Introduction
This is the fourth of seven posts covering our Island-Hopping Whisky Trail trip in August/September 2021.
| 3 | Kintyre Peninsula |
| 4 | Isle of Islay |
| 5 | Isle of Jura |
Islay – the ‘y’ is completely silent – is the most southerly of Scotland’s Hebridean islands. It is home to over 3,000 people, around a quarter of whom speak Gaelic. The main economic activities are farming, whisky and tourism. Islay is well known for producing strongly peated whiskies with intense and complex flavours.
Arrival
We arrived at Port Askaig on the CalMac ferry from Kennacraig, and then drove to our Airbnb accommodation for a four-night stay based in Port Ellen.
Mull of Oa
The Oa is the peninsula that lies to the southwest of the road from Port Ellen to Islay Airport. In a parallel with the Mull of Kintyre, the access road ends at a small car park in the middle of nowhere, and you have to complete your journey to the tip of the peninsula on foot. Unlike the Mull of Kintyre, the continuation is on a reasonably level (but unpaved) footpath and the objective is the American Monument. This was erected by the American Red Cross to commemorate the loss of two ships in 1918. We both thought that the coastal scenery was spectacular on this beautifully clear, sunny morning.
The Rinns (including Kilchoman Distillery)
Islay’s large, westerly peninsula, The Rinns, is reached by heading west from the small settlement of Bridgend. We followed what passes for the main road all the way to Portnahaven, backtracked to Port Charlotte for lunch and made a photo-stop at Bruichladdich before heading to our next distillery tour at Kilchoman. This is the island’s youngest distillery and we were both captivated by the attractive, modern décor in the visitor centre.
Bowmore
The small town of Bowmore (population < 900) is regarded as the island’s ‘capital’. It is home to the well known whisky brand of the same name, and Bowmore Distillery is where I tasted my first single malt, in 2007. Little did I know what I’d been missing!
The Three Distilleries Path
We were lucky enough to be based barely five minutes from the start of this new walking and cycling route. Around three miles long, the path passes close to Laphroaig, continues directly to Lagavulin and ends at Ardbeg. The highlight of this little excursion was a hosted tasting session at Lagavulin.
And finally …
Guess who’s coming to dinner: we had an uninvited guest on our final night on the island.
