Islay Part 3

15th Sep

Bunnahabhain Distillery from the pier - credit:J

Today we woke to a low mist over a very calm bay. Off to Bunnahabhain (bh=v) this morning for yet another distillery tour, 45 minutes away on the very north coast of Islay. The road down to the bay at Bunnahabain should give incredible views over the Sound of Jura to the Paps, but the mist was right down to the sea, creating a very stereotypical Scottish scene of heather and mist, and little else.

The Bunnahabain distillery was also built in 1881 (like Bruichladdich). Given its remoteness, at the end of a long narrow winding road, everything used to be delivered by sea at the pier and removed the same way, however with sealed roads, trucks can now venture down the twisting road.

Entrance to courtyard - credit: S

The distillery has a rustic, low key feel: the shop is a tiny room with dated decor and few gimmicky souvenirs, the stills aren't shiny polished copper and the building needs a bit of TLC. It's a delightful contrast to the slick marketing machine that is Laphroaig or Bruichladdich and I enjoyed the tour even though it's our third.  One of the stills was a particularly lovely shape, as if it had sagged in its old age.

Saggy bottom still - credit:S

The tasting went down well - Jeremy selected this as the one he wanted to consume over the rest of our holiday and even Megan liked it. I stuck to the fudge, as given the alcohol consumption, I was designated driver.

Driving in Islay is a different experience. Most of the roads are single track with passing bays, lots of blind corners and blind humps, so care is needed. Because everyone does take care (well, almost everyone) it's routine to give a little wave as a thanks, and in fact you do so whenever anyone goes past, even on the wider roads. Some tourists mistake this as the locals being friendly, which it sort of is, but it's more an acknowledgment of courteous driving.

We dropped in briefly to the Caol Ila (cull eela) distillery so that we could add it to our tally (the aim is to visit all 8 Islay distilleries) and so the guys could drink more free whisky. Fortunately, Jeremy decided he still prefers their cheapest offering, which we'll buy duty free going back through Singapore.

Loch Finlaggan - credit:J

Islay was the base for the self-styled "Lord of the Isles" in the 13th - 15th Century - the start of the Macdonald clan, and the most powerful land owners other than the King, who eventually dispensed with them. Their base was the island of Eilean Mor in Loch Finlaggan, and there is a ruined fortified house and church which we visited. It was a very atmospheric location in the mist.

Kilchoman Distillery - credit:S

Next stop was a cream tea at the Bridgend Hotel, on the way to the 8th distillery, Kilchoman. It's the last of the independent family run distilleries, and looks more like a small farm than a distillery but they have an unexpectedly large visitor centre and cafe. Being a small operation, the tastings weren't free, but £5 isn't much to try 3 whiskies. Neither George nor Jeremy were particularly taken with these, but J added to his whisky glass collection!

The day ended with takeaway fish and chips in Port Ellen. Great fresh fish and nicely cooked chips, but Jeremy was disappointed with his lobster.

16th Sep
This morning was another glorious sunrise, and was the day of George and Megan's departure. Jeremy and I went down to the lighthouse to wave at the ferry as it went by, and we've since heard that they did indeed see us.

Dunyvraig Castle - credit:S

We had a quiet day, taking the advantage of the sunshine to visit the ruin of Dunyvraig Castle across the small bay from the Laguvulin distillery. We took some great photos there on a gloomy day on our last trip in 2014, and thought the sunshine would be an improvement, but in fact the atmosphere was so much better in the gloom. The castle was once the naval base of the Lord of the Isles and dates to the 16th century, although there would have been something there much earlier than that.

Loch a Chunic - Credit:S

We continued on past Ardbeg and the beautiful little beach at Loch a Chnuic to the Kildalton Cross.  The beach seemed to be completely fenced off (the photo as taken from the fence) - the joys of a country where ironically, the Queen's chain doesn't apply!

From the 8th Century, the Kildalton Cross is thought to be the oldest complete early Christian high cross in the UK, similar to those on Iona. It has a very Celtic design, with the circle and carved knots, and also has religious motifs (Madonna and child, Cain and Abel, Abraham and Isaac). The church itself is early 13th century and was probably thatched, as no slates have ever been found.

Kildalton Cross - credit:J

Some enterprising local and set up a self-service cafe at the Cross: chilly bin for milk and cakes, thermos for hot water, China cups and an honesty box for cash. Wouldn't last in most places - the whole lot would be nicked!

