ISLAY: Whisky and wildlife on the Queen of the Hebrides
For the whisky enthusiast, few things can compare to spending a night on distillery grounds.
Something which was for decades the prerogative of people involved in the making of the water of life, it gives you the privilege of time to indulge in absorbing the distillery’s juiciest secrets, and sometimes the perk of waking up to the intoxicating and bakehouse-reminiscent whiff of fermenting wort.
My first experience of this kind was that of an enthusiastic 20-something-year-old on her first visit to the whisky Mecca that is Islay, pitching a tent in the cosy woodland in front of Laphroaig distillery.
It was a sunny, warm day in late May, after the distillery’s open day during Fèis Ìle - the one-week festival which every year takes over the island - a flamboyance of whisky enthusiasts moving around, celebrating its biggest trade. That atmosphere and community are deeply infectious - it captured me.
Discovering Islay off-season
My most recent experience of Islay was very different - but equally captivating.
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Starting from my travel arrangements - this time it was not a two-hour-plus ferry that would take me to my destination, but a short hop on a Loganair flight from Glasgow, after a pleasant bus journey (it was supposed to be a train but the reduced timetable meant I had to adapt a bit). As much as the drive from Inverness to Kennacraig is a stunning experience in the right conditions, sitting down with a book and music is always a more pleasant, and more sustainable way of travelling.
Not only do the flights provide a lifeline connection for the people living on the island - and allow those working in the central belt to get back to their families - but the allure of landing on the shore of this pearl of the Inner Hebrides is also an exciting way of returning to one of my favourite places in Scotland.
This whisky island, which I had only experienced during the madness of festival week, is wildly different under the pale autumn sun. On colder days, ditching the tent for a more comfortable accommodation is indeed, a bliss.
Even more so, as we got to spend the night right next to Bowmore Distillery, in a building dating back to the 1870s and which was in the past used as the village bakery.
The Old Bakery is one of six cottages owned by Bowmore Distillery. They have all very recently been refurbished and converted into self-catering accommodations of various sizes.
The oldest of the cottages, The Stillman’s cottage, was built in the very first years of existence of the village of Bowmore, which sits at the centre of the island, on Loch Indaal, and is the biggest settlement on the island. Then, two of these cottages were built by the distillery in the early 1800s to house the distillery workers (The Maltman’s and the Mashman’s cottages).
Our base, the Old Bakery, is the largest of the lot (it can host up to 14 people in six ensuite bedrooms) and was also used as a hairdressing salon and a family home before being turned into a guest house. Think of the camping tents in Harry Potter - normal and unassuming on the outside, hiding several rooms, a big kitchen space and an upper-floor lounge which looks perfect for convivial nights in front of a few drams.
A spirit-ual pilgrimage
A pearl of the inner Hebrides, Islay is of course known as the Mecca for whisky lovers worldwide. A surface of around 620 sq km (240 sq mi) hosts a population of around 3200 people, and ten working whisky distilleries (and more at various stages of planning).
The whisky tourism trade is incredibly important here. During Fèis Ìle, the population swells to more than 10,000 people, with visitors coming from all over the world to enjoy the spirituous delicacies and infectious merry atmosphere.
Bowmore is the island’s biggest settlement, established in the second half of the 1700s. One of its most remarkable features is its Round Church, watching over the village from the top of the main road.
The story behind its shape is one that sticks in the memory - make it round, so the devil has no corners in which to hide, was the thought of the planners back then. However, finding no place in the church, the devil soon found another place where to go - a warehouse, after all, is fairly alluring to most.
Bowmore is the oldest legal distillery on the island, founded in 1779 - only a few years after the village was established. Located right on the shore of Loch Indaal, this distillery is one of the few where visitors can still see floor maltings in action (although the majority of the barley still needs to be purchased to meet the quantity required). Though Islay is known for its extremely peaty whiskies, Bowmore produces a medium-peated spirit, and most of its expressions are matured in sherry cask, which gives the whisky sweeter and notes of dark fruits, chocolate and mild spices, along with a warm peat smoke.
Very different is the whisky from one of the world’s most famous peaty brands - Laphroaig.
