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Ever Wanted to Get Away From it All?
You Can.  In Islay

By Rowena Carr-Allinson

If You're Keen to Really Get Away From the Ratrace and You Happen to Like Whisky, Listen Up.  Amazing Landscapes, Friendly People, Peat Whisky and Lots of Cows.

Making the trip to Islay definitely separates the men from the boys. The holy grail we set out to attain was the distillery of Laphroaig. The aim was to trace the internationally known whisky back to its home, a tiny island in the Inner Hebrides in Scotland.

The journey to the island can be made by ferry or by plane thanks to  Caledonia McFerry and British Airways. We opted to fly to Glasgow (with bargainous Ryanair) then drive to Askaigh on the peninsula, thus taking in the scenery from the surrounding area of Glasgow, as well as Loch Lomond. 

After a long day's driving past Glasgow's molasses factories, the beautiful Lochs, and the Chocolate box town of Port Charlotte we finally arrived at the ferry port in time for the last (and second) ferry of the day. If you can shop before and bring provisions with you it's a wise idea. Groceries on the island are expensive as everything is imported and shops don't exactly abound. We stocked up at Tesco's just in case.

The ferry from Askaigh takes a couple of hours and the ambience is much the same as on the channel ferries to France. The smell of chips/booze is slightly overpowering but if you like dogs you can sit in the dogs lounge - which at least has comfy chairs - but you have to be quick to grab a seat!

Arriving at Islay in the dark is pretty scary stuff. The barren look of the island makes night time unsettling time to visit. The spooky sensation wasn't helped by the curious marshland vegetation which reminded me of thrillers set in Virginia or something out of a bad Scooby Doo episode. The eerie hanging trees scraped the car as we drove along the pitch black dirt tracks into the unknown.

We had decided to rent a farmhouse and having had rather limited directions - 'you can't miss it -it's past the cross' - naturally, we took a wrong turn. This bumpy lane led us to a huge farmhouse set in a Deer Park. Unfortunately there was no one home to give us directions apart from a black cat peering through the window at us, the intruders. Spooked some more, we drove off in search of our home.

Driving past Kildarton Cross in the dark we were struck by its beauty but also by the mystical magical aura that surrounds those ancient Celtic symbols. Eventually a light ahead announced the end of our journey... finally.

The house was heaven despite the funny smell. It was very late and luckily the housekeeper had stayed on to give us the keys. Once Kay had left us the key we took a tour of our home for the weekend and started to fiddle with the Aga in the hope that we could eat before midnight.

The farmhouse is newly decorated and the owners have obviously got shares in Ikea - it felt just like home! The three bedrooms are tastefully decorated and the whole house was cosy and warm thanks to the Aga and the open fire in the living room.

Trudernish Farmhouse sleeps six and has outstanding views across to the Mull of Kintyre and the hills of Arran. The enclosed farmyard is overlooked by the gentle slopes of Beinn Bheigeir.

It wasn't until the next morning that we realised quite how gorgeous it was - taking a look out of the window all there was to be seen was barren, arid fields between the house and the sea and the odd sheep and pheasant roaming freely.

We soon discovered the farmhouse was split in two parts, ours and theirs. Our neighbours were a bunch of rather sweet very hairy and smelly highland calves. The barn they called home had a view on the drive and they even had their own car (a red golf) steeped deep in the muck. I still haven't figured out why.

Islay (pronounced I-la by the locals) is definitely a man's place. Creature comforts don't rate highly here, nor do tourists. The island has much to offer and has kept its natural rural atmosphere because the locals appear to ignore the massive tourism potential.

The island is home to several distilleries such as Laphroaig, Ardberg, Lagavulin and Bowmore. Driving from one to the other takes no time at all but be warned the distilleries are closed at weekends but occasionally open on Sundays - call ahead to book yourself on a tour.

Laphroaig is ancient Gaelic for 'the beautiful hollow by the broad bay'. The distillery tour is well worth doing as the manager, Iain Henderson takes you through the entire process and finishes off the tour with a session sampling. Needless to say, this part was very popular with the brave few who'd made the journey.  The taste of Laphroaig's single malt whisky is absolutely unique and is attributed to the harsh weather, the soft water, the peat and the quality of the barley as well as the ancient craftsmen's skill passed on down the generations. Iain is retiring this year but the warm welcome will surely be a constant at Laphroaig. Die hard fans can also join the Friends of Laphroiag club and even purchase a piece of land.

Having rented a farmhouse we stuck to our home comforts and sipped local whisky by the fireplace until the early hours. Days were spent driving around the island and stopping off for a walk on the shore, seal spotting and desperately seeking somewhere to eat.

Good eateries don't come easy on Islay - the one cosy cafe we found - the Croft Kitchen

was totally unpretentious and comfortable - although surprising - as we started on our second course of sausages, NATO's very own Lord Robertson sat down at the table behind us. Whether this is a mark of sophistication or if there simply isn't anywhere else to go - I don't know!

Islay is one of those rare places off the beaten track where one can still enjoy a genuine experience. This may be at the expense of comfort and ease but sometimes it's nice to get away. Where else do you have to wait patiently in your car, as the highland cows ponder which route to take. You know just who the boss is here, who belongs and who doesn’t. It’s a case of nature rules.

For an ordinary visitor Islay is the ideal place to get back to basics but for the whisky devotee, going to Islay is a sacred pilgrimage.

Other pursuits on Islay include hunting, fishing, cycling and walking as well as dolphin/whale/seal spotting in season. Diving, playing golf and horse riding are other outdoor possibilities.

It's a rare treat to come across such a rough and ready place that has retained its original feel, and that alone is something to cherish.

Pictures Mowgli Frere and Rowena Carr-Allinson

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION  :

ISLAY

Laphroaig Distillery
Port Ellen,
Isle of Isaly
Argyll PA 42 7 DU
Tel: 0496 302418
http://www.laphroaig.com

For more information on the island:

http://www.islaywhiskysociety.com/laphroaig/

http://www.islay.co.uk/

http://www.islay.clara.co.uk/links.html

Trudernish Farmhouse
Telephone 44 (0)1496 302441
e-mail: info@ardtallacottages.co.uk
http://www.islay.co.uk/ardtalla/trudernish/

Other places to stay

Port Askaig Hotel
Tel: +44 (0)1496 840245
Fax: +44 (0)1496 840295
e-mail: hotel@portaskaig.co.uk

The Machrie Hotel
Tel: +44 (0)1496 302310
Fax: +44 (0)1496 302404
machrie@machrie.com

The Lochside Hotel,
Bowmore
T +44 (0) 1496 810244
F +44 (0) 1496 810390
http://www.lochsidehotel.co.uk/

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