Ardbeg Distillery from the bay - credit:J

We went back to Ardbeg for a healthy lunch of clootie dumpling (like Xmas pudding) and sour cherry cheesecake, both made with a liberal dose of Ardbeg's finest whisky.




Because of the sunshine, we stopped off at the other two nearby distilleries for a reprise of a few photos, before heading back to the cottage. I spent the afternoon wandering along the beach and snoozing on the couch, while Jeremy went back to Bowmore to taste a few more whiskies. Although he'd been in the shop the other day, he really needed to have a tasting to complete his set of Islay distilleries.




The evening brought a seal into the bay, and a rainbow in the sky above, just perfect for our last night in Islay.

Rainbow over Port Ellen - credit:S

Islay Part 2

13th Sep

Loch Ness Monster or Sea Otter - credit: J

The weather forecast was once again wrong and we had bright sunshine this morning, but the cold northerly breeze kept the temperature down to 17 degrees, in spite of London's record high temperatures in the 30s. George and Megan went for a walk down to the cemetery beside Kilnaughton beach before breakfast where Megan was licked by a highland calf, while Jeremy and I had a sleep in. Jeremy also went for a walk and spotted sea otters and got a great shot with his new telephoto lens. The rest of us got to see them later as we drove down our unmade road. They were a bit far out to be more than lumps in the waves, but at least we saw them! Jeremy.

The Paps of Jura - credit:S

Today's itinerary was a trip to the neighbouring island of Jura, 35 miles long, 8 miles wide, population 200. This involved a half hour car journey to the top of Islay to Port Askaig then a short car ferry trip. There is a fabulous view of the Paps of Jura from Port Askaig - two breast-like mountains, both of which were wearing nipple warming clouds this morning. Jura seems very bleak at first, with no sign of habitation anvd nothing but rolling hills and peaks covered in reeds, tussock and patches of heather (unfortunately past it's best flowering). After about 20 minutes drive, you arrive at Craighouse, the only significant settlement on Jura. There is a small fishing harbour, a hotel and of course the all-important distillery, with primary school,church and a few other services further up the road. It's a very small remote community and must take a certain kind of person to live there.

Jura Distillery with Cabbage Trees - credit:J

We had a successful free tasting session at the distillery shop, and both Jeremy and George found a Jura variant that they liked enough to buy. The young lass in the shop asked us where we're from, and as part of his answer, George mentioned the NZ cabbage trees outside, at which point she got very excited, as she and her colleagues had been having a huge debate last week about what kind of palm tree they
are, and no amount of Googling helped them (unsurprisingly). She can now impress them all with her new found knowledge of cordyline australis.

Lunch at the Jura Hotel was amazingly good with the local produce the star: fresh scallops and wild venison burgers (there are thousands of red deer on Jura). We also got to try a locally made gin: three local ladies have started a small scale operation producing a very perfumy gin called Lussa infused with locally foraged botanicals (much like The Botanist).

Paps of Jura - Credit:J

With the unexpected sun still shining, we decided to drive all the way to the end of the "long road", the only road on Jura going up the east coast. It's the A846 and supposedly the narrowest A road in the UK. As you leave Craighouse, it's right by the water, great for spotting seals (or seal, as we only saw one) and seabirds. It then goes inland and upwards, with wide vistas of the moorland and the Paps behind on one side, and picturesque rocky bays with mainland Scotland behind on the other. This is the more sheltered part of the island, so we even found ourselves in leafy woodland, proving that trees can grow on Jura. Towards the end, the road is more like someone's ill-kept driveway, with a wide stripe of grass down the centre, and lots of potholes - not holes really, just sunken areas, where the boggy ground tries to consume the road. It made for a slow and bumpy journey, and a challenge dealing with the few other vehicles as there weren't many passing bays.

Cove, Ardlussa Estate - credit:S

Once we crossed the Lussa river, we had to pass through the Ardlussa Estate, and it really did feel we were using someone's driveway! Lovely little coves and beautiful trees all through here. Eventually we decided the road was getting to the point that a 4 wheel drive would be more suitable, and given a rare spot we could turn around, did so, and headed all the way back to the other end of the long road for the ferry. Incidentally, the ferry is timetabled to go hourly, but in reality it goes whenever there are enough vehicles to fill it, which is surprisingly often!

After a well earned cup of tea at the cottage, we treated ourselves to dinner in the poshest restaurant in Port Ellen, at the Islay Hotel. Expensive but cheap enough in Wellington terms: about $120 per couple. We've had to book all our restaurant and distillery tour sojourns, as the island still seems very busy in spite of the time of year. Lots of American and German tourists, with a few Japanese whisky lovers too.

