Wow, what a tour!
On Thursday morning, I picked up 11 whisky lovers from the Royal Mile in Edinburgh. They were 5 Swedes, 4 Americans and 2 Australians (this is not the start if a bad joke). My whisky-hating wife had also decided to join the tour, just to see what all the fuss was about.
I mentioned to the group that my wife was not a fan of whisky (something to do with a bad experience with a bottle of Famous Grouse sometime in the past…). Once the 11 self-confessed whisky lovers had got over their incredulity, they agreed to help me find the perfect dram for her. What followed was a a tour filled with laughter, sunshine, drams, history, culture, great food, rain, Islay hospitality and a sense that we had all made great new friends.
We set off and headed for Stirling Castle for our first stop of the day. Having got away from Edinburgh early, we found ourselves at the castle with around half an hour to spare before they opened. This gave us the chance to go and take a walk across the old Stirling Bridge across the Forth. Great views and photos followed, before we returned to the open Castle gates.
After visiting, it was then time to head to Loch Lomond. A stop at Luss, in glorious sunshine, gave us stunning views of the loch, along with a chance to wander around this lovely little conservation village.
A happy guest at Loch Lomond
Now it was on to Inveraray, via the Rest and be Thankful, for lunch, a walk, a visit to the castle and a browse of the Loch Fyne Whisky Shop! Having sampled a few drams, and made a few purchases, we continued onward to the ferry terminal at Kennacraig. Here it was time for a wee al fresco coffee or tea and, most importantly, a wee Speyside dram (Benromach in fact). The group seemed quite happy when these were produced from the back of the minibus.
A stunning ferry crossing to Port Ellen went by all too quickly. The whole group were already getting on well and had been sharing stories and drams all the way there. As we hoved into view of Islay’s south coast, I took everyone out on deck and showed them the view of Ardbeg, Lagavulin and Laphroaig that greeted us. This was met with delight from one of the Swedes who, it turned out, was perhaps the biggest fan of Laphroaig I have ever met.
A short drive to Bowmore was followed by great Islay welcomes at our accommodations and then a trip to Duffies Bar for a welcome drink and a nightcap, all rolled into one.
My wife had still not been brave enough for a dram though!
Day 2 greeted us with sunshine and wonderful views across Loch Indaal. Fortified with great local produce, we made our way to the Kildalton Cross for a bit of history and culture to start the day. This met with approval as we explored the ruins of the church and the stunning 8th Century cross. It was then off to Laphroaig for a tour…
After arriving at Laphroaig, we took the opportunity to grab some photos before the tour started. The group were happily snapping away when one of the staff (George) came out to enquire if we would like a dram. As I was driving, I politely declined. The rest of the gang answered with one resounding, “Aye”. This made me pretty happy, as I had already mentioned that we don’t say “yes” in Scotland, but replace this with “aye”.
George then brought out 12 drams of the Quarter Cask for everyone to sample in the sunshine. All were enjoyed, apart from the one given to my wife!
After the tour, it was time for 2 of the guests to find their plot of land, as they were both Friends of Laphroaig. This involved much hilarity and stomping about in size 12 wellies in the mud.
Friend of Laphroaig searching for their plot!
Now it was off to Ardbeg, for a great lunch in the Old Kiln Cafe, before heading to Lagavulin for a few tastes of their wares. Everybody loved the cosy wee tasting room and, I am pleased to say, my wife turned to the group (who had recommended she try the 16 year old, double matured expression) and stated, “Mmmmmmm, this is nice.” A round of applause followed, but was cut short by the words, “…but I’m still not sure i could drink a whole one.”
One of the Swedish guests had told me the day before that Bunnabhainn was his favourite tipple. I had told him that we would try and squeeze in a visit but, because they close at 4pm, this may be a bit tricky. On leaving Laphroaig we took the incredible drive to Bunnabhainn. On the way, I realised we would not make it before they closed. This called for drastic action…
I pulled up in Port Ellen and told the group, “I have to see a man about a dog.” I then ran to the Spar and purchased their last bottle of Bunnabhainn 12 year old. Having smuggled this unseen onto the bus, we now continued on our way. Bunnabhainn is not the prettiest distillery on Islay, but it’s site is unsurpassed by any distillery in Scotland. I ran ahead to the pier in front of the buidlings, overlooking the Paps of Jura, and set up the bar! tea, coffee, green tea and Bunnabhainn 12 year old. When everyone else caught up, they were delighted to find such a bar in this unique location. They drank in the view and the drams and then talked about Monty Python for the next 10 minutes… it turned out there were many more common interests than just whisky.
I am also pleased to announce…
My wife enjoyed the Bunnabhainn!
Now we headed back to Bowmore for dinner and an evening of great banter and laughter.
Day 3 was a bit damp, but this was not going to affect the enthusiasm of this tour guide! We started the day with a visit to Finlaggan, where the Lords of the Isles once sat. i showed everyone around, and we even managed to create a new Lord of one of the Swedes (a huge fan of Ardbeg).
Following a bit of culture, we turned south and paid a visit to Islay House Square. Here the group explored the Islay Chocolate Shop, Elizabeth Sykes Batiks (with great tea and coffee apparently), Islay Ales brewery, The Gallery and the wonderful walled community garden. Chocolate was bought a as gifts to take home; beer was bought for personal consumption and fresh peas and raspberries were purchased to make us all feel a bit more healthy.
Now it was off to Kilchoman for lunch and a tour of the smallest distillery in Scotland (comments from Edradour welcome). As usual, the team looked after us brilliantly and both the tour and lunch were a great success. We just about had time for a walk on Machir Bay, before heading to Bruichladdich for a tour and a few more drams.
A Cask at Kilchoman
Following their tour, the group were invited to sample from Bruichladdich’s vast range. This was not an invitation that needed repeating, and it was all I could do to eventually drag them away and take a drive to Portnahaven to see some seals.
The seal-spotting had been included to satisfy the request of some of the tour guests. “I know just the pleace,” I said , “there are always dozens of seals at Portnahaven.”
On all my previous trips to Islay, there have always been dozens of seals at Portnahaven. On Saturday, we saw 3 stick their heads out of the water for a few seconds and then disappear again. The mist and rain had also come in good and proper now, so we decided to call it a day and head back to Bowmore (passing the marriage celebrations of Jim McEwan’s daughter on the way).
Another evening of great food, laughter drams and music followed. I left them too it and went to bed early but there were a few tales to be told the next morning…
Day 4 took us away from Islay on the morning ferry. A stop in Kilmarting Glen, to see the standing stones, was followed by lunch and free time on sunny Oban. Seafood was the most popular lunch choice, with the seafood shack on the harbour proving popular with my wife.
Prawns on the pier in Oban
We then headed for Killin and the Falls of Dochart, before our arrival back into Edinburgh. As I unloaded the luggage on e of my guests, on behalf of the whole group, presented me with a lovely hipflask as a token of their thanks. They had originally decided to buy a bottle of whisky, but had been unable to agree on which to buy…
This was a lovely end to a tour which felt more like a family holiday than a tour. I hope that everyone keeps in touch and they all enjoy their Islay drams when they get home. Hopefully, when the bottles are opened, the memories of this tour will flood back as if it were yesterday.
Oh, and my wife has vowed to continue her foray into the world of whisky… thanks again for all your suggestions and help folks!
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Visiting all 8 Islay distilleries.
Will Stockham