphically presented in the new company logo, but unfortunately, dear Reader, this cannot be reproduced within the pages of The Corncrake. You can however go to The Colonsay for a meal, and upon settling your bill, will see the logo in question on your receipt. Well worth it.

Reflecting Alex's explanation is the emphasis that has been placed on the food on offer since the doors of the establishment re-opened. This is only to be anticipated, given that one of the joint owners of the establishment is the celebrated chef and food-writer, Hugo Arnold. The menus, which change daily, have been set by Hugo himself, and use local, island produce wherever possible. The vegetables, for example, largely come from the nurturing hands of Will Dady in the gardens of Colonsay House, as does the rhubarb which features in the sweet selection. Likewise, the meat on offer is largely home-produced, coming as it does from Kiloran Farm. The seafood on offer is all fresh and sourced from Oban, whilst the cheese selection, all Scottish, comes from cheesemonger Iain Mellis. There is however a token attempt to embrace other cultures, with the butter coming, as it does, all the way from France...

"Our aim," said resident cook Annabel Taylor, "is to really focus on local produce, cook it simply and serve it at reasonable prices so that both islanders and visitors will want to eat here. We have fantastic produce here and we really want to celebrate that."

Finally in our little piece on the Hotel (Oops! Force of habit! There goes my free meal...), we quote from a recent Press Release issued by Hugo : "Our vision for The Colonsay is to provide a relaxed and welcoming atmosphere for everyone," say the new owners. "Whether you are a resident, a visitor staying on the island, a yachtsman passing by, everyone is welcome to kick off their wellies and come in for something to eat or drink, whatever the time of day. The entire hotel is open to everyone, from the bar to the log room, the conservatory to the library. Tea, coffee, cake, a snack, or a meal in the bar or restaurant, all is possible."

This approach is evident in the introduction of the front door as the main point of access to the premises, even if you are only going to the Bar for a drink, as it emphasises the wide choice of rooms and areas available to you in which to enjoy your favourite tipple. Being open too, from 11am to late, with no breaks, makes for a relaxed and comfortable atmosphere. But perhaps most comforting of all, is the simple fact that it is OPEN!

CalMac has been given the go-ahead to begin work on a new Ł3 million ferry access ramp at Oban pier.

Transport Minister Nicol Stephen recently approved the application for a harbour revision order, which will give CalMac the power to build a second linkspan at the pier. This will increase the pier's capacity, minimising delays and improving access to the islands. The decision follows a public local inquiry held in February into the proposals.

Mr Stephen said: “Oban is one of the west coast's busiest ports serving Coll, Colonsay, Mull, South Uist and Tiree. These islands are currently served by a single linkspan which is due for replacement in the next few years.
“Good quality ferry links are vital to our island communities which is why I have decided to give the go-ahead to a new second link span. This will increase capacity and reduce congestion, particularly during the busy summer months."

Aye, the man's a politician, right enough.

Miss Hope MacDougall, who died in 1998, was a social historian, collector, archivist and daughter of the Chief of the Clan MacDougall. Highly individual, academic, persuasive and determined, she also had the vision to capture for posterity a way of life in the Highlands and Islands which was fast disappearing. The result is the MacDougall Collection, which tells the story of working and domestic life in the Highlands and Islands for the past 200 years and more, through her unique collection of some 5,000 objects from croft, village and town, from the land and from the sea.

Colonsay was fortunate then, when part of the MacDougall Collection was brought to the island and put on display in the village Hall from 22nd to 27th June :

A veritable cornucopia, the Collection proved to be a fascinating visit, and with no admission charge, excellent value for money. The free entry certainly ensured that the Collection was seen by the maximum number of people.

The pupils of Kilchattan Primary School were among those who visited, and the curator had the enterprising idea of allowing the children to make butter in the old-fashioned way, and replicas of old wooden butter "hands" were distributed to the young visitors :

The quality of some of the butter produced was astounding, given that the youngsters had absolutely no experience in the art of butter-making. The resultant buttermilk also proved delicious.

It was reported that shopkeeper Pedie MacNeill, fearing unsold stocks of butter in the shop, ranted and raved at the curator and Head Teacher for educating the chidren in this way. As The Corncrake went to press, it had still not proved possible to verify this story...

The pupils of Kilchattan Primary School were also to the fore a few days later, when the R.N.L.I. lifeboat based at Port Askaig on Islay paid a visit to Scalasaig. A sizable crowd of islanders, visitors, and of course the pupils, turned out for the occasion, which occurs every few years :

The pupils, accompanied by their teachers (working even though it was a Saturday) were all invited aboard and given a guided tour of the gadgetry to be found on today's state-of-the-art lifeboats. Not only that, the pupils were subsequently presented with a free "goodie" bag each, containing balloons and other RNLI related items. Sheena Nisbet was also to be seen donning the skipper's cap :

In addition to those who came to learn more of the work of the RNLI, was at least one local budding entrepreneur, who was anxious to know if the crew wanted to buy some really fresh eggs :

The uniformed officer he approached did however decline the offer and can be seen pointing our would-be trader in the direction of Uragaig...

