Often after a holiday you are quite glad to be going home, but not this time. We both felt we could easily have spent another week on islay. So our islay festival summary: Festival Events: Its between Ardbeg and Bruichladdich for the best festival events, both were fantastically organised, ardbeg maybe had the better attractions and value [...]
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Miraculously the weather is holding up well, today was mostly sunny if fairly cold (being British I have to start with a weather report). I was rudely awoken at 6 am by arby barking at sheep who had passed right by the window (I left the garden gate open). Our cottage 1 mile out of Bridge End [...]
So as this was our day of taking it easy, we just chilled out in the morning. The dog does not know what has hit him and was completely knackered, he slept from 6pm last night until lunch time today (apart from our failed morning trip to Kilchoman). It brightened up in the afternoon, so we [...]
I planned this day as our day for slobbing around doing little (and perhaps drinking less whisky). Weather this morning was pretty foul, so seemed sensible to stay in our lovely cottage, throw a few logs on the fire and just relax. Today is Kilchoman’s open day and also Jura’s. Jura are obviously trying really hard [...]
so a disclaimer, I am really quite drunk while writing this. Its 7pm, we have been to a warehouse visit at laga and the beer event at islay square. Michelle and Arby are both fast asleep, and I am going to have a probably very inappropriate rant. Today was Bowmore’s open day. I’ve always quite liked [...]
So Monday was our big night out. In the evening we left arby to his own devices (much to his annoyance, sorry neighbours!) and got a taxi to Port Ellen for the Ceilidh. There are only four taxis on islay: Carol MacDonald (07775782155); Stuart Doyle (0771921157); Fiona Livingstone (07808303200); and Lamont Campbell (07899756159). We were lucky [...]
So monday started overcast. In the morning we walked from Ballygrant to Caol Ila and in the afternoon around Ardnave. Ballygrant to Caol Ila is a pleasant wood walk past a couple of lochs. From Bridgend, head off on the Askaig road until Ballygrant. Take the first right in the village up Mulindry Drive. There [...]
Caol Ila dont have any parking on site, so they set up parking in Ballygrant and ran buses down. Because we have the dog with us, we decided to park at ballygrant and walk down past some lochs. A lovely walk, see next post. We had booked a tasting master class with Caol Ila and [...]
blimey sunday was busy, no wonder we are all knackered today. Michelle and Arby had a nap after Bruichladdich, then it was off down to Laphroaig for the gathering. The weather had turned, it was overcast with a light soft rain, which seemed appropriate since we were going to stand in a peat field. Got [...]
Bruichladdich festivities were from 12 to 6 pm. There were some entertainments for children, many different food stalls, a beer tent run by the Islay brewery, a cocktail bar run very efficiently by some Germans and of course a whisky bar. It was a fiver to get in, but this included two free drams (of Rocks, apparently no choice [...]