Loch Tarbert, Jura - credit:J

14th Sep
The day started with high level cloud, but the sun started making an appearance mid-morning. We'd booked an 11am tour of the Bruichladdich distillery in Bruichladdich village, a 35 minute drive from our cottage, so had to be slightly more organised this morning.

Oldest still - credit:J

Bruichladdich distillery has an interesting history. It was bought out from the original family by White McKay who then closed it down, and it remained closed for several years. A holiday maker to Islay found out about it, and decided to buy it. He was a bit of a radical, and broke away from some of the local traditional whisky making ways, calling the distillery the Progressive Hebridean Distillers and even started making gin. He was so successful he sold to Remy Martin for a huge profit. In spite of the closure and the recent ownership changes, some of the equipment dates back to 1881 when it was built, and one of the stills is possibly the oldest functioning still in the world. Their process was quite different to Laphroaig's, with the mash tank the original 1881 giant open tank made out of cast iron, and all the washback fermentation tanks were made from Oregon pine. They don't want to change anything as that could change the flavour of the whisky.

Ugly Betty Gin Still - credit:J

The highlight for me was Ugly Betty, the still where they make my favourite gin, The Botanist. The raw spirit is imported from England, then distilled with the 22 botanicals foraged on Islay, including gorse flowers, wild thyme, hawthorn flowers, red and white clover flowers and apple mint. They get 250,000 bottles from each distillation so they only have to do it once a year. They were bottling The Botanist while we were there.

We had lunch in Port Charlotte, a quaint seaside village of whitewashed houses, across the water from Bowmore (Islay has a strange shape, almost like two deformed walnut halves separated by a stretch of water called Loch Indaal, so Bowmore and Port Ellen are on one half and Port Charlotte on the other). Yan's Kitchen is a great restaurant that Jeremy and I discovered the last time we were here - a Chinese guy making Spanish/Italian food on a Scottish island! Again we had great local seafood (scallops and crab claws) as part of a tapas menu. Jeremy tried a very strange beer, made using some of the smoked barley usually used for making whisky, so it was like a barbecued beer. I thought it was disgusting but J was unperturbed.
By now it was quite hot with glorious sunshine.

Portnahaven - credit: S

We continued another 15 minutes down the coast to the southern most tip, a fishing village called Portnahaven. Built as a planned village in the early 19th century to encourage the fishing industry, it is a u-shaped cluster of white rendered cottages, each with window frames and doors painted in shades of blue, arranged around a long narrow inlet. Picture postcard perfect! There was about a dozen Grey Seals in the harbour, two basking in the rocks, and the rest bobbing with their heads just above the water. There are a couple of islands at the mouth of the inlet, one with a substantial lighthouse called the Rhinns of Islay lighthouske, built in 1825.

Grey Seals, Portnahaven - credit:J

The coastal road between Portnahaven and Port Charlotte has amazing views across Loch Indaal to the other half of Islay. We could even see the American Monument perched at the end of the Mull of Oa. It was erected to commemorate those who died in two ship wrecks in 1918 (a couple of American troop carriers, one torpedoed and one involved in a collision), but it's unfortunately rather ugly. All for of us walked out to see it on previous trips to Islay, so won't be doing so this time.

Portnahaven - credit:S

We headed home via the Coop supermarket at Bowmore for dinner supplies and more tonic for the gin, and had a quiet evening in.

Islay Part 1

11th Sep

Lighthouse - credit: J

We awoke to a beautiful sunrise, behind the Carraig Fhada lighthouse on Kilnaughton Bay, opposite Port Ellen. It was so nice to see some sun that all but Jeremy went for a walk and photo shoot at 7am. It was also the first time we saw the cottage and its environs in daylight. The cottage was newly built about 3 years ago, but in a traditional Islay style in white render. The huge floor to ceiling picture window in the lounge is a modern twist, giving an amazing view of the light house and Port Ellen. It has all the mod cons - wifi, dishwasher, huge TV,  the all important washing machine and dryer and even more important, incredibly good insulation.

Singing Sands - credit: S

The four of us had a slow start to the day, chatting over a lengthy breakfast. As the sun was still shining, we walked over the hill to the Singing Sands beach, dodging goat droppings from the wild goats, who'd left little hoof marks trails all over the sand - but saw no actual goats. I wondered if they went there to eat the seaweed. The beach has golden sand, contrasted with dark jagged rocks, with green waves coming in off the Irish Sea. On a clear day you can see Ireland. There was also stream stained red-brown by the peat, forming a small pond of black tea. The sand supposedly makes a noise when you walk on it, thus the Singing Sands but we couldn't hear it - or maybe that was just the rising wind and waves!

