Oronsay, Caolas Mor

Reserve this place for a hot summer afternoon or evening, definitely don't come on a bad day because that would be a waste (stick in the Colonsay Hotel instead). And if you pick high water there will be very few people around because they can only walk across from Colonsay itself at low water. The beaches round the anchorage are stunning with plenty of dunes to use as wind shelters and great views of the Paps of Jura. Behind the dunes is one of the best of so many places for Hebridean flowers: tormentil, bog asphodel, birdsfoot trefoil, eyebright, heathers, orchids and all the rest. Marvellous! Picnic or barbecue, or both. We celebrated my eldest son's 8th birthday here, the first year we had Calypso in 1988. And then take a 45 minute walk to the 14th Century Augustinian Oronsay Priory - a remarkably well looked after ruin for such a remote place (who is responsible for this I wonder?) so far off the ecclesiastical tourist trail. In fact it stands on the site of a much earlier 6th century monastic foundation, with the usual – for these parts – St Columba connection in the 6th century, real or imagined. The present buildings are mostly 14th and 15th Century and they fell into disrepair in the 17th century. The Victorians did some repairs, in particular the west arcade of the cloister, the east gable and extension to the Church (with the McNeill tombs), and the Prior’s House which contains some very fine 15th and 16th century grave slabs solemnly stacked up round the walls (no guide to who is or was who anymore I think). In a small chamber off the south wall of the church you will find a stone recess with human bones, something to scare the children. Just to the west of the church stands the late 15th century Oronsay cross, one of the finest high crosses in Scotland. The cross to the east is much smaller and more weathered; it is a combination of an Oronsay school 16th century cross head with a 14th to 15th century Iona shaft. The adjacent farm buildings look rather good but are privately owned.