Islay: For Peat’s Sake

Travel Dates: Oct 2024

Islay isn’t the Scotland you see on postcards. This is not a place you can train to. This is the Scotland that you taste, breathe, and occasionally choke on. A windswept rock in the Atlantic with clean air and prestine waters. Pollution is low if you don’t count the peat smoke from all the distillers on the small island. This is the island that gave the world whiskies so smoky that it was sold during the prohibition era as medicine because no one in their right mind would want to drink it. Some whiskies are mild and some feel like licking an ashtray while the ambers still glow.

This little island is not all that remote. It’s a very short flight from Glasgow or a ferry ride from the mainland. During summer months, the flights are easy as the day are long and weather is calmer. During winter months, the sea and storms are scary so ferries might not even run. Flying can be “fun” during a storm but still not recommended. And by flight, I am just talking about a 46 seater propeller plane so keep in mind what you try to bring onto the island. There isn’t a lot of room on the plane and even the overhead storage is rather slim. LoganAir is the only airline that makes this journey and even on this 45 minute flight, they serve snacks and beverages! I have taken much longer flights on Ryanair with less. This is a great start to any trip.

If you take the morning flight, you land on Islay around 8:35 AM. Which means you can be in a distillery before most people even have lunch. After you get out of the rather small airport, you will notice that there isn’t any trains or a lot of cars. You can rent a car at the airport but did I mention whisky? Lots of whisky? That makes for a very bad combo. So if you didn’t hire a driver to take you around the island, you are going to be waiting for the bus. You are not going to get lost on this bus route. There is only 1 main road so you are either going towards Ardbeg or Bowmore. The bus is not very frequent so better check the schedule and times. The bus does stop near most of the major brands so you can bus hop to each distillery. Get to know the bus driver because you are going to see the same driver again and again and again. It is after all a small island. If you need to be at place at a specific time, you might want to take a taxi instead. There are about 10 taxis on the island. There isn’t any meters so get a quote for how much it’ll be. Oh and make sure you arrange it before hand. It’s just some local being a taxi driver as a side gig. Hustle hustle. If you take the ferry, you are probably going to make landfall at Port Ellen. The ferries allows cars on them so you can drive onto the ferry and drive around the island afterwards. This is convenient but again, we are here to drink! Leave the driving to the pros.

The island is small and well kept so I have heard of camping trips being a thing here. You can also rent a bike and ride around. This is however Scotland so the weather might be a challenge for weak Southern folks. If you like Game of Thrones, this is north of the wall. The winds can be fierce and sudden. So can the rain. Oh and the sun will burn you in no time. Wind and water proof clothing would be ideal assuming you didn’t get go flying like Mary Poppins. The weather also changes a lot. Don’t like how it is right now, check again in 15 minutes. You will see a lot of rainbows. They probably end at a distillery so go hunting for them.

The main attraction to this island is of course, whisky. There are about 10 distilleries on this small island. Each with it’s own white washed building. Prominently showing there name to boats. So either have a long vacation on this island and try them all or go to your favorites. I heard people trying to pack in the schedule and doing 3 distilleries per day. That is a sure fire way to not remember your trip. Just like wine tasting, you don’t have to finish everything that they gave you but you might. Your tastebuds are going to be burned to a crisp. If you select the barrel tastings, these are cask strength whisky so a lot more alcohol on each sip. You can sample finished products. Stuff that you’ll find at a nice shop. You might also sip stuff that is strong enough to strip the paint off the walls. Each distillery has it’s own eccentric personality: some medicinal, some briny, some just plain punchy mean. The hell did I just drink?

Some people go visit grand cathedrals on their vacations. To some, there is no greater cathedral than these stone and brick houses on Islay. So go around and find your style and do try to remember the whole trip. If you don’t remember the experience, did you even come to Islay?

Food:

You are going to be intaking calories while on the island. Lots of it in the form of a golden color liquid.

There are not many restaurants on the island, so make sure you plan ahead. All the tourists are going to be visiting them just like you. It is a small island so most of the ingredients come from somewhere else.

People:

There are about 3000 people living on Islay. This is home to them. Far away from the craziness of city life but home to world renounced whisky. If you are not on the evening flight or ferry, you are staying on the island that night. Which means crime is low and everyone knows everyone. Small town feel for sure. It is very safe and people are so nice.

During my trip, I was waiting for the bus and a family stopped to see if they can offer a ride as they were going the same direction. Again, there is 1 main road so everyone is sooner or later on this road. I have never hitchhiked in my life and I did not have my thumb out asking either. But this is just how nice people are in this beautiful remote place.

People also get to enjoy the night. There isn’t light or noise pollution like living in a major city. There are no screaming kids all day and night. There are no cars and motorcycles racing up and down the streets. It’s just you and the darkness of night. Stargazing is great if it’s clear. And if you are lucky, you might see something glowing that night as you look out the window.

Random things I learned on this trip:

• The legal limit of alcohol is 0.05 in Scotland! It’s 0.08 in England.
• The bus schedule changes from year to year and maybe even during the year so best to always check the latest timetable at https://www.islayinfo.com/get-here/getting-around
• Distillers often offer a driver’s version of the tasting. They will pack your tasting in small little bottles so you can take it with you and drink when you are safely back at your hotel.
• Bessie Williamson became the first woman owner and manager of a whisky brand when she took over Laphroaig in 1954. They give her a lot of credit on the tour.
• The distilleries name are written on the wall facing out towards the sea so boats knew where they were docking at.