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