Coll Connections 2025

Coll Connections 2025 is over. There were a few tears at the pier as the boat (finally!) pulled away. We mustered a small group for a survivors session on the Friday evening before the final festival goers headed home on Saturday’s boat.

I’ve been sent so many photos, videos and memories from many people over the last couple of weeks. Thank you all for taking the plunge and travelling out to our first festival. We really appreciated your good humour and enthusiasm throughout the few days we were together. And now we’re planning for Coll Connections 2026!

Before the memories fade, I’ve compiled just some of those favourite moments into a video, which I hope will capture the spirit of our first island folk festival:

And here’s the words of Nic’s poem (with thanks to Rose Milligan, who wrote the original):

Dust if you must, but have you not heard
This obsession with cleanliness is clearly absurd
A life well-lived is not measured in soap
But in music and travels and helping and hope

Dust if you must, but give it a whirl
There’s airs to sing and pipes to skirl
And maybe a dance, a solo, an epic tale
Of adventurous travellers about to set sail

Dust if you must, but there’s fiddles to play
Drums to beat and stories to say
With strangers, now friends, and old friends back too
Is dusting really a good thing to do?

Dust if you must, but wouldn’t you rather
Be right here having a blether
With talented folk, our music in hand
You are the Coll Folk Fest inaugural band

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“Many, many thanks to everyone for your creation!”
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“It was the most joyful and wonderful weekend I’ve had in a long time. And the send off on the ferry was glorious and emotional…it felt as though I was born and bred on Coll and was emigrating!! Just incredible.”
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“I want to thank all those who made this such an enjoyable and friendly event. The kindness of so many was exceptional. Thank you all of you who made it the joyful – and sometimes challenging (in a good way!) experience it was.”
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“I felt exceptionally welcome.”
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“I can’t thank you enough, and all the team, for this marvellous Coll Connections.”
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“Our warm and lovely muddy puddle of a fiddle family gently gets bigger.”
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“Sunday night’s concert was incredible. It felt like a real privilege to be there in that moment.”
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“It will live long in the memory!”
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“It was super, very inclusive. ”
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“I loved playing at the pier. You don’t get to do that every day!”
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“Our house ceilidh hosts completely threw themselves into making us so welcome, and sharing their knowledge of Coll and its inhabitants.”
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“The tutor’s concert was exceptional – tingly all over. Such extremely talented musicians. I loved learning the tunes and digging into how to capture the mood, how to change the feel, the dynamism, by improvisation (harmony, chord, rhythm…) etc., how to play in a group – democratically, complementing etc etc etc…. there was so much there. And of course the sessions and ceilidhs were lovely opportunities to play great tunes (and discover new, beautiful ones) with a bunch of great musicians. The coming together at the end was a fantastic conclusion – and the way it then trickled onto the pier…. and into the bar on the ferry, stopping only as we hurriedly put our instruments away as we docked at Oban!”
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“5 stars all round. We really enjoyed our week on Coll and hope that there will be another musical weekend next year.”
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“Please do hold this again! ”
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“I feel very lucky to have been part of this, such a special few days.”
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“I was gobsmacked by the support of the locals. They went above and beyond, showing us the island and making us feel welcome. What a community! ”
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“Lovely to make real Coll connections.”
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“Such a special few days from the first welcome to the session on the ferry home. People were so welcoming and the tutors were fab. Loved the Saturday night dance and seeing all the wee ones and beginners having a go. Great venues. Saturday night lasagne (and then leftovers on Tuesday) was excellent. Many thanks to all who helped to make it happen.”
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“Thank you so much – fantastic first Coll Connections, really hope you do it again!”
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“It was a truly fantastic experience from start to finish. Excellent hosts tutors and fellow participants. So diverse yet all with music in their hearts. If I had to choose a highlight it would be the house ceilidh as this was a new experience to me.”