For the second consecutive Issue, we turn to Frances Murray's wonderfully evocative "Summer in the Hebrides" for our poetic sustenance.

The poem, which is untitled, is presumably from the pen of Frances herself, but this is not confirmed at all within the pages of the book.

Those who have chosen to live on, or regularly visit Colonsay, will immediately identify with the sympathies she invokes in these few short lines :

There is a pleasure in the pathless woods,

There is a rapture in the lonely shore;

There is society, where none intrudes,

By the deep sea, and music in its roar.

I love not man the less, but nature more

For these, our interviews, in which I steal

From all I may be, or have been before,

To mingle with the universe, and feel

What I can ne'er express, but cannot all conceal.

Rather surprisingly, no Reader correctly identified the location, or the purpose, of the object that was the focus of Issue 117's "Now Where Could That Be?" feature. And after the great lengths that your Editor went to to capture on camera the object in question...

There must be something similar to be found at Ardskenish however, as two separate Readers suggested same as being the location. That said, so were Balnahard, Baleromindubh and the old Mill erroneously proferred as being the spot where the item in question could be found.
In the circumstances, it has been decided to let this one run for another Issue, particularly as the location at least is not that difficult. Suffice it to say that it is not too far off the beaten track :

So, if that one was proving difficult, we may as well add a slightly easier one, and for same The Corncrake is indebted to Sue Taylor who forwarded, with accompanying letter, (see Letters section), the following photograph for usage in our new feature :

So, dear Reader, just where on Colonsay or Oransay would you be if you came upon the above scene?

Entries as usual to : editorcorncrake@yahoo.co.uk ; by telephone : 01951 200336 ; or by post to : The Editorial Suite, The Corncrake, Corncrake Towers, Scalasaig, Isle of Colonsay, Argyll, PA61 7YW, Scotland. Timewasters welcome.

Well, as exclusively revealed in our last Issue, George Leppard, husband of Pauline McLaughlin as was, and father of 2 year old Emma, has taken over from Archie as "Roadie to the Isles".

Fate smiled kindly on your Editor, and he was fortuitously in the right spot at the right time to witness the official handover of the ignition keys of the infamous yellow truck, which, for some obscure reason, is currently white :

The occasion was a moving one, and there was a lump in Archie's throat and a bit of the old watering eyes. "Just can't seem to shake this cold", he mumbled. He then suggested that the occasion merited a ceilidh, or a wee "do" at least. This from the man who has just had 4 retirement celebrations! Given that there were only the three of us, and your Editor doesn't dance, this seemed an unlikely scenario. However, your Editor is fairly sure that he saw George oblige Archie with a quick twosome reel before waltzing off back to work. Fairly sure...

As can be seen from the photographs, George has inherited a boiler suit remarkably like the one previously worn by Archie, giving rise to his new nickname of "Young Archie". Indeed, when he then tried on Archie's bunnet, the likeness was even more striking. Well, as they say, if the cap fits...

George officially commenced his new employment at 8am on the morning of Monday 20th June, and we are indebted to John Olivant for a snap he took of George at exactly 8.30am that very morning :

Jings, crivvens and help ma boab! Half an hour into the job and he's mended his first pothole! And Archie always swore that the truck just wouldn't start before half-eight in the morning...

And by the Wednesday, with the help of the Islay "roadies", and it has to be said, Archie MacConnell, George had reinstated the cattle grid at Port Mór. And a mighty fine grid it is too, incorporating the latest technology, with features such as a hedgehog ramp. "Well, that'll be really handy", mused Archie, "if we ever get any hedgehogs on the island".

A few days later, as one of the Editorial fleet sped round the island, George was to be seen putting the finishing touches to a beautifully manicured graveyard. And before the Editorial vehicle had reached its destination, it had to stop twice more to see more of George's handiwork, this time reflective marker posts at the dèabhadh and what is now affectionately known as "Kate's Corner" :

Jings, crivvens and help ma boab! Again! The man's behaving like a dervish. If he keeps this up, he'll have worked himself out of a job before Christmas, and him soon to have another mouth to feed. He obviously needs to get over to Islay and go on an island roadie course...

The photograph supplied by Fran Patrick for our "Look Back" feature in Issue 117 has caused much scratching of heads and claims and counterclaims as to the identities involved. At least the location wasn't difficult, it being Tobar Chaluim-Chille, or Columba's Well as it is more commonly referred to these days.

