Cassidy and Sundance come to visit!

The island is still recovering from some very, very special visitors...
D'Nanty Sue came all the way from the mainland - she had serious concerns about the removal of barnacles from Kapiteins bottom and the mere mention of 'blue rinses' and the use of sanding equipment had her in a bit of a spin. She came with hair, paint and everything else stripper to aid Kapitein in his quest! He's like a shiny new pin, he even glistens in the sunlight - well done D'Nanty Sue!
D'Nanty Sue departed on LOTI (we miss her already) and we greeted Cassidy & Sundance! They got seriously lost on the Colonsay Ring road (our equivalent to the M8) but eventually found us.
Their visit was a huge success. They sampled everything here on our wee island, even doing laps!! (they were spotted on several occasions driving around the ring road, causing havoc). They stayed at 'Fawlty Towers and met up with the rest of the posse  Shortbread - by Royal Appointment and Little Jem. They all teamed up for the Quiz and were joined by 'Eric' the fastest cyclist in the West! There was rumours there was a wee bit of cheating (as if) but their score was healthy - or so I am led to believe.

The other highlights of their visit was when they met Compo and Cleggy, but there again, who doesn't think they are a wonderful pair! Sundance was also amazed with May's Sugary Wonders and thrilled to meet Gavalus Gavalar at the Pantry. 

Cassidy & Sundance believed they may find their 'Hole in the Wall' here on Colonsay. Strange when we don't have a bank! But to be honest, I think they did and assure me they are now 'going' straight! However, they had to return to Tombstone to meet up with Wyatt Earp and Billy the Kid as there is work to be done... I can't wait until they return here to our wonderful wee island. But, I have the pleasure of going off to meet them later in the year. They both think I need a 'dose' of all things mainland and are even planning a visit to a Casino! I will definitely keep you posted on this outing...

The truth is out there.... Next blog coming soon...

Oh what a fantastic journey...

I have been on an epic journey over the last 2 - 3 days and when 'travelling' from our wee island at the edge, first and foremost, we pray for good weather!! And very, very good weather is what we have been having of late.
It all started on Thursday morning with a flight to Islay with Hebrideanair - I can't thank Julie enough, we landed in Islay at 09:00 hrs. I was transferred to the main terminal to connect with the 09:40 hrs flight to Glasgow International with Flybe/Loganair. Checked in and through to security - Fantastic...
On paper, this journey appeared impossible as the scheduled landing of Hebridean Air Services flight to Islay was 10 mins after the Glasgow flight check in closed! but Hebridean Air pulled out all of the stops - Hebridean Air Services are an extremely professional team and were more than happy to make this possible for me. The moral of the story is... Yes you can fly to Glasgow from Colonsay - all it takes is a wee bit negotiation and everything is possible. So all I can say is a huge big thank you to all those who made this journey possible...

Flying over Islay

Out into the 'wild blue'

Isle of Arran in the distance

I arrived in Glasgow safe and well...
After all of the 'bits and bobs' I had to do (all things mainland to you and I) I had to return to Colonsay.
So, how could this be done!!
Easy...
I caught the 08:40 Flybe/Loganair flight to Islay on Saturday morning - was collected by the wonderful Lamont in his trusty taxi and transferred up to Port Askaig to connect with the Saturday ferry back to Colonsay.
And what a surprise!! Port Askaig is just beautiful...
I arrived, very, very hungry (for those that know me - this isn't unusual)
I headed for the wee Port Askaig Hotel. They were just clearing breakfasts away and I tentatively knocked on the kitchen door.
The gentleman who greeted me was so polite. I asked if it was at all possible, to have an obligatory bacon sandwich and some coffee. 
"Of course" he said.
So there I was, sitting in the wee snug bar at 10:00 am enjoying the most delicious coffee I have had in ages with a super bacon sandwich - Thank you so much, it saved my life!! I highly recommend this hostelry...

Hotel at Port Askaig

I had a wee wait for the ferry to come in... It was lovely, just sitting on the 'dock of the bay - wasting time' in the warm sunshine overlooking the isle of Jura.

Overlooking Jura from Port Askaig harbour

The Calmac staff were so helpful we had a good chat about all things 'ferry' which raised a question as to why so few folk come to Colonsay via this route? is it because it is not known about?

Aboard the Hebridean Isles

So, to all of you out there, wishing to island hop, come and visit us here on the wee Isle of Colonsay, even if it is just for a few hours on a Saturday afternoon. The journey is truly wonderful and when you arrive, you will see our fantastic wee island. Diogenes can organise a 'whistlestop' tour of Colonsay in his trusty minubus. You can visit the Pantry to see Gavalus Gavalar and sample 'May's Sugary Wonders', you can take a wee perambulation through the Colonsay Gardens, meander up to the Hotel for a nice coffee or a wee spot of lunch, go to Christines Den to see her wonderful array of crafts, visit the Old Waiting Room Gallery, visit the Bookshop or Colonsay Brewery or you can be collected, by me or Kapitein and sit a while and  the home of Hebridean Isles Trading Company (Island at the Edge) and knit, overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. With so much to do on our wee island, what better way is there to spend your time on a Saturday afternoon.