To get there, one has to drive south, across a long stretch of straight road that cuts through the western side of the island, and through the peatlands (which cover around 60 per cent of the island’s surface). The road passes through the second biggest settlement of Port Ellen, heading towards Kildaton. Here, in line (and if you fancy a walk, also connected by a very well-kept path) are the distilleries of Laphroaig, Lagavulin and Ardbeg (with one more being built by Elixir distillers, Port-n-truan, at the start of the trail).
After passing the woodland and leaving the car, one can approach the stunning inlet on which Laphroaig distillery sits. Its whisky is famous for its strong peat smoke and its deeply maritime, iodine-led taste - so much so that Laphroaig was once passed as a medicine during the prohibition years in the US and retained part of its exports.
Visiting on an off-production day, we get to walk around the vast floor maltings, as well as step inside the incredible aroma of the kiln’s drying room (where the barley gets its smoky flavours). On land just outside the distillery, a big plot of land hosts the many flags of Friends of Laphroaig - a programme which allows anyone who has bought a bottle of Laphroaig whisky to claim a lifetime lease on a 1ft square plot of land. The initiative was started back in 1994 in order to protect the area close to the Kilbride Stream, the distillery’s water source.
However, whether you are not too keen on whisky or you want a break between a whisky tasting and the other, Islay has a lot to offer beyond the water of life.
Beyond whisky: nature and heritage
There is a good reason why Islay is also known as the Queen of the Hebrides. The second biggest island of the Inner Hebrides is also a paradise for those who love immersing themselves in nature and wildlife.
One of them is Tom Dunn, founder of Islay Encounters. Having moved here with his family more than three decades ago, he fell in love with the island’s landscape and the creatures who live on it, sharing his love for it with visitors.
On a short hike in the surroundings of Laphroaig’s water source, binoculars at hand, Tom tells of the history behind the landscape, occasionally stopping to point at fallow deer in the distance, a hen harrier or, as our jaws drop, a golden eagle. The island has an incredibly diverse and abundant range of wildlife, to be admired on one of the many walks and hikes around the island. Wandering around the quiet landscape one can appreciate even more the life that thrives in it.
Islay is also a wonderful community, whose main trades beyond the whisky industry are mostly tourism, fishing and farming.
However, there are some old trades that remain here - one such example being the Islay Woolen Mill.
Located near Bridgend, the mill dates back to the 1880s, but was reopened in the 1980s after being mothballed for a long period. Here, weaver Marcus Covell operates looms dating back to the 1920s to create a range of tweed. It really is like stepping back in time.
In fact, you may have spotted some of the creations of this mill, as it produced tartan for blockbusters such as Braveheart, Forrest Gump and Rob Roy.
Seafood paradise: flavours of Islay
Whisky lovers are not the only ones in for a treat on Islay - the seafood is also one of the best I have ever experienced. I was lucky to have my first encounter with oysters here: during festival week, they are handed over to you, to swallow up with a splash of whisky, and they are among the juiciest and most wonderful I have ever tasted (any oysters I have had after this has not been up to the challenge).
Langoustines are also one treat to try when visiting Islay - some of the best I have had were the ones we tried at the Lochside Hotel in Bowmore during my most recent trip. Scallops and mussels are also excellent, delivered as fresh as they can be. Plus the restaurant, a local favourite, has some wonderful views on Loch Indaal. Beef and lamb are also big on the menus around the island, as well as venison.
There are many great places to eat when on Islay - another one to note is surely the Sea Salt Bistro in Port Ellen, where they also make a very respectable wood-fired pizza (but if that is what you are after, Peatzeria in Bowmore is also one to keep in mind).
If you like to cook at home, getting in touch with one of the local fishermen and fishmongers is also something to turn into a special meal.
During the year, Islay is also a place thriving with wonderful events: from the Islay Book Festival in August and Jazz Festival in September, to Walk Islay in April, there is much to do on this beautiful island.
As we step on the plane back, the airport’s landing facing the beach on a red-burning sunset, I cherish the opportunity to have walked the island at a quieter time, and dream of what the next visit will bring.