Peaty pool - credit: J

As Islay is all about the whisky, Laphroaig Distillery was next on the agenda. George is a friend of Laphroaig so has a square for of peat bog to his name, along with a gift of a free dram whenever he visits. We'd hoped to go on the distillery tour, but it was booked out. Turns out this weekend is the Jazz festival and the island is very busy. So instead we stocked up on whisky flavoured cheese, oat cakes and fudge (called tablet in these parts) and booked a tour for tomorrow.

Singing sands - credit: S

We had lunch at a strange little cafe in Port Ellen, part of a volunteer run youth centre. Given the busyness at Laphroaig, it seemed likely that distillery tours would all be full, so decided to head off to the Bruichladdich distillery shop to buy Megan and I a bottle of The Botanist gin, given we both dislike Whisky. The drive took us across the middle of the island, along the undulating main road - it's through peat bogs, so bits of the road eventually sink into the mire. The countryside, given the endless peat, is very barren with no trees in sight, but at least the heather is in flower, so there are patches of purple to break the monotony. In the centre of the island, around Bridgend, there is a little patch of woodland, but the lack of trees certainly explains the discovery of using peat as fuel.

With gin in tummies (free tasting) and carry-out bags, it was back home for cheese and oat cakes, gin and whisky. We stopped at the coop store in Bowmore for ingredients for dinner, so that we didn't have to go out again, as the weather was rapidly deteriorating into a full-on storm. The store-bought apple pie, made with Bramley apples, was a delight!

12th Sep
The storm was still raging this morning: the waves were crashing over the causeway to the lighthouse (and up to the side of the lighthouse) and the ferries have been cancelled. This encouraged us to stay indoors over a leisurely  breakfast and general lazing about. It wasn't until late morning that cabin fever drove us out into the wind and rain - it was either that or Monopoly! We had lunch at the Ardbeg distillery cafe, along with a free wee dram to taste, before heading to Jeremy's favourite, Lagavulin: more tasting and of course, he bought the t-shirt!

Laphroaig stills - credit: S

There are currently 8 distilleries on Islay, with three more apparently planned. Ardbeg, Laguvulin and Laphroaig are all in close proximity, not far from Port Ellen (the locals call it paTellen - one word, with the emphasis on the letter T). We completed the set of three with our tour of Laphroaig. For an hour, we followed the journey that results in the peaty single malt whisky, from the sprouting of the barley (malting), smoking it in the kiln, through to the fermentation of the mash and distilling of the "wash" in huge copper swan-neck stills.

Laphroaig still safe - credit: J

During the distillation, only the middle portion is used - the first 45 minutes worth is too strong (more than 72% alcohol) and the last lot is too weak (less than 60%). The unwanted stuff is called the feints and the sorting occurs in a beautiful shiny brass and glass spirit safe, where levers are turned to ensure the good stuff goes into the gold glass bowl, and the feints into the clear bowl. Another fun factoid: the husks etc left over from soaking the barley is called draff and many a highland cow has grown fat on draff!

After the tour, Jeremy and George attended an hour long tasting session, tasting 4 different styles of Laphroaig. Megan and I watched on, and joined in the friendly chatter with the other tasters: some Americans who wanted to know more about New Zealand and a Kiwi lass from Napier (who we later took to the airport). George decided to visit his square foot of peat, and plant the little NZ flag the distillery provides. They also thoughtfully provide wellies so you can slush through the bog with impunity.

Seaweed eating billy - credit: J

By then it was late afternoon so it was back to the cottage, where the sea had miraculously calmed with the dying of the wind. We were visited by the herd of goats - about 20 of them including two large and very smelly billy goats - and witnessed them eating the seaweed, so my question was answered! We have been keeping an eye out for sea otters, but no luck, although Jeremy did see something in the bay beside Laphroaig which seemed to be too small for a seal. We've also seen herons, hooded crows and little red-breasted robins (plus seagulls, but they don't count!)

Dinner was at the Sea Salt bistro, newly opened in Port Ellen. Great seafood, followed by traditional British puds (sticky toffee and apple crumble).