Approaching Colonsay

So much so, you may really like our wonderful wee island and wish to come and stay here in our 4 star Bed & Breakfast. We do hope to see you all very, very soon and a huge, big thank you to everyone who made my mainland visit possible....

The Generals visit...

Where have I been!!
It has been inordinately busy here at the Homestead, we have had lots of wonderful guests here, from all over the world, of late and one extra special person, the General - AKA - Stocky, who came on a whistle stop tour of all things 'Colonsay' choosing to stay here with us here at the Homestead, and what a delightful chap he was...

We knew he was that little bit 'extra special' from the moment he arrived!  but couldn't quite put our finger on it!! Was he a 'celebrity'? Another 'secret agent', Well, it turned out he was all of these things - then he informed us of why he had travelled all the way to our wee island, in rough seas, way out here in the Atlantic ocean, to sample all things 'Homestead'...

 It turned out he was a 4 star General, and we discovered much to our delight that he had left behind 4 of his stars just for us! The best Bed & Breakfast on Colonsay...

So if you wish to Colonsay then why not come and join us here at the Homestead for your quality bed and breakfast and delicious evening meals.

Wedding Bells...

The marriage of Chris Baker and Pauline Campbell took place here on our wonderful Isle of Colonsay on Saturday.Guests were piped into the church by Hollie Nesbit (and a grand job she did! Lewis - you've got competition!)

Hollie - photo courtesy of Paula Higson

  
The guys looked really dapper in their traditional dress - fabulous...

Photo courtesy of Paula Higson

Pauline and all of the wedding party looked radiant... I'm sure you'll agree.

Photo courtesy of Paula Higson

Photo courtesy of Paula Higson

There was one uninvited guest who appeared at the church!

Photo courtesy of Paula Higson

I am sure you will join Kapitein and I in wishing the happy couple every happiness for their married life together.

The wedding breakfast was held at the Village Hall in Scalasaig -which had been beautifully decorated by Fiona a long time friend of Pauline. She did a fantastic job, I've never seen the Hall look so welcoming.
The night saw everyone dancing at a traditional Ceilidh topped off with Semus, Keir and the Campbellini's singing. Thank you to everyone for a fantastic evening. 

Colonsay on the TV tonight 16th April - Rockpools- BBC4 at 9:00pm

I don't know if I mentioned, we had some very, very special visitors here last year to the Homestead!
The BBC 4 team came to film Colonsay for a programme about Rockpools - and there are plenty here I assure you. You can see the programme at 9.00pm tonight. If you missed the programme, you can access it on BBC iplayer

The musicians AKA Camera man & Producer - Simon

A very, very famous hat!

The very famous Richard Fortey

We were thrilled that the team came to stay at the Homestead to film footage on Colonsay for the programme about Rockpools.
An added bonus, they were wonderful musicians, Kapitein and I were serenaded with outstanding music whilst the guys were here. Also Richard brought me some wonderful Blewit mushrooms that he found here on our wonderful wee island - they made the most wonderful flan we have ever tasted - Thank you so much.
We hope to see you again sometime in the future guys - it was our pleasure... 

Ganseys. Kapitein, Danger Mouse and Gavalus Gavalar...

Goodness me!! Where to begin!!
Poor Kapitein has been a wee bit neglected of late. I have been so busy here at the Homestead, I think I saw him the other day, well, I think it was him busying away in the inner sanctum. His beard and other things are nearly down to his knees it's been so long... 
I decided to check out the sheep shearing equipment, ahead of this years annual clip,  so I dragged him out and set about the task of shearing Kapitein, with very good results apart from the nose hair which is very very difficult given the size of the comb on the shearer. Kapitein isn't like a Hebridean sheep (which fights to it's last breath) he is more compliant, though not entirely. Despite the look of terror in his eyes, a couple of elastoplasts later and the nose hair had been successfully trimmed to an acceptable length, this allows him to appear in public again without frightening any of the tourists that have now descended on the island.

Kapitein has also resumed scraping 'barnacles' off his bottom - it is amazing what he is inspired to do when the sun shines! He needed industrial machinery this time as tentative scratching at his bottom had little effect.  He did change his appearance somewhat whilst he worked, sporting a nice shade of royal blue on his bonce! - this was just in case anyone recognised him, as it isn't every day you see folk scraping their bottom with a sander now is it!! Then to my amazement, he started polishing his sides, buffing so furiously his arms ached, I've never seen someone buff with such vigour. I tempted him in for some sustenance - after his complexion became a deep red, then had the onerous task of encouraging him to remove his hair dye, it took more than a little gentle persuasion, I can tell you as I think he quite liked it. But with the offer of tripping the light fantastic at the Ceilidh later in the evening, thank goodness, he gave in. Kapitein did do some dancing at the Ceilidh.
The Ceilidh raised in excess of £400.00 for the Marie Curie Cancer Care fund. Well done to Hollie for organising things.    

