Islay (EYE-la) was wonderful! At the top of the page is the view from my room at the Port Askaig Hotel. Bottom line up front? If you are a scotch drinker, then absolutely go! If you aren’t, you may find other parts of Scotland just as beautiful, easier to get to, and a little less expensive.
I picked up a car in Edinburgh and drove cross country to Islay. The car was quite small, which turned out to be the right choice. Driving on the left hand side, with the stick on the left, on narrow roads took some getting used to. Well I didn’t get used to it – I just was eventually able to loosen my grip on the wheel. The 150 mile trip to the Kennacraig ferry terminal took four hours.
The route took me passed Loch Lomond and through the hills. I don’t have pictures that are able to convey the scenery. That is especially true for the section between Loch Lomond and Inverary. It had just rained, and I now have a new conception of the word “freshet”. The rain water cascading down the mountains in numerous freshets, against a background of amazingly varied shades of green was astounding.
From Kennacraig it is a two hour ferry ride to Islay.
I only toured two distilleries and that was pushing my luck. Scotland has zero tolerance for driving with alcohol on board. Zero. If I go back, I’ll arrange for a taxi, tour, or something. I highly recommend planning better than I did.
While I may not have planned well, I was lucky. I picked two distilleries with very different approaches and processes; Bruichladdich (BREWK-laddie) and Caol Ila (Cull-EELA, sorta rhymes with tequila).
Bruichladdich was founded in 1881 but really started its current product philosophy with the sale to new owners in 2001. The plant retains much of the equipment and processes from 1881 and is vocally committed to an artisanal approach to the product. I didn’t take many pictures during the tour as I was so captivated by the distillery and the guide. The picture above on the right is the still room. On the left are the stills for Bruichladdich, Port Charlotte, and Octomore Scotch Whisky. “Ugly Betty” on the right is where all of The Botanist Gin is produced. Bruichladdich was again sold in 2012 to its current owners, family owned Rémy Cointreau.
Caol Ila is a very different experience. Owned by Diageo, the Caol Ila tour is clearly one component of a coordinated marketing approach by Diageo, who also owns Johnnie Walker, Talisker, Lagavulin, Singleton, and over two hundred other alcohol brands sold in 180 countries. I’m not saying it is bad – I learned a great deal. Caol Ila started selling to Johnnie Walker in the mid-19th century and about 85% of its output goes into Johnnie Walker products. This distillery is not about old world craft, it is about modern process control. Much of the front and back end processes are no longer done on site. But the mash tun, washback, and distilling is here and it is beautiful. While I’ve had plenty of Johnie Walker, this was my first experience with Caol Ila single malt product. It is great product.
It probably shows through that I liked the Bruichladdich tour better than the Caol Ila tour. I’ll likely drink more Bruichladdich in the future, but purely for sentimental/emotional reasons conveyed in the visit. But I will be happy to drink Caol Ila (and Johnnie Walker) when it is in front of me!
My final thoughts on Islay. It is an island. Everything coming on or off comes by ship. That makes shortages of items in stores and restaurants inevitable. And what is there is expensive.
But like many islands, that separateness creates a community spirit and a self-sufficiency. While the Port Askaig Hotel is a little worn, I had the most memorable and the most pleasant evenings of my trip so far on Islay. I hope to make it back someday.
The Journey 