Our first trip to Oransay was on foot. Having waited for the tide to recede we crossed the Strand, walked the road to the priory then on to the machair. Waders, corncrake and geese abound. Several areas of the island, including some of the beaches, obviously held large numbers of ground nesting birds and we did the sensible thing and avoided them.
This isolated shelter on the south west coast had a superb view towards some offshore skerries and islands and out in to the Atlantic.
Colonsay and Oransay were occupied in the Mesolithic period. On Oransay this is evidenced by several shell middens such as the one above, near Seal Cottage.
On the east coast the view opens up towards Jura and Islay. Jura has three of the SNH "top twenty" beaches.
One of the Jura paps.
When we crossed the Strand to Oransay it was pretty grey and wet but upon our return the weather had brightened up and better displayed the brilliance of the place.
All photos by Angela Smith
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