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Diciadain, 10/Mar/2010
Dogs, Beach, Colonsay, Sequel
OK, I think it's time for another excursion from Islay to Colonsay. Remember the Dogs, Beach, Play, Colonsay entry from February? Well, Marc and the dogs have been back on a beach on Colonsay, for a Strand Walk (West) to be precise. Here's video of it:
DirectStrandWalk(West)-Colonsay2009
The dogs (Missy, Jack, Rhys, Finlay and Zack, I believe) certainly seemed to enjoy their time on the beach again. I hope you also enjoyed watching them again.
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Dimàirt, 09/Mar/2010
Three Mixed Islay Links
Every once in a while I come across something weird and wonderful on this internet thing which has some kind of Islay connection. Something that doesn't necessesarily fit into the usual categories. This evening I've decided to point you towards three of these finds from the last week or so. An Islay related painting, a plane named after Islay and some Islay papercraft:
Let me start with the painting. It doesn't exactly come cheap at $498 (that's approx £330 or €370) but if you're interested in a acrylic on canvas painting of a highland bull titled ‘islay’ then you might have found it. Not my style really, so I won't bid for it.
Ships have names, trains often have names and many planes have names. On Flickr I recently came across British Caledonian Airways Isle of Islay BAC-1-11 Series 501EX G-AXJM. As it is on an account called Airlinerart I initially wasn't sure if this was a real name or just made up, a quick search soon told me it wasn't made up: The plane seems to have been in service in the 1970s, several pictures of G-AXJM here and if you look closely on this picture you can even make out the name ‘Isle of Islay’ painted on the fuselage.
Have you ever wished to have your own distillery in your living room? Well, you can now. Unfortunately I doubt you will be able to make any whisky in it. For the simple reason that it is a papercraft model of Ardbeg distillery on Islay. I think they don't ship internationally, so you have to live in Germany or at least have an address in Germany they can send it to. Not to mention that you will need a lot of patience to build it. Found via a tweet by the Whiskyfanblog.
That's all.
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Diluain, 08/March/2010
Shortest Islay Video Ever?
Running rather late again this evening after a very long day at work. Not much time left in the day today for Islay blogging, so I thought I just post what I think is likely to be the shortest Islay video I'll ever post. Here it is, a full amazing 6 seconds long:
Thinking about it, I can feel a challenge coming up: Above I've written I think this is likely to be the shortest Islay video I'll ever post. I wonder if anyone will rise to the challenge and film an even shorter meaningful Islay video? With that I don't mean just a pointless 3 second fragment of something, no, it would have to show something in its entirety and make sense when watched without explanation.
Any takers?
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Didòmhnaich, 07/Mar/2010
Islay Blogging Roundup #114
Two Islay blog entries today, after the announcement of ‘Go Islay’ Goes Live this morning it's now time for the traditional Sunday evening content, the Islay blogging roundup. Considering we are well into March now I hope to bring you the first proper spring on Islay and Jura entries soon, so far there seem to be only very tentative signs of it. Here's what the blogs have been writing about Islay and Jura over the last week or so:
John Islay Birder Armitage brings us Thursday---- a hint of what's in store? where he spots first movements towards spring. He also has some interesting reading about the Diet of a Golden Eagle. The on Sat. 6th March....a period of hiatus? Or is it?
On the Islay Birds blog we find the monthly weather summary, drier and colder than usual for February on Islay. There was an odd looking Goose (and the Geese count numbers), a great picture of two Mute Swans with their five young and an interesting picture of a Teal duck.
But there's at least one sign spring can't be that far away, Gordon Yates writes Snowdrops Flourish after returning from a week on Islay. Our first night on Islay - The Lochindaal write the Whisky Boys from a recent visit.
Speaking of whisky, Angling and Dramming writes about John MacLellan joining the Kilchoman Distillery Team, as does Ron in Islay Whisky News from Kilchoman and Ardbeg. I'm not really sure what Islay, una historia de humo {Nº19 Terruño} writes, but it seems to be mainly about Islay whisky. I don't think Mendelssohn-Bartholdy made it to Islay though. WhiskyHost tastes a Bowmore in his Tuesday Tasting - Bonus Master of Malt Edition. The Whisky Exchange blog writes about the Ardbeg Rollercoaster & TWE 10th Anniversary and the Scotch Hobbyist tries the SMOS Caol Ila 1991 18 Year – Smokin’. Not to forget John Hansell's Review: Ardbeg Rollercoaster.
Kind of related the Bruichladdich Blog writes about the Renegade Rum Success. We can read about Ardbeg & Graeme Obree on THE CASKS. Kind of in last years news I found 2009 Islay Whisky Festival Visit-Jura Distillery on the Glenfiddich Explorers blog.
In other news World Island Info writes about The Loch Islands of Islay, the series about the Islands on the Isle of Islay I kicked off on Monday. On the Bad Witch's blog (which I probably linked to already in 2008) we find Pagan Eye: Sea Change. Ron discusses the pier and future of the ferry to Port Ellen in A Local View on the Port Ellen Pier Reconstruction and To Ferry or not to Ferry to Port Ellen.
OK, time for the pictures, I'm sure some of you have been waiting for them. On Scot Through A Lens there are several nice Islay and Jura ones: Peat Smoke at the Laphroaig Distillery, Islay and Lagavulin Distillery, Islay, Scotland as well as The Paps of Jura. Ian Besch has the Oa, Islay and a nice story about two cyclists. On Ron's Ron's Picture Blog we find Sunny Oa Peninsula.
On Mark's Islay Photography Gallery my favourites this week were Kilchoman Bay, Glen Astle and the Wild Goat. On my own Islay Pictures photoblog all pictures this were tagged with the island_on_islay tag, my favourites were Two Islands in Loch Finlaggan and Tree covered Island in Loch Lossit, Isle of Islay.
That's it for this week. Last week I mentioned Islay High School, who were going to have a HM Inspectorate of Education visit this week. To my knowledge they passed with flying colours. Congratulations! Before I close the usual reference to the Scottish Roundup, this week with That was the week that was … Good night!
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‘Go Islay’ Goes Live
Having known about it for a