Scottish Island Adventures

In part two of our special, Tony Kearney meets the people who make every trip on Caledonian MacBrayne special. Demzy Salazar will be familiar to you from the BBC's lovely Island Crossings documentary, as the steward's genuine warmth and commitment to making the day of his passenger made him a stand-out subject. Demzy takes us behind the scenes for a more in-depth chat about his life, his ethos, an...

Tony Kearney meets the people who make every trip on Caledonian MacBrayne special. Apprentice rating Xanthe Thompson, Chief Officer Harvey Finney, and Customer Information Specialist Holly McFarlane take us behind the scenes of CalMac. Thank you for listening to the Caledonian MacBrayne podcast. To find out more about Scotland’s west coast islands and all of the topics covered in this series, visi...

Tony Kearney welcomes Ally Heather, known to thousands of Scots as Historic Ally, to Scottish Island Adventures. The two history buffs chat about how a trip to the islands can be an incredible opportunity to step back in time and experience the majestic history of the Scottish Western Isles. Join them to find out how to make the most out of your next adventure to the Western Isles. Thank you for l...

Tony Kearney welcomes Moa Reynolds, better known to her thousands of social media followers as the Swedish Whisky Girl, to Scottish Island Adventures. They chat about how a trip to the islands comes with a plethora of whisky treats with incredible distilleries and opportunities to sample the flavours of the islands. Join them to find out how to make the most out of your next adventure to the Weste...

Tony Kearney welcomes Finlay Wilson, better known to his thousands of social media followers as The Kilted Yogi, to Scottish Island Adventures. They chat about how a trip to the islands can benefit your health and wellness, and how to make the most out of your next adventure to the Western Isles. Thank you for listening to the Caledonian MacBrayne podcast. To find out more about Scotland’s west co...

Tony Kearney welcomes David Dinsley, wildlife photographer extraordinaire and ranger at The Oa Nature Reserve on Islay, to Scottish Island Adventures. They chat about all things wildlife spotting, and how you can make the most out of your next adventure to the Western Isles. Thank you for listening to the Caledonian MacBrayne podcast. To find out more about Scotland’s west coast islands and all of...

Tony Kearney sits down with The Hillwalking Hijabi, Zahrah Mahmood MBE, the outgoing President of Ramblers Scotland, to find out about all of the amazing ways you can get outdoors on Scotland's western islands on your next island adventure! Thank you for listening to the Caledonian MacBrayne podcast. To find out more about Scotland’s west coast islands and all of the topics covered in this series,...

Scottish Island Adventures returns with new voices, new perspectives, and a new presenter! Tony Kearney takes us on a journey into the history of Scotland’s west coast ferries in this very special episode to celebrate 175 years of the David MacBrayne, Hutcheson and Caledonian MacBrayne fleets. Find out about the TS King Edward, a pioneering turbine vessel, the SS Lochgarry, a workhorse lost on a s...

Tiree and Coll Tiree and Coll are two nearby islands in the Inner Hebrides. Popular for watersports and the Tiree Music Festival, Tiree is also famous for its pristine beaches and traditionally thatched lime-washed houses. Just across the water, the tranquil Isle of Coll has a small community of 171 residents and boasts a rich variety of flora, fauna, and beautiful landscapes of thriving machair....

Islands Off Islands (Raasay and Iona) Scottish Island Adventures - Raasay - and Iona with hosts Coinneach Macleod, the Hebridean Baker, singer-songwriter Natalie Galloway, and guest Ailidh Lennon Raasay and Iona Raasay and Iona are islands off islands. Raasay is reachable by a 15 minute ferry from Sconser on Skye. The island is known for its whisky and is dominated by Dun Caan - a distinctive flat...

Oban Scottish Island Adventures - Oban - with hosts Coinneach Macleod, the Hebridean Baker, singer-songwriter Natalie Galloway and with guest Peter MacQueen Oban Oban - meaning ‘the little bay’ in Scottish Gaelic - is a historic harbour town nestled on Scotland’s west coast and is known as the gateway to the Hebrides. The town is just a three hour journey by train, bus or car from Glasgow and is t...

Dunoon and Kilcreggan Scottish Island Adventures - Dunoon and Kilcreggan - with hosts Coinneach Macleod, The Hebridean Baker, singer-songwriter Natalie Galloway, and guest Roo Irvine. Dunoon and Kilcreggan Dunoon and Kilcreggan are two towns on peninsulas that are often better reached by ferry rather than the long road round! Dunoon sits on the Cowal Peninsula while Kilcreggan is on the Roseneath...

Gigha Scottish Island Adventures - Gigha - with hosts Coinneach Macleod, the Hebridean Baker and singer-songwriter Natalie Galloway and guest Katy Beasley Gigha The Isle of Gigha lies off the west coast of Kintyre and has been community owned since 2002. It has a population of 163 and the main settlement, Ardminish, serves as a gateway to the island’s attractions. Gigha is less than a three-hour d...

