We are most grateful to MOWI and Highlands & Islands Enterprise for their support in achieving this provision for visiting yachts and developing this community-led enterprise for local benefit.
Your payment keeps these moorings afloat!
The buoys on the water are printed with our website address www.colonsay.org.uk – and you’ve come to the right place to find our payment link!
Thank you for supporting our small community through your use of the moorings. Whether you’re staying for a week to explore, or just an afternoon, we hope you enjoy Colonsay!
£18.00 (inc. VAT) is our daily use fee for the 2026 season, for stays up to 24 hours. This year the moorings will open on Monday 6th April.
Occupancy is monitored by our partners MOWI.
Our moorings are designed for boats up to 45ft or 10 tonnes in weight. They comprise of 2 tonne concrete blocks, with surge chain on the seabed and rope risers with pick-up lines. Please feel free to use your own line.
They are available for use between spring and autumn. In the stormy months of the year our winter buoys will indicate that they are unavailable.
Use of the 6 moorings is first come first served; there is no booking system.
Loch Staosnaig – known as Queen’s Bay – is a tranquil spot, offering no facilities, but is the best shelter on the east, and has spectacular views across to Jura. It’s an ideal base from which to explore the island and the white sands of Oransay also on a day trip.
If during your visit you leave your mooring for a trip around the coast please be sure to use your own marker to show that it is in use; another yacht arriving will not know that it is occupied and paid for otherwise. Many thanks in advance for giving this your attention on arriving.
An Indicative walking route between Queen’s Bay and Colonsay’s Hotel and the road down to Scalasaig for the shop & Pantry is shown below.
We’re sorry there’s not waymarked route and/or signage at the bay to guide you yet. We’re aware that would help. We’ve been trying to arrange this since the installation of the moorings – reliant on consent from Colonsay Estate. We’ll keep trying!
On foot with sturdy footwear, a walk over rough ground brings you to Colonsay’s hotel & bar restaurant, or around the headland into Scalasaig where you’ll find Colonsay’s well-stocked shop, the community-owned filling station, galleries and the welcoming Pantry. For opening times, please check:
https://www.thecolonsaypantry.co.uk/current-trading-hours/
https://theislandshop.co.uk/pages/contact
The filling station supplies petrol and diesel – current opening hours are 09:00-13:00 Mon-Sat. LPG is available from the Service Point at the far end of the Village Hall between 09:30-12:30 Mon-Fri. All fuel payment is by card / contactless only.
For closer access to Scalasaig village amenities, please check Calmac’s harbour guidance for tendering ashore. Water is available near the pier berth for yachts on request within pier office open times.
https://www.calmac.co.uk/Colonsayharbour
We join SSEN in discouraging boats from dropping anchor near to the submarine cable on the seabed that serves our community – please take care to consult marine chart with regards the location of SSEN’s subsea power cable.
When using the moorings CCDC asks for respectful conduct with regards the public, other vessels/crews and those at neighbouring properties.
Please refer to The Green Blue for guidance around the responsible discharge of black water: https://thegreenblue.org.uk/ This is a joint environment programme from the Royal Yachting Association and British Marine. CCDC asks that visiting yachts have a holding tank, and that discharge is considered carefully, ideally 3 miles from a coastline.
Please feel free to make contact for more information, comments, suggestions and feedback: colonsaymoorings@gmail.com
Colonsay Community Development Company is a company limited by guarantee SC208892 and a registered charity SC030317.
Registered office address: Colonsay Village Hall, Isle of Colonsay, Argyll, PA61 7YW.
With thanks to our sponsors & funders:
