Kiloran Bay and Carnan Eoin

Kiloran Bay is Colonsay's most celebrated beach - and within easy reach of the road. This walk heads across the spectacularly yellowish sands - with the opportunity to explore caves unless the tide is high - before making a rougher climb up to the highest point on the island - a superb viewpoint.

Terrain

Sandy beach, track and rough hill path.

Public Transport

None to start. A bicycle is perhaps the best means of transport on Colonsay. The beach can also be reached by walking along the Old Road from Scalasaig.

Start

Parking / picnic area at southwest end of beach - NR397976. Open start point in Google Maps for directions.

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Walk Description

Stage 1

Begin from the parking area at the southwest end of the beach, looking across the spectacular sweep of sands. Carnan Eoin - the highest hill on the island - is well seen above the opposite end of the bay. Head through the gate and down onto the sands. Almost immediately it may be necessary to paddle across the burn which flows out over the beach (this can be avoided if you wish by starting up the track 500m back down the road, then following a grassy trod along the far side of the burn to the sands).

Stage 2

At the far end of the beach cross a stile over a fence. The walk now turns right alongside the fence, but unless the tide is too high it is worth detouring across the next sandy cove to reach the entrances to a series of caves in the cliffs. These can be explored carefully with a torch; that to the left - the Uamh Shiorruidh or Uamh Heorredh - splits part way in and the right branch contained a kitchen midden - evidence of human habitation around 8,000 years ago.

Stage 3

Return to the fence and turn left along it, keeping it on your right. Soon a concrete track is reached; turn left along this, beginning to climb. The track leads eventually to Balnahard - a great extension to this walk.

Stage 4

Turn right onto a faint path when the line of telegraph poles heads off to the right across grassy ground. The path climbs beside the poles to a bealach. Turn sharp right at the bealach to continue on a clear though rough path which climbs Carnan Eoin. There are stunning views back over Kiloran Bay.

Stage 5

Eventually the path cuts left and leads up to the massive cairn atop Carnan Eoin - the highest summit on the island. A trig point stands a few metres away, and the views are truly panoramic. Be sure to spot the whale sculpture on the raised beach to the north - the arrangement of stones being best seen from here.

Stage 6

Return back down to the grassy bealach and telegraph poles, continuing all the way back to the concrete track. Turn left along this - rather than return across the beach, you can instead simply follow the track as it cuts across the machair behind the bay to reach the tarmac road, then turn right along this to return to the start.

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