Thought Manchester was a long way to go for a night out? Try the 200-population Isle of Coll in Scotland’s Inner Hebrides. The world’s most remote disco coming to the UK in 2023, and you can bet it’s going to be one hell of a party.
Detour Discotheque made its debut in 2023, transforming the town hall in Þingeyri, Iceland, into a 1970s-style New York disco. Everyone from Icelandic fishermen to LA music-industry types came along for the ride, and Time Out can confirm it was a belter.
‘I thought there’d be something quite magical about doing a super-authentic ’70s-style discotheque in one of the world’s most remote locations,’ says founder Jonny Ensall. ‘You turn up in this place where you would never expect to find the disco in a million years.’
The Isle of Coll is a short ferry ride from Oban, itself a two-hour car journey from Glasgow. The party will take place in Coll’s community centre, where DJ Auntie Flo and Glasgow synth band Free Love will take to the stage. In true Scottish fashion, there will also be a special performance from Coll’s Cosmic Ceilidh Band.
‘Coll really appealed to me because it’s got this status as a dark-sky community,’ says Ensall. ‘The official dark-sky season begins in early October, so September is the perfect point in between when the weather’s okay, but you’ve still got incredible skies to look at.’
That means you can expect a proper cosmic disco, with options to camp, glamp or stay in a hotel or self-catering properties. There will also be a heap of activities on offer, including a wild-swimming expedition, local market and stargazing. And with a capacity of just 250, it’ll be a properly intimate experience too.
Detour Discotheque takes place on September 22 and 23. Tickets go on sale on Sunday, April 2 and start at £80 (with a discount for permanent residents of Coll). You can find out more and book here.
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