Wow…What an amazing 4 days!
Last Saturday I picked up four guests, from their Edinburgh hotel, and began a four day private tour to Islay. As it turned out, this was one of the best tours I have had the pleasure of guiding.
The group consisted of 2 couples. One from Norway and one from Finland. They had been friends for over 20 years and all shared a passion for Islay whisky, especially Laphroaig. The trip had been booked especially to coincide with the Feis Ile and, more specifically, The Gathering of the Friends of Laphroaig (FoL).
Within a few minutes of meeting them, I new that we would all be getting on like a house on fire. The sun was shining and there was a genuine sense of excitement as we made our way out of Edinburgh. After a brief city tour, we headed towards Stirling for a quick photo stop at the castle and a few tales of Wallace and Bruce. Then it was off to Loch Lomond for a coffee and an ice cream stop (well, it was a sunny day after all).
Having taken a wee stroll around Luss, we headed over the Rest and be Thankful pass and made a lunch stop in Inveraray. As we drove in for a look at the castle, I realised there was a shinty (Camanachd) game in progress. We made a quick detour and managed to catch the last 15 minutes of the action. The guests loved it!
“This game is crazy, Will” , they said. “I know”, I replied, “isn’t it brilliant”.
Having watched a bit of Highland sport, they were in need of sustenance. We headed for The George Hotel for lunch and a few beers, and even managed to grab a table outside in the sunshine. After a Laphroaig each, to finish a great meal, the guys headed to Loch Fyne Whisky shop. Having shared a few tales with the owner, and had a few samples, a bottle of Octomore was purchased. After a bit more walking around, and a huge number of photos being taken, we jumped back into the car and headed towards Tabert. After a stroll along the harbour, we headed for the ferry to Islay at Kennacraig.
The car park was already teeming with people, all champing at the bit to get Islay and start the festivities. As the sun was shining (temp in the car was reading 23C) we took a seat on the rocks and cracked open a flask of coffee and a bottle of Highland Park! No whisky for me of course, as I still had to drive on the other side of the water. An absolutely stunning ferry journey followed with a few exceptional highlights:
- Dolphins
- Seals
- Tall Ships
- Stunning views of Jura
- Great chat with the guys and all the other whisky-loving passengers
- Finding out that the Finnish couple would be celebrating their 30th wedding anniversary on Monday
Having arrived, we took the short drive to the Bridgend Hotel and said goodnight.
Now, I am not going to bore you with all the details of the next 3 days which, by the way, were amazing. I do want to share some of the incredible moments that made my guests fall in love with Islay and Scotland though.
So, here we go…
1) A tour of Laphroaig followed by a swim in the sea and a coffee on the golden sands.
2) Attending the Fol Gathering and being given free Laphroaig cheese, just because you happened to mention you like it.
3) Celebrating your 30th wedding anniversary with a champagne breakfast, great Islay produce and then a champagne and whisky picnic at Laphroaig… in the sun!
4) Having the Bridgend Hotel rustle up the most amazing fresh seafood lunch, any of us had ever eaten, for the last meal on Islay.
5) Rolling around in fields of bluebells.
6) Picking and eating wild garlic.
7) Seeing a huge array of wildlife such as … Seals, Peacocks, Hares, Oyster Catchers, Dolphins, Deer, Hairy Coos, Grouse, Pheasant, Choughs, Buzzards and the occasional drunk Scotsman!
Visiting all 8 Islay distilleries.
9) The Bruichladdich open day (10th year in a row with sunshine)
10) Meeting Jim McEwan and seeing an impromptu whisky baptism.
11) Finding tweed cloth at the Islay Woolen Mill that would be perfect to cover some chairs in Norway.
12) Getting to sample an unexpected Port Ellen dram whilst waiting for the ferry at Port Askaig (thanks Jon from the Fiddlers in Drumnadrochit).
13) Dinner at the Port Charlotte Hotel.
14) 4 days of consistently great weather.
15) The drive to Bunnahabhain.
16) Taking more than 1000 photos.
17) and so much more.
If you have managed to read this far… thank you.
If you fancy checking out some of the amazing sights of Islay with us, take a look at our website.
Happy Bagging!
Will Stockham