Back to the question of identities however, and as we go to press, these are the names we have, thanks largely it must be said, to Frank Nicholson :

From the left : An unnamed airman stationed at the "nissen huts" at Machrins, Iain Galbraith, Susan McAllister, her aunt Kirstie McAllister, Kirstie(bheag) McAllister, Mary McAllister, a mystery woman - see below, Effie Clark and finally Hessie McAllister, now a resident of Seattle USA.

We would, of course, like to hear from anyone who disagrees or has something more to add, particularly with regard to the "mystery" woman in the smart two-piece suit. To date there have been at least three suggestions, namely Maggie MacArthur, Catriona Gardiner and Joanne MacArthur. Can any Reader solve the mystery? In a similar vein, The Corncrake received a call from Ivor Brown re one of the photographs from the "Look Back" feature from Issue 116 :

Ivor tells us that the lady in the centre of the picture, wearing a beige trouser suit, is not Annie Lawson as was suggested, but is in fact his mother's cousin from Wishaw, Jessie Campbell.

Moving on then, we are again blessed with two photographs, in this instance courtesy of Flora Oransay. Uniquely, there are no faces to put names to in either photograph, but brilliant specimens they are. The first shows Flora's late husband Andrew piping a wedding party to the Church in Scalasaig, a service that he provided with distinction on a number of occasions :

There is however one mystery to be solved; Flora does not know whose wedding it was on this occasion. Can any Reader help? Unfortunately, there are not many visual clues to help solve the mystery.

On now to Flora's second photograph, and it is with some coincidence that we referred above to the unnamed airman, stationed at the "nissen huts" at Machrins, for Flora's photograph is of that very spot. For all Readers out there who have parked on, or driven past, the concrete bases at the side of the road and wondered just what was there originally, the answer is now before your very eyes :

A great many Readers were concerned to read in Issue 117 of Eleanor's stroke.`Well the current news (Seumas returning home today, the 30th, from visiting his mother) is quietly encouraging.
Over the course of the last few days, Eleanor's left-side paralysis has eased, and she has been able to raise her ankle, which the doctors consider to be a particularly promising sign. There has been movement too in her hand, and Eleanor can now squeeze her fingers together. She has also been able to stand unaided for 2 to 3 minutes at a time and can now rise from her bed without the need of a hoist.

Well done Eleanor, we knew you could do it!
We all of course hope and pray that this improvement continues and that it won't be too long before Eleanor can return home to her beloved Colonsay.

The hurricane that hit the island earlier in the year brought with it a deluge of debris from the sea, carrying it way above high water marks. Successive spring tides have therefore been unable to dislodge the debris and reclaim it for the sea. The result is that many of the beaches on the island are littered, above the high water mark, with all sorts of plastic waste, litter and general junk.

One of the beaches hardest hit is the island's "jewel in the crown", Kiloran, which is also the most popular beach with visitors. A group of environmentally concerned islanders therefore advertised a "Kiloran Clean-Up Day" for Saturday the 25th, inviting islanders and visitors alike to participate. Nigel was approached for a trailer to take the rubbish away, and, as ever, duly obliged, also throwing the services of his son Hamish (who, incidentally, seems to be growing at the rate of two inches a week), into the bargain.

Come the big day, and between 30 and 40 volunteers appeared, a goodly mix of locals and visitors, and a few hours later some two tonnes of refuse had been collected. We are indebted to Bob Pocklington for provision of some snaps of the occasion :

And a big, big thank-you to all concerned. Cable Bay or Traigh nam Barc next??

Our plea in the last Corncrake, for a piper to make his or her services available for the Arandora Star memorial dedication service to be held at Leam a'Bhriar on Saturday 2nd July, has not, we are delighted to report, fallen on deaf ears.

Step forward long-time visitor Elspeth Mitchell, a piper of some reknown, who has volunteered her services for the occasion. Elspeth is currently on the island, staying at Colnatarun Cottage, and the skirl o' the pipes has already been heard on the Fada side of the Creag Mhór, as she warms up for Saturday.

Issue 119 will hopefully carry a full report on the dedication service.

The Corncrake is sad to report the demise of Colonsay's most famous cat, "Biscuit".
Readers may recall that it was in January 2004 that Kirsty MacAllister's cat Biscuit became something of a national celebrity when she ( that's Biscuit, not Kirsty...) surreptitiously travelled under the bonnet of erstwhile neighbours Angus and Jen McFadyen's car, in atrocious weather conditions, for some seven hours on a journey from Colonsay to Cumbernauld, near Glasgow.

