Islay, a wee hebridean holiday

[Sharon]

I had the luxury of a holiday last week, and I chose Islay, for beaches and whisky. A few snaps.


Islay by sisterblue, on Flickr


Islay by sisterblue, on Flickr


Islay football pitch by sisterblue, on Flickr


Islay by sisterblue, on Flickr


Islay by sisterblue, on Flickr

[Dot]

Sharon,
You have some lovely pictures there.

Remember a holiday I had many years ago with my parents and sister in Machrie.
We spent hours on the beach playing with children who were around same age.
Their parents had been friends of mine and they lived in Edinburgh.

Think my folks did a tour of the Bowmore whisky distillery.

[Monument]

Gorgeous pictures Sharon! Why would anyone take a holiday outside of Scotland?

[The Egg Man]

Gorgeous pictures Sharon! Why would anyone take a holiday outside of Scotland?

Price? Some hoteliers, B&B owners, restaurateurs, publicans etc are taking the piss re prices.

Service? We still hear stories about poor service even in suposedly upmarket establishments.

Midges? 'Nuff said, eh?

[Sharon]

Go camping, and most of those are never a concern!

Midges were only a problem 1 night out of 8 when away, so it wasn't too bad at all.

I feel little inclination to holiday elsewhere, Scotland is just so beautiful, and there is so much to explore here.

[scaryman2u]

Lovely pics and brought back some great memories of my 10 days spent on Islay in 1997, haven`t been abroad since and will defo go back there as that and Orkney are the best 2 holidays i`ve had.

[cell]

Great pictures Sharon, I was in Islay at the beginning of summer and would agree Scotland doesn’t come much better. My advice is to hire a cottage, miles better than a B&B or hotel, more flexibility and keeps the cost of eating out down, live lobsters at Portnahaven, cheapest I’ve ever had, only problem was getting one that would fit in the pot!

Snap! Same pitch just a couple of months earlier.

You should have heard the foghorn

Friendly seal

Islay has some great WW2 remains

Seems like you can’t get away from the CCTV, except this one is checking wave height at the LIMPIT experimental wave power station

[Fireman]

Great pictures Sharon.

And do I like Islay Malts - the breath of angels (after a Vindaloo) they're that good, canny get enough of them.

[Sharon]

TEM - I must confess the midges were only not a problem because it was quite breezy (blowing a gale)most of the time.

Cell, love the misty pic, and I would LOVE to have heard the foghorn. I've kind of got a thing a bout foghorns... they do have the ability to transport you back through time with an ancient sound and purpose.

Dot, we did the Ardbeg tour and duly came home with a bottle of Corryvreckan - still prefer Lagavullin though

a few more piccies.


Islay by sisterblue, on Flickr


Islay by sisterblue, on Flickr

Galloping goats. My sister should have one of the hairy king billy goat as he was stading down by the sea at the bottom of the cliffs with his bitches leaping down the cliffs to be by his side.

Islay by sisterblue, on Flickr

We stayed in Bowmore self catering for a few nights. My sisters friends dad is not the parish minister. He was full of stories, and loving a life as a minister having recently retired from a career as an accountant with RBS. Particularly enjoyed hearing of the Islay funeral ritual of a wee dram at the graveside. Where bottles of whisky get passed around and stories exchanged.

Islay Bowmore by sisterblue, on Flickr

This amused me greatly. Portnahaven and Port Wymmes, which are two villages in one place each needed a new church, the obvious solution to provcide a church for each parish was to build one and have a door each. This amused me greatly.

Islay double doored charch at Portnahaven / Port Wymmes by sisterblue, on Flickr

and lastly, doubling up as i have already posted it, but it is my favourite Islay picture The Oa. Got utterly drenched, but it was so worth the walk.

The Oa - Islay by sisterblue, on Flickr

[Toby Dammit]

Lots of beautiful pictures there, and while it has that Highland quality of colour and geology, most of the island is further south than Glasgow (I know, it’s the fault line's fault).


The whisky world’s most evocative road sign? In Port Ellen

I’ve been over to Islay a couple of times, just getting there on the ferry feels like an adventure in itself. The whisky is for me the major draw, bottled works of art desired the world over, nothing less than the landscape of the island captured in booze. My own fave is Ardbeg, not only the best drink in the world (for me anyway) but when you visit the distillery, the best, most passionate and detailed tour I’ve been on.



Having said that I’ve been to its major peat monster rival Lagavulin twice and both times its been shut, so I can’t compare them fairly in that way.


Closed for the silent season


“The Gathering” at Laphroaig distillery, 2010, when my mechanical Canon camera packed up…


Spirit safe and stills at Bowmore



Much of the exquisite Ealing comedy THE MAGGIE was shot on Islay (with bits in Glasgow too). This scene here at Bowmore


At Ardbeg 10 years ago


Some Ardbeg casks


A few of my Islay bottles. 20 year old Bowmore distilled in 1964. Ardbeg 25 year old distilled in 1975. Laphroaig 17 year old distilled in 1967. Port Ellen 24 year old (distillery closed, stills removed) distilled in 1978 and a 15 year old Bruichladdich distilled in 1968. I’ve tasted a sample of the 25 year old Ardbeg release in a pub in Arran, and next to the mighty Ardbeg Lord of the Isles is the best whisky I have ever tasted.

[banjo]

you lucky lucky man.

[Sharon]

Toby! Would you care to explain how being in possession of a fine selection of unopened whisky is possible for someone who loves a dram!!???

[Toby Dammit]

Would you care to explain how being in possession of a fine selection of unopened whisky is possible

They'll be...uh, compensation in my old age.

[maxruby]

Superb post! Brought back great memories of 7 camping holidays at Kintra.

[Guacho]

My family were custodians of the Islay hotel in Port Ellen in the 1980s. Interesting place, with an interesting ghost. There were a number of paintings in the place, done by a local artist ( but not an Ileach!) Sean O'Leary. These have been being restored and I think someone on the forum has been involved. Pictures
http://www.islayblog.com/2011entries/20 ... ings.shtml

Ability to reply is gone, but I've some 110 neg scans of these in situ- crap quality


Islay Hotel abt 1983 by guachglw, on Flickr

This would seem to be the missing section

Islay Hotel abt 1983 by guachglw, on Flickr


Islay Hotel abt 1983 by guachglw, on Flickr


Islay Hotel abt 1983 by guachglw, on Flickr


Islay Hotel abt 1983 by guachglw, on Flickr