Islay

Destinations in Islay

Bowmore Port Charlotte Jura

Islay is not the easiest of the big Western Isles to get to - Kennacraig Ferry Port on the mainland is pretty remote itself compared to Oban or Mallaig, and the ferry ride is longer than the one to Mull, or the bus-ride over the bridge to Skye. It is not as bleak as either of these however - there are no looming mountains and the moorland is less forbidding. There are more people than in Mull in a much smaller area, meaning that you never feel quite as alone, and being off the beaten track means that there are far fewer tourists, and certainly less backpackers than on Skye.

One of the main reasons for visiting Islay of course is whisky. 8 of Scotland's 90 malt whisky disilleries are here. These traditionally produce a uniquely smoky peaty whisky which is much prized all over the world, and it is a popular amongst whisky fans to visit either their favourite disillery or all 8.

Currency and money

There are few facilities on the island, and one of the things which is particularly lacking is banks. There is a Bank of Scotland branch in Bowmore and RBS branches in Bowmore and Port Ellen, but they have very short opening hours. There are a few more cash machines scattered around, but even so there may well not be one anywhere near where you are staying or spending the day. Make sure you do all your banking before you go, and stock up on cash every time you are near a machine.

Shop opening

Many of the small shops on the island are open for fairly short hours, with only the co-op in Bowmore and a couple of other stores staying open after about 5.

Arriving By Ferry.

Caledonian MacBrayne run a service several times a day from Kennacraig Ferry Port on the mainland to either Port Askaig or Port Ellen on Islay.

Arriving By Coach.

Citylink run a coach service from Glasgow to Campbelltown which connects with the ferries at Kennacraig.

Arriving by Plane or Train.

Generally speaking, find your way to Glasgow and catch the Citylink coach from there. There is a small airport, and British Airways run a couple of flights a day from Glasgow to the tiny Islay Airport, which is quicker though rather more expensive than the coach and ferry.

Getting around by public transport

Travelling by bus.

Bus 450 runs from Portnahaven in the west through Port Charlotte and Bridgend to Bowmore. Bus 451 runs from Port Askaig in the east through Bridgend and Bowmore to Port Ellen, with one of the services continuing to Ardberg. Both of these buses basically run three times daily, and the main purpose is as a school bus so the times are not necessarily that convenient. The last buses start at around 5pm and have arrived before 6, so be sure to plan your day before you leave. The timetable is widely available on the island, or can be got in advance from the website of Argyll and Bute Council, or from Traveline Scotland.

Getting around by car

Roads on the island are more adequate than good as such. Three main roads connect all the major settlements, and these are pretty much two-lane all the way although they are a little bumpy. Pretty much all the other roads are single track and have more in common with a roller-coaster than a road as such. That said there is hardly a lot of traffic to disrupt your journey. Having a car on Islay will make life easier, since the public transport network and local facilities are pretty poor, but it does cost over 70 pounds return to take a small car on the ferry, so it may be beyond the means of budget travellers.

If you take a car over, make sure you check it is in working order before you go, since breakdown assistance could prove to be a problem. If you are going to break down try to do it next to a mechanic's house.

There are Post Offices at Bowmore, Port Ellen, Port Askaig, Port Charlotte and Bridgend, although they have even more limited opening hours than normal post office branches. There are also a number of phone boxes scattered around the island. Mobile phone reception can be quite patchy, and you can only depend on it in the reasonable-sized villages. The Ardberg distillery for example has no reception on any network in spite of the fact that it is only a few miles from Port Ellen. The area code for the whole of Islay and Jura is 01496.

Drinks

Beer

Aside from the usual range of bottled beers and Tennants on tap that you would expect to find in any Scottish pub, be sure to look out for the local Islay Ales, which are brewed in a tiny brewery just north of Bridgend on the Port Askaig road.

Whisky

Whisky is the main source of work and revenue on the island, and the distilleries are probably the leading source of tourism as well. As a result Islay is a pretty damn good place to try a dram. Islay distilleries are famous for peaty, smoky malts, which is characteristic of the peat in the water supplies and the peat used in malting the barley. If this isn't to your taste you could try a Jura or Bruicladdich, neither of which generally use peated barley.

Distilleries.

The main tourist attraction (and source of employment) on Islay are clearly the distilleries, most of which can be visited to see the production process from barley malting (Bowmore only), through the mashing and distilling process, to the final maturation process where the whisky sits in barrels for at least two, and usually over ten, years (it is not necessary to watch this whole process - they have several barrels they prepared earlier). Typically you will get a tour around the distillery followed by a dram of the whisky in the visitors centre. If you have an ounce of good taste you will then run to the shop to buy a whole bottle for later. There are eight distilleries in all. Bowmore is in the centre of Bowmore. Bruicladdich is just outside Port Charlotte. Ardberg, Lagavulin and Laphroaig are all on the main road east from Port Ellen. Caol Ila and Bunnahabhain are on the north coast, down winding single track roads a mile or so from the Bridgeend to Port Askaig road. Finally Jura which is actually on the neighbouring island of Jura.

Just for a change of pace, why not try some beer. The Isle of Islay Brewery is a fine microbrewery. Visit the brewery shop for a couple of bottles to take away, and if you are lucky you might even get a quick tour (it will be quick anyway - it's a very small brewery.

Beaches.

