Description

2022 £1 Colonsay stamp, issued on 24 August, depicting the famous Riasg Buidhe Cross, located in the grounds of Colonsay House.

The cross takes its name from the now-abandoned village of Riasg Buidhe, where it stood in an old burial ground until 1870. Both Colonsay House and Riasg Buidhe featured in the 2018 “Local Scenes” issue from Colonsay.

The side of the cross featured on this stamp features an obvious face – complete with ears and eyebrows – while the carving of the reverse side is said to resemble a phallus.

U/M / Unmounted Mint / MNH / Mint Never Hinged.

About Colonsay

Colonsay is a Scottish island in the Inner Hebrides, situated between Islay and Mull. It is eight miles long and up to three miles wide, with a resident population of 135.

The stamps are fantasy Cinderellas with no postal function, but are produced - by a regular visitor to Colonsay - as labels that depict and celebrate island life.

An inaugural 2018 issue, featuring six local scenes, was followed by a further set of stamps, depicting Colonsay Landscapes, in May 2019. A third issue followed in 2022.

Our blog post, following a holiday on the island in 2019, gives more information about the places featured on Colonsay's first two issues.