THE ISLAND OF COLONSAY 29 



kings ; and cloisters, chapel, cross, and shrine carry on 

 the story to a later date, and tell how dear the sacred 

 soil was to the Fathers of the early Christian Church. 

 It was only an unfortunate accident that prevented 

 Saint Columba, from whom the island derives its 

 name, from settling on its shores. He fully intended 

 to remain, but unfortunately he had made a vow that 

 he would never see Ireland more. On a clear day 

 soon after he landed his eyes caught sight of three 

 misty humps in the south-west, which could be nothing 

 but the mountains of the island he had abandoned 

 and forsworn. He was sorry, for, like all sensible 

 people, he had taken a fancy to Colonsay, but like 

 Agamemnon, Jephthah, Herod, and others, he was a 

 man of his word even when his vow was a foolish one, 

 and he ordered out his coracle and paddled across to 

 lona, where he passed the remainder of his life. 



Happily I was under no such rash vow as the Saint, 

 and I learnt to love Colonsay and to regard it almost 

 as a second home. The old house at Killoran close to 

 the grand bay with its magnificent sands made an ideal 

 residence for a naturalist and sportsman. The lochs, 

 full of excellent trout running up to a pound and a 

 half in weight, afforded capital sport for the fisherman, 

 and the sea provided plaice, haddock, and whiting, as 

 well as the common saithe and lythe, although the 

 resident fishermen already complained sadly of the 

 manner in which stream trawlers coming from a 

 distance had depleted their once teeming waters. 

 There was first-rate black -game shooting, a fair 

 proportion of grouse, a good many partridges to 

 vary the bag, and abundance of ducks, teal, snipe 

 and plovers. As for rabbits, they might be counted 