Not only did Biscuit survive this ordeal, she never exhibited any effects of her nightmare journey. Alas, her time left with us was not long, and she passed away recently at the ripe old cat age of 16. Gosh, when you think about it, Kirsty must have had Biscuit since she was but a teenager...
Reports that Kirsty has a new cat by the name of "Cheese" have however proved to be unfounded.

The trauma induced by a plethora of planes, trailers, Slovakian speech and vintage cars has subsided now, sufficiently at least to contemplate why, or how, an Austin A7 appeared out of the blue on Colonsay's "airstrip". The answer of course would lie with the owner of the vehicle in question, and so a few discreet enquiries were made, which led to his door.

The owner transpires to be a long-time visitor to these shores, Jamie Mill, from Sussex. Although Jamie has owned the vehicle since 1963, this is the first time it has had the pleasure of being on Colonsay's single-track roads, which of course are ideal for it (unlike the lumps, bumps and rabbit-holes of the "airstrip"...) :

Apparently this year is the 100th anniversary of the "Austin Club", and in celebration of that fact Jamie and his wife decided that this would be the vehicle to take them on their annual sojourn to Colonsay. So in they jumped, and in only 4 days, they were here!

And yes, it does indeed lend a grace to Colonsay's roads as it potters along at a speed Colonsay's roads were intended for.

The Corncrake is indebted to a recent visitor, who wishes to remain anonymous, for the following photograph and accompanying text :

"On the Saturday evening of my visit, I had the privilege of witnessing one of those rare events on the Strand - a debogging....I just happened to have a digital camera to hand and thought that Corncrake Towers might welcome a snap from an unattributable source which demonstrated the fine work being done by Seumas as he extricated those who had been clowning around in an area that they shouln't have been doing so in....one wonders whether they would have done so if it was their own vehicle..." :

Yes, it is a fact that a surprising number of vehicles that are rescued from the incoming tide on the Strand are in fact on hire...

The tension is already mounting. Strange sightings have been made. Strange sightings such as islanders who normally drive to the bar actually jogging their way there. And, perhaps worse, trying to jog their way back home. It is not a pretty sight.

Yes, competition is going to be fierce when the resurrected Colonsay Sports Day is held on 16th July. But the event is not only for islanders, it is open to all who wish to make their way to the "airstrip" for 1pm on the appointed day.
There are trophies to compete for and prizes for the children, with races for the under 5's, up to adults, with old favourites like the egg and spoon race and the wheel barrow race, to throwing the Discus and putting the Shot. The Obstacle race is open to all ages, and you need to enter as many races as you can so you can score points towards the splendid array of silverware which will be assembled and displayed on the day.

Find the Buried Treasure, the Pillow Fight and the Tug of War, as well as many other attractions, will add a bit of fun should you not wish to take the whole thing too seriously. A BBQ and refreshments will be available all afternoon (Mmm... this could be worth going to after all...).

But, glancing out the window of Corncrake Towers just a moment ago, there was the sight of wee Davie, resplendent in matching blue and grey track suit and trainers, looking for all the world like a honed Olympic athlete, doing practice toe-touches. Mind you, he doesn't have far to stretch his arms before he reaches his toes...

Ah, the smell of competition is in the air. Bring on Sports Day!

And finally, a photograph that will hopefully bring a wee smile to Eleanor's lips. It is of her grandson Craig, lately of Kilchattan Primary School but now a pupil of Glencoe Primary School.

The photograph shows Craig proudly displaying the Silver Medal he recently won at his school's Sports Day :

And if that's the size of the silver medal, the mind boggles as to the size of the gold. The poor wee laddie that won it probably had to borrow a wheelbarrow just to get it home to show his Mum and Dad...

Our caption competition photograph last time round came from the camera of Andrew McGregor, who, along with Chris Nisbet and Kevin Byrne, acted as Colonsay's representatives, nay ambassadors, on a recent pis... (sorry, wee slip-up there) inter-island cultural visit to Sweden.

Thanks as ever go to all our sporting entrants, but especially to our first ever joint entry, received from Colm and Duncan McNicholl, fresh from a punt on the Cam in Cambridge (the Pimms was of course de rigueur...).

The winner on this occasion however is our very own Angela Skrimshire, who submitted the following winning entry :

And so to our next caption competition. The photograph on this occasion is one taken but recently, and shows a "weel kent" face, but in an unusual position.
Our advice is to select your entry with care if you are likely to be needing a Painter and Decorator in the not-too-distant future... :

Entries as usual to : editorcorncrake@yahoo.co.uk ; by telephone : 01951 200336 ; or by post to : A.N.Other, The Corncrake Caption Competition (Issue 118), c/o The Editorial Suite, The Corncrake, Corncrake Towers, Scalasaig, Isle of Colonsay, Argyll, PA61 7YW, Scotland. Calls will of course be charged at premium rates.

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