Tirisdeachs enjoy a rare day trip to Coll
FOR the first time in a longtime Tiree residents got the chance to take a day trip to Coll last week.
Several groups took that opportunity, including Tiree Primary School and Tiree Community Council, as well as some individuals from the island who wanted a day out.
But for Alison Jones, the mother of the only child under five living on Coll, it was a wonderful day where her son got the chance to spend time with children his own age without having to go off island to do so.
Alison explained: ‘Thanks to a change in the CalMac timetable, Tiree finally got an opportunity to take a day trip to Coll, and a number of them took the once in a lifetime chance to come to see their neighbouring island, many for the first time.
‘Tiree’s Chocolates and Charms even closed for the day, so momentous was this opportunity. Thankfully the sun shone for us.
‘Our 20-month old son, Harris, is the only underfive-year- old on Coll, so it was fantastic for us to spend the day with a good group of Tiree parents and their pre-five children.
‘ We all had lunch in the Island Café and shopped in the adjacent Ethical Sales Co, before visiting the gift shops of An Acarsaid and the Art Den.
‘The kids had great fun playing in the local park with its stunning view of the bay.
‘ We then visited RecyColl, the local recycling shop, and had a play at An Cridhe before getting an ice- cream and returning to the park.
‘Some also took the op- portunity to go for a drive and see a bit more of Coll. The others stored that away as something to look forward to the next time they come to the island.
‘The day was finished off perfectly with a drink and some nibbles in the gardens of the Coll Hotel, with its fabulous view across the bay. Harris and I really enjoyed the day and appreciated the effort made by those who travelled across. We look forward to visiting Tiree soon, and hope that Tiree might also be able to visit us again when the 2017 summer timetable begins.’