OUR relaxing break on the peaceful Isle of Coll could have ended with a dramatic tale involving frantic emergency calls and hastily arranged helicopter flights.
As it was, we escaped the island intact and with my wife Meg still seven months pregnant.
That only lasted 24 hours after we arrived home, however, as our baby girl decided to arrive just over eight weeks early. I don't know, maybe it was the sea air.
We arrived at the friendly Coll Hotel on the Sunday morning after getting the (very) early ferry from Oban, having decided to set off from home in Inverness around 2am to meet it rather than stay in a B&B in Oban and leave before breakfast.
After a strong pot of tea - for me at least - and some lovely homemade shortbread, we were offered a 4x4 tour of the island by hotel owner Kevin Oliphant.
There are only a few roads on the island but an off-road vehicle is well advised on most of them anyway. Kevin's tour also took us off the beaten track and across beautiful sandy beaches without a soul on them.
Most folk travel to the more popular island next door, Tiree, famous for its surfing and as one of the windiest places in the UK.
Coll is very different, and the residents here like it that way. Even as owners of the main hotel on the island, Kevin and his wife Julie are happy to lead the quiet life compared to their near neighbours.
Our 4x4 tour showed us an island of crofts and crafts, hardship and hard work. There's a cemetery eroding away into the sea, a sad site amongst such beauty. We were also shown a bizarre stretch of dual carriageway on the Coll roads - why it's here, no-one is sure, but this elaborate passing place certainly grabs the attention.
Back at the hotel we enjoyed a fine meal of crab and spring onion spaghetti, which sounded strange but was a superb collection of flavours. The Gannet Restaurant is small but perfectly suited to this six-bedroom hotel just a mile from the ferry pier.
There's also a cosy little traditional bar at the hotel, so small that you inevitably end up engaged in conversation with the staff, locals and other visitors.
Out front there's a wonderful garden with lawn, benches, picnic tables and even its own heliport thankfully that wasn't required by us this time, though if wee Clara was a day earlier it may well have been!
On our final morning the sun was shining and we were able to sit out and enjoy the warm air looking out over the bay to the Treshnish Isles and Staffa through the hazy sunshine.
The weather had stayed dry during our short stay and Meg and I managed to get out for a walk along one of Coll's wonderful beaches, thanks to a lift from Kevin, who is happy to give visitors lifts and tours of the island as part of their stay as long as he is available.
I also took my bike and enjoyed a nice circular ride around part of the island - though this involved some off-roading as there aren't any options for circular rides using just the roads on Coll!
The tiny village of Arinagour has all you need for your visit, even a petrol station should you feel it necessary to bring your vehicle over - hardly worth it for the extra cost on the ferry. There are a number of shops along the street, a nice little post office with gifts and a fairtrade shop and café.
It's not what you'd describe as bustling, but then a visit to Coll is more for relaxing, unwinding with a drink on the lawn - weather permitting - and gently exploring the history of the island and its people.
It's a fascinating place but, I have to admit, one I'm glad we got away from on the ferry before this turned into an adventure that the people of Coll would have talked about for years to come.
Fact file:
Location: Arinagour, Isle of Coll, PA78 6SZ
Getting there: CalMac ferry crossing from Oban
Things to do: 4x4 island tour, bird watching (RSPB reserves), walking, cycling, island hopping
More info: Coll Hotel 01879 230334, collhotel.com
For ferry times, check www.calmac.co.uk
Room tarrif: High season (April to end October) - Single room £65;
Small front double & rear twin £110;
Rear double £100; Superior front double/ twin £120. Low season is November to March - contact hotel for prices.
