Cycling Tiree & Coll

Getting there

I’d arranged to do this trip with my wife and son over Easter 2020 which turned out to be the exact moment I lost my job and the country went into lockdown. Eventually rearranged this for September 2021 for my wife and I although it ended up being my birthday weekend rather than the Christmas present intended for my wife.

Tiree

Tiree Scottish Gaelic: Tiriodh meaning ‘Land of corn’

Seriously Tiree is perfect for non cyclists, of all the Scottish islands it is probably the flattest. It’s also one of the top surf destinations in the UK because of the wind. I decided to book a bothy on the island as it’s reasonably well populated and I think it’s important when wild camping to be considerate of the locals and be well out of view.

Coll

Coll Scottish Gaelic: Cola.

There is some debate over the origin of the name. It could simply come from the Gaelic word meaning hazel.

However the island was referred to as Colosus in the Life of St. Columba (written by Adamnán) considered one of the most important early medieval texts in existence.

William John Watson suggested Colosus could refer to a pre-Celtic name, whilst there has been suggestion the word comes from kolossós which is pre-Greek, possibly even Minoan and meaning large statue. In Icelandic, the word kollur (Old Norse: kollr, Norwegian: koll or kolle) means a rounded protrusion, such as a rounded mountaintop. All explanations are perfectly feasible and it’s worth remembering that the islands were once part of the Dál Riata kingdom up until the sixth century.

The low population on Coll and the reviews I’d read of Cliad Bay meant we were definitely wild camping here.

Coll has an almighty hill just off the ferry at Arinagour which even I had to get off my bike for.

Apart from this one hill it was very easy going, very deserted, slightly windswept and dramatic. The sunset at Cliad Bay with seals for company was utterly amazing.