ISLE OF ISLAY...
LORD OF THE ISLES Islay was once home to Scotland’s fearsome Lord of the Isles. Today it is one of the premiere whisky-producing areas in the world. Words | Adrian Mourby
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N THE FAR west of Scotland, only 25 miles from the coast of Northern Ireland, lies a whisky-producing island known as Islay. At 239 square miles it is slightly smaller than Singapore (260 sqm), yet this mossy, windswept rock is home to seven of Scotland’s greatest distilleries: Ardbeg, Bowmore, Bruichladdich, Bunnahabhain, Caol Ila, Lagavulin, and Laphroaig, as well as two of the newest, Kilchoman and Ardnahoe. Long-term and passionate lovers of whisky, my wife and I arrived one autumn evening in Islay’s Port Askaig after a rainy, two-hour crossing from the mainland. As our ferry squeezed slowly up the narrow channel that separates Islay from its sister island, Jura, it was already growing dark and the tiny port was lit up. Caledonian MacBrayne, the ferry company that keeps Scotland’s islands supplied in all weathers, is very efficient at loading and offloading. We were swiftly marshalled off, and followed every other car up the steep harbour road. Dark, flat moorland dotted with white cottages led us south to Bowmore, Islay’s capital.
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BritishTravelJournal.com