Somewhat suprisingly the coastline of Islay is not covered with great beaches - most of it seems to end in sheer cliffs, or in beaches covered in gravel and quicksand. There are a few however at the extreme west of the island which are quite pleasant for a walk in the winter, or a lie down for the three days of summer

TOP

Bowmore

Bowmore is the largest village on the island. If you are aiming to spend some time on the island but still have a range of bars and shops near where you are staying then Bowmore is your best bet. In spite of being the largest, Bowmore is still nowhere near a town. The only food store of any significance is the small Co-op, and the main reason for the existence of the swimming pool is that it is heated as a by-product of the distillery next door. Actually the distillery is one of the larger ones on the island, and the building and associated warehouses dominate the village. The overall effect is pretty pleasant - peace and quiet by the sea but you can buy a pork pie until 8pm.

Communications

Mobile reception is not a problem in Bowmore, and there are a couple of public payphones scattered around. There are also several shops advertising internet access so you will not be cut off from the outside world.

Accommodation

There is no hostel in Bowmore, but there is a better range of hotels and bed and breakfast accomodation here than the rest of the island. You should be able to find somewhere to stay for a reasonable rate. If you are having trouble the Tourist Information centre for the island is located on the main square and should be able to help.

Attractions

The Bowmore Distillery is in between the main square and the sea. This is one of the larger scale operations on the island, and has some features such as a maltings floor which the other distilleries lack.

TOP

Port Charlotte

Port Charlotte is a tiny village on Laggan Bay close to the northwestern end of the island. It is a pretty enough area in itself, and since it is as far away from the main population centres as you can get whilst still having facilities such as a pub and shop, it makes for a great place to relax and enjoy the sea view for a couple of days.

Communications

There is a phone and post box in the village, and all mobile networks can get reception in the centre of Port Charlotte.

Accommodation

Probably the main reason for visiting Port Charlotte is that the only hostel on Islay is located here. Port Charlotte Youth Hostel is run by the SYHA, and provides cheap comfortable enough accomodation. The key downsides are that it is closed in winter and has an 11pm curfew (a real pity since the local pub doesn't get lively until after 11 at the weekend) - try sweet-talking to the manager. The layout of the hostel also follows the usual pattern of Hostelling International hostels, with large common rooms and lots of separate tables creating a slightly antisocial atmosphere. That said you could do a lot worse than staying here. For any out-and-out whisky fans, the building the hostel is located in is the former Port Charlotte distillery, so staying here is a good way to complete a trip round Islay disilleries past and present.

If you are looking for a hotel, the Port Charlotte Hotel in the centre of the village has a lively bar and tolerable rates. There is another hotel located slightly out of the centre of the village.

Food and drink

Port Charlotte has only one shop, which closes early and doesn't have a wide range of stock, so make sure you buy everything you need from Bowmore or one of the larger villages before you get here if you are intending to feed yourself. If you are planning on eating out, all the hotels can provide dinner for fairly reasonable prices.

Night-Life

Port Charlotte boasts a pub and two hotels to drink in. The Port Charlotte Hotel has a bar open to non-residents. While this is not cheap it has a decent range of beer and occasionally features live entertainment. The local pub meanwhile has a pool table and an interesting jukebox. The locals seem friendly so don't be scared to chat to them.

Attractions

The Bruicladdich Distillery is a couple of miles along the coast road from Port Charlotte. It is interesting for its use of original equipment as far as possible, and offers tours for around 3 pounds. If you don't want to see the distillery equipment itself, there is still a shop offering a wide range of their whiskies.

TOP

Jura

Jura is a large island between Islay and the mainland. In spite of being more than half the size of Islay itself however, the population is only around 200. This makes Islays 3500 seem packed on to their island by comparison. Put simply, for the most part Jura is a wilderness. There is a single road running along the coast from the ferry port at Feolin in the southwest corner of the island along the bottom and up the east side to around 5 miles from the northern tip. The road passes through the three or four tiny villages on the island, and all the crofts are close to it. This means that the west side of the island is complete wilderness - only two footpaths of any note, and the rest of the land is heavily overgrown with heather and bracken. If you want to get away from it all, you won't get much further from 'it all' than here.

The village of Craighouse is on the southeast of the island, around 7 miles from the ferry. This is where the Jura Hotel, and most of the facilities are.

How to get there

Arriving By Ferry.

Caledonian MacBrayne

Transport

There is a bus on Jura, which appears to be run by a bloke called Alex basically this meets the ferry and runs the length of the island, more or less on demand. See Jura Bus Operator for contact details.

Communications

Mobile reception can be got on most networks somewhere on the island, although almost everywhere is a blind spot, so don't depend on it. There is also a payphone and internet access in Craighouse.

Accommodation

While it may seem a pity to go to a wilderness and hang around the only significant signs of life, Craighouse may well be the only effective place to stay. The Jura Hotel which is located there is pretty much the only hotel on the island, and the field below it is a good place to camp, not least because rather than asking for payment they ask you to make a donation to charity at the bar.

Food and drink

Eat in the hotel.

Night-Life

The bar at the Jura Hotel is the only place to be on the island after dark. Literally. You will find a decent range of beer and whisky, and live music at the weekend is not unheard of, so you shouldn' get too bored. Let's face it, you didn't choose to stay in the middle of nowhere for the amazing parties anyway.

Attractions

The Jura Distillery is in Craighouse opposite the Jura Hotel.