I have been off island to catch up with all things 'mainland'  but, latterly  when I go off, the ferry seems to be cancelled when I am due to return- the occasional high winds of over 50 knots does hamper berthing here on Colonsay. (No! I'm not the jinx - honest!) However, my last trip, I had to make alternative arrangements to get back home - namely flying back on the Saturday morning Scholar flight. I did bring with me a very special person. She informed me she was a nervous flyer, and with winds of over 30 knots, I was a little apprehensive to say the least as to how she would cope with the wee bumps you can experience whilst flying. However, all of her fears - and mine, were allayed as Hebridean Air Services pilot, Alan - the veteran boy racer of the flying world, brought us safely to Colonsay unfettered. A fantastic flying experience, especially as we flew over Balnahard and Kiloran Bay, before a flawless landing. It never ceases to amaze me how our wonderful pilots, Julie, Sebastian and Alan make one feel so safe. Its well worth coming to Colonsay, just to fly here.

Anyway, I digress.
Pretty Miranda came to knit the Colonsay Gansey. And knit she did... She also is just as enthralled with our wonderful wee island as we are, including meeting the sheep (who did the honours of allowing her up close and personal on several occasions) The Big Fella, was extremely taken with Pretty Miranda, I think we could have spent hours preening and stroking the sheep. But, we had knitting to do. 
Pretty Miranda was also introduced to 'May's Sugary Wonders and Gavalus Gavalar's fine coffee - with a wee spot of lunch too. The Pantry is a wonderful place where everyone makes visitors to our island feel SO welcome.
It was a pleasure teaching Pretty Miranda - we mused over tales of 'Call the Midwife' amongst all things 5 needles and motifs. And we munched our way through a veritable profusion of goodies.
Her journey home, to Cumbria was better than expected, as she travelled through tunnels of snow to arrive home safe and well...  We look forward to seeing completed, her traditionally knitted Colonsay Gansey in the near future (no pressure there then!) 

Kapitein and I have been in regular contact with Danger Mouse the Lonely Shepherd, who is currently on a major mission in Kintyre, tending to sheep, cows and all things agricultural. With the recent snow storms, he reported that the drifts were in excess of 60ft! He was without power for 5 days and informed us he was heating his remaining tin of beans on the dying embers of his last log, washed down with the last dregs of his home brew.
As the snow fell, the following morning, Danger Mouse opened his back door to find a huge drift! Not a good sign, and with 420 sheep out on the hill this was a worrying time.
The last we heard, only 71 sheep had been found alive and with lambing due to start, this will have a major impact for the foreseeable future. 
Like everyone else in Kintyre, Arran and the surrounding area, the snow brought havoc to their daily lives. Local stores and even Tesco had run out of food! 
So we do hope that Danger Mouse will be ok. We will keep you posted...


The Pantry had a very, very special, high speed delivery this week.
Gavalus Gavalar has been inspired, and started the 'Fresh Fish Wednesday'. With delightful hand cut chips. But oh dear, there was a misshap!
The fresh fish was delivered to the courier, but someone, somewhere, forgot to put it on the boat! With 36 hungry mouths to feed, what was to do! Well, the courier decided to charter a rib from Coastal Connection and the fresh fish was duly delivered to the Pantry and Gavalus Gavalar was able to deliver his much sought after fresh fish on time. Now that's what I call service. 
Gavalus Gavalar has also 'refined' his menu.  Kapitein and I decided to have a take-away. I was offered battered local Langoustine rather than scampi. I couldn't stop salivating, before, during and after this wonderful meal - topped off with hand cut chips and wonderful home made coleslaw... Mmnn, delicious. Well done Gavalus, this is a 'must have' for all those discerning diners currently here on Colonsay.

R.I.P Ziggy

We have to report very sad news...
Ziggy - the horse has passed away. He was a good age, I believe around 35 years old - a very good innings for a horse, after a short illness he passed away. Our thoughts are with Mandy, and Archie the Magnificent at this time.
I know frequent visitors to our wee island will know Ziggy and will be equally sad at the demise of Ziggy. He was a delight to watch out of the kitchen window here at the Homestead, and although he was a bit shy - especially if you were a male, he loved the occasional carrot from the garden which he would eat quite happily.
He will be a big miss to all of us.

Ziggy watching a rabbit - rabbit watching Ziggy!