Our first cease was the historic city of Falkirk, simply 25 miles from Edinburgh, the place we noticed the enduring towering Kelpies sculptures and grabbed a espresso. I knew I used to be going to love our Glaswegian information, Peter McShane, from the joy in his voice as he instructed us about Scottish folklore. We then rode by the Lowlands and mountainous areas surrounding Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park en path to the city of Oban, often known as the “Gateway to the Isles.” There, we browsed native retailers and grabbed some recent seafood.
Bellies full and a dram or two later at Oban Distillery, we hopped again on the coach and drove to Kennacraig to make our night ferry to Islay. For 2 hours, we sailed alongside the glass-like Sound of Jura earlier than the Paps of Jura mountains got here into view, signaling that the island was simply forward. Arriving in Islay was like nothing I’d skilled earlier than. At simply 240 sq. miles, the island felt fully distant but surprisingly homey. We settled in for the night within the city of Bowmore.
We didn’t know what to anticipate when our itinerary mentioned lodging could be shared, however we have been pleasantly stunned by the setup we have been met with at Bowmore Distillery Cottages. There have been 4 bedrooms, and my dad and I every had our personal room, whereas two others from our group took over the opposite two rooms and shared the communal kitchen and residing areas with us.
Our first full day on whisky island began with a brief two-minute stroll to the distillery that may kick off our tour: Bowmore Distillery. We realized in regards to the distillery’s 240-year historical past on the island, which was an incredible start line for the times forward. Then got here a tasting (straight from the cask!) within the cellar, and one other tasting upstairs to finish the tour, this time with whisky, chocolate, and views of the ocean.
Since Islay is a really small island with a inhabitants of a bit over 3,000 folks, it’s vital to be versatile on all these journeys and simply roll with the punches. Relying on the times of your tour, some distilleries could also be closed or not open to full excursions. Our itinerary mentioned we’d be visiting Kilchoman on day one, however as a substitute, we diverted to Ardnahoe for a full of life tour and fast tasting earlier than driving by the countryside to Bunnahabhain. With sweeping views of the clear blue waters, we explored the amenities and sampled 4 drams at Islay’s most distant distillery.
Whereas it is all the time nice to satisfy new folks and journey round with them, I appreciated that lunches and evenings have been free for us to discover at leisure. After full days of sampling whiskies, it was a pleasant respite to only get pleasure from some quality time with my dad.