Amenities on the Isle of Coll

Coll has no theme parks, amusement arcades or parking meters, no street or traffic lights, no double yellow lines, no traffic jams or road rage, no mobile phones to disturb your peace, no rushing about, no light pollution (you really MUST come here mid winter to see the stars - and the Aurora Borealis), no today's newspaper (only yesterday's if you're lucky), no police and most of all, no pressure.
What Coll has is a general store, a post office, a petrol station, an hotel, a café, two gift shops, a handful of talented artisans/artists and an eclectic mix of odd-bods who choose to live on this wild and secret island.

Medical.
The island has a resident doctor and nurse. The Medical Centre is just outside Arinagour village - Location - on the road to the west end of Coll. For opening times please see opening times. A dentist, optician and chiropodist visit the island on a regular basis. In a medical emergency a helicopter will take you to the mainland (weather permitting).

Emergency Sevices.
The island has a volunteer fire serveice (more here) and a volunteer coastguard service. For any emergency service dial 999 as usual. If you need the police you may have to wait for the next ferry or, in a real emergency, the helicopter to arrive (again weather permitting).

*********************************

The emergency services here do NOT have flashing lights on their vehicles (which are ordinary cans/vans) 
please don't delay anyone on a hurry - it might be a real emergency.

*********************************

Kiddies Play Park.
There is a kiddies play park in Arinagour, behind the Island Stores - Location. It is paid for by fundraising on the island and is open to all visiting children (any donations for further improvement/additions are always welcome !).

Lights.
There are no street lights on Coll (and long may it remain that way !) so if you visit off-season make sure you have several reliable torches. In mid winter it is VERY dark particulary around new moon. Most Collachs carry at least two torches on their person and one spare in their car. Wind-up tourches are becoming more popular as a last ditch reserve.

Money.
There is one cash machine on Coll and it's located inside the Post Office, hence there is no access to a 'hole in the wall' outside the PO's opening times.
The hotel, café and petrol station take most credit/debit cards. The village store only takes cash or cheques (with guarantee card), no credit/debit cards.

Phones.
Even in this day and age, mobile phones generally don't work on Coll. This is the place to get real therapy for those youngsters with twitching fingers and somewhere others can really enjoy the peace of 'no damn mobiles'. Come and experience the silence yourselves, it's great.
Reception for some users can be found at Sorisdale, the main pier (mast on Mull) or the very bottom of the island (mast on Tiree).
If you can't imagine surviving without your mobile, you definitely need some Coll therapy !

There is a public phone box (remember them?) next to the public toilets at the middle pier in Arinagour - Location. Unfortunately, it's a classic BT phone box and the door is often hanging off it's hinges, they aren't designed for Hebridean winds ! Other payphones are located in the hotel lobby and inside terminal building #1 at Coll airstrip. There is no payphone at the ferry terminal.

Public Toilets.
The public toilets are located at the middle pier in Arinagour - Location. There are also toilets at the ferry terminal but they are not aways open.

Religion.
Although there are two churches on Coll, only the Kirk overlooking the village is currently in use. For information about services please contact Neil in the Island Stores (01879 230484).
The Free Church of Scotland's church is currently boarded up.

School.
The island has a bustling primary school situated in the village of Arinagour, with close on 30 pupils. For secondary education, pupils go to Oban (boarding in a purpose built hostel) travelling back to Coll for weekends.