Small Isles (Eigg) Scottish Island Adventures - Eigg - with hosts Coinneach Macleod, the Hebridean Baker, singer-songwriter Natalie Galloway, and guest Ian Stephen. Eigg and the Small Isles Sitting between the Outer Hebrides and the Scottish mainland, the Small Isles are made up of Eigg, Rum, Canna and Muck and are accessible by CalMac ferry from Mallaig. Eigg has a population of 110 people and ha...

Cumbrae The island of Cumbrae, also known as Great Cumbrae, is Scotland’s most accessible island. An 8 minute ferry journey from Largs, it has been inhabited since the end of the last ice age, but became popular during the 20th century thanks to the Clyde paddle steamers. The main settlement on Cumbrae is the Victorian seaside town of Millport. Countless visitors take day trips from the mainland t...

Scottish Island Adventures - Colonsay - with hosts Coinneach Macleod, The Hebridean Baker and singer-songwriter Natalie Galloway. Colonsay Colonsay is an island in the Inner Hebrides located north of Islay and south of Mull. It is accessible by CalMac ferry from both Islay and Oban! Colonsay is connected to a smaller island, Oronsay, on its southern end by a tidal causeway and is a rugged island w...

In this special, festive edition of Scottish Island Adventures, Coinneach MacLeod - The Hebridean Baker - takes us on a magical winter journey across the isle of Arran, uncovering what makes the Scottish islands so magical when the summer season ends and the temperature drops. We start off our hygge journey at Stonesthrow Sauna where Coinneach goes from 100 degree heat to freezing water in the sha...

In this special episode of Scottish Island Adventures, Natalie Galloway - NATI - takes us to the Eilean Dorcha Festival (EDF) on Benbecula! She meets Christina from Croft & Cuan, the incomparable Ruairidh Gray, Arabella Manchester and her band, Cammy Barnes, the lovely folks from North Uist Distillery, Stevie Jukes from Saint Phnx, as well as loads of revellers and volunteers who are all set to en...

In this special episode Nati takes you to Lochmaddy in North Uist to discover some fragments of the fascinating history of Caledonian MacBrayne which goes all the way back to 1851. Back in the studio Coinneach and Nati have a special guest. We hear from; Mary Morrison (Port Manager at Lochmaddy) John MacDonald (Owner of the exhibition artefacts and calmac employee and enthusiast) Norman MacLeod (O...

Over 130 years since the first ever Royal National Mòd, in this special episode Coinneach takes you into the heart of the Mòd as it takes place in its birthplace, Oban, in 2024. Diving into competitions and in conversation with some of the biggest names around town, we hear from; Innes MacQueen (Local organiser) James Graham (Chief exec. of An Comunn Gàidhealach) Emma 'Scalpay' MacLeod (singer) Jo...

SCOTTISH ISLAND ADVENTURES: ARRAN GUEST: KIRSTY WARK Arran Just off the west-coast, Arran is one of Scotland’s most accessible islands. Its location makes it ideal for a day-trip, mini-break, or extended stay and whether you want to roam the island’s natural landscapes or browse the boutique shops, there is such a wide array of visitor attractions that you certainly won’t get bored quickly!  Otter...

Scottish Island Adventures - Barra, Vatersay and Eriskay with host Coinneach Macleod, the Hebridean Baker and guest Tony Kearney Barra, Vatersay, & Eriskay As you approach Castlebay with the wonderful Kisimul Castle keeping watch, you’ll soon realise that a trip to these islands is a trip into the very heart of Scotland’s natural beauty. Long stretches of coastline evoke a rich sense of solitude m...

Scottish Island Adventures - Bute - with host Coinneach Macleod, the Hebridean Baker and guest Janice Forsyth Bute  It might be just 15 miles long but this compact island is brimming with culture, history, wildlife, and arts. Given the title of the best place to live in Scotland by The Times in 2022, the Isle of Bute has certainly earned its place as a top visitor destination. Mount Stuart House N...

Scottish Island Adventures - Harris - with host Coinneach Macleod, the Hebridean Baker and guest Emma Macleod Harris  Harris, with its long-standing customs, beautiful landscapes and tight-knit community, offers a special kind of welcome to island life. As with many of the other Scottish island communities, Gaelic is the first language for a majority of Harris natives and is a hugely rich and impo...

Scottish Island Adventures - Islay/Jura - with host Coinneach Macleod, the Hebridean Baker and guest John Carmichael Islay and Jura Islay and Jura are the southernmost islands of the Hebrides and have been inhabited since 10,000 BC.  The Islands are surrounded by a vast expanse of turquoise waters, perfect for swimming, sailing kayaking, or paddleboarding. If you prefer to stay dry there are lots...