Glasgow Part 2

9th Sep
Glasgow is a very different city to Edinburgh. Lots of old red sandstone buildings, rather than the cream/grey, but also a much greater mish-mash of styles from all eras. Far less of a tourist city, and the locals are much harder to understand - the accent is so much thicker than what you hear in Edinburgh. Glasgow's inner city is much more sprawling, so we have walked heaps the last couple of days, as well as using the subway. In contrast, Edinburgh's New and Old Towns are neatly compact.

Still gloomy today, with persistent rain this afternoon, which the locals apparently refer to as dreich (dreek) but that hasn't deterred us. We caught the subway across (or more correctly under) the river to the bizarrely named suburb Ibrox (Gaelic but sounds like a tech product!). The is home to the Rangers Football club, and the modern riverside development that includes the Science Museum and BBC Scotland.

Dining Room - Credit: J

Our destination however was Bellahouston Park, home to the Charles Rennie Mackintosh designed "House for an Art Lover". This was only built in the 1990's but was done so using plans, designs and drawings done by CRM and his wife. The design was developed for a German architecture competition in 1901, whose brief was to design a modern country house "for an art lover". The Mackintoshes didn't win, but mainly because they failed to submit all the necessary drawings. The organiser praised their work, and had it published. In the 1980s, a Glasgow architect came up with the idea of having it built, and it was completed in 1996 and is used for weddings, art classes etc. The furniture, stained glass panels and light fittings were the highlights for me.

Riverside Museum and Tall Ship - Credit: J

We took advantage of the cafe at the house for our daily scone and tea before hurrying off in the rain to the Clyde River waterside. We'd discovered a sightseeing boat trip and as we're suckers for boat trips, we were keen in spite of the weather (the boat wasn't covered). It took us up past the old dry docks to some of the last working shipyards where the HMS Trent (navy in shore patrol boat) is currently being built. I was amazed at how under develops the whole area is, and how under-utilised the river is - no bars, cafes, few apartment complexes and no other boats at all. I guess it will happen eventually. It was also sad to see some of the historic buildings, such as the old pump house for the dry docks, falling into total disrepair.

Old pump house - Credit: S

Thankfully, the dry, warm subway took us back to the hotel, somewhat soggy - the locals call this weather dreich (creek) - persistent cold drizzle.. After some R&R, we met up with George and Megan for drinks before heading off to the Shish Mahal restaurant. This is supposedly the restaurant where the popular chicken tikka masala was invented. Wikipedia says that Mr Ali made up the sauce in response to a customer's complaint that is chicken tikka was too dry, so he threw together some canned tomato soup and cream with spices. They're now trying to get official status for Glaswegian Chicken Tikka Masala. True or not, is was a great meal!

10 Sep
Off to Islay today. We taxied out to the airport to collect our rental car, then headed north. The route would take us past Loch Lomand, to Inveraray, then Tarbert, finishing at Kennacraig where the ferry leaves for the island. As we'd done this trip only 2 years ago, it was all very familiar.

Bedroom, The Hill House 

First stop, however, was yet another Charles Rennie Mackintosh house in Helensborough, not far from Glasgow. This one was designed for the Blackie family and built in the 1920s. Again, CRM went beyond the standard architects role, designing furniture and light fittings, and Margaret created her decorative gesso panels. Although the family sold the house and the furniture, the National Trust has managed to get much of it back, and the house has been restored back to its original state. I loved it, especially as it was a family home rather than an artificial museum construction. Again no photos allowed, so stole one.

Loch Lomand - credit: J

We stopped on the shores of Loch Lomand, at Firkin Point, for a quick photo op of the loch and Ben Lomand towering behind. My mother was always very fond of this loch, so I always like to get down to the waterside, with its pebbled beaches and brooding waters. We also stopped at Inveraray where a wedding was in progress. There was a lone piper outside the church and all the male guests were wearing the kilt, as were the little page boys.

We met up with George and Megan in Tarbert, a small harbour town on Loch Fyne and a real favourite of ours, with its dark, oily water reflecting the brightly coloured harbour buildings and boats.

Tarbert - credit: J

There is a small castle ruin on the hill above that has links back to Robert the Bruce. Last time we were here, we clambered up to it, but this time, we did the grocery shopping for our week on Islay instead Tarbert is also where George's parents were married and so a pilgrimage to the church was in order. Another wedding had just concluded, and again lots of kilts.

Tarbert - credit: S

The ferry trip takes 2 hours and was very smooth, at first due to the loch, and then Islay's shelter from the Irish Sea. We arrived in the near dark and pouring rain, and after a slight navigation error, we found the cottage at the end of a long "unmade" road (love that local term, better than unsealed - makes it sound like a rumpled old bed!). And speaking of bed....