At the start of April, the SCCU team headed out on our first beach-cleaning trip of the year, to the Isle of Coll. We were originally contacted by a local resident last year about the increasing amount of rubbish washing up on Crossapol Bay. Over the winter, storm after storm only made things worse. By spring, the bay was heavily polluted with plastic and debris, and it was clear that many hands would be needed to tackle the problem.
Crossapol Bay lies within a wider area managed by the RSPB on Coll, so we teamed up with them to organise a large-scale clean-up. After an early but very enjoyable CalMac ferry journey, we arrived and settled into the community-owned Coll Bunkhouse. As soon as we dropped our bags, we made our way straight to the beach.
Our first stop was Feall Bay, a beautiful, expansive stretch of sand. While half the team began cleaning, Vicki (Marine Litter Development Officer for the Scottish Islands Federation) and coastal guardian volunteer Violet carried out a 10-metre marine litter survey. Although it sounds like a small area, recording every single item of waste quickly revealed the scale of the problem. These surveys provide vital data, helping to build an accurate picture of the type, quantity, and origin of marine litter affecting our shores.
On Friday, Ben from the RSPB showed us nearby marine litter hotspots and shared some of the practical challenges they face in removing waste, among them being that the local waste center doesn’t really have the capacity to accept much non-household rubbish. This makes it difficult to deal with the volume of marine litter collected during clean-ups. Encouragingly, discussions are now underway between the local MSP, the council, and island residents to find workable solutions moving forward.
Saturday was the day of the big community spring clean. A fantastic turnout of 26 volunteers helped clear an incredible amount of rubbish from Crossapol Bay. The variety was eye-opening: trawl nets, nurdles, plastic bottles (from a wide range of countries), shoes, shotgun cartridges, and lighters were just some of what we collected. One photo captured the volume of plastic bottles gathered from just a ten-metre stretch of the beach, an image that speaks for itself. To end the event on a high, the rubbish was piped off the beach by a young piper from Oban, a first for us and perhaps a first for any beach clean!
We want to thank the RSPB, the Coll Bunkhouse team, and the kind residents of Coll who made us feel so welcome and supported. It was inspiring to see such strong community involvement, and we hope the efforts to address marine litter on the island continue to grow.
Thank you for your ongoing support and we can’t wait to see many of you out on the beaches soon!
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