Friday evening on Machrins, tent up, pitch immaculate, open-air toilets with the best view in Scotland and new high tech electric shower (car battery, IBC and pallet enclosure)- in fact everything ready for the fourth Colonsay Rugby Festival. Boat comes in, teams ferried to the site, lovely evening and great party, fuelled by the Colonsay Brewery. 

Saturday morning another lovely day, the five teams appear gradually out of their tents or b&bs for Gavin’s bacon rolls. Oban arrive ...

Sports Day buzz got off to a great start with a ‘4th of July’ fundraising ceilidh, celebrating all things American. Gavin and the Pantry team served classic Stateside fare which fuelled a long night of enthusiastic dancing. An unusual and well-attended start to the ceilidh season which raised almost £300 to go towards the community sports.

The day itself arrived on the 8st August, the wind just holding off and by 11am there were already more than enough ...

The Colonsay Open took place on Saturday 15 August in excellent sunny conditions.

After assembling in the Pantry for pre golf coffee, bacon rolls, allocation of handicaps and explanation of the days rules a motley group of golfers made their way to the first tee.

Groups of three teed off as the sun shone and after nine holes they  were ecstatic to find refreshments in the form of burgers, a dram, soft drink and chocs ably ...

Please make a note to participate or sponsor someone… the idea is to climb all of the MacPhees (hills in excess of 300 ft), starting and finishing at a point below HWS.  Get someone to sponsor you for (say) £1 a hill, and do just as many as you have the inclination for (Ho! Ho!).  There are 22 hills and the total distance is about 20 miles, but it is not a race and to tackle even a few might ...

The third Colonsay Rugby festival has been hailed an outstanding success with a record number of teams enjoying a packed weekend of sport that saw Oban RFC crowned champions – again.

The festival is the brainchild of the Middleton family who continue as the main organisers and “doers”

Commentator Rupert Middleton said: “It was wonderful to see so many people having a great weekend on a beautiful island – and there was some really good rugby too.”

Julia Middleton said: “A huge number ...

In the month of June, an eighteen-strong raiding party left the shores of Cholbhasa, bound for Eileann Ila, writes our Golf Correspondent Scott Weatherstone. Their challenge was to play The Machrie, one of the finest but trickiest golf courses in Scotland; it has a lot more long rough than our course; it’s 1,000 yards longer and has deep bunkers; there isn’t an easy hole in the whole course.  The date chosen? Friday the thirteenth; what could possibly go wrong?

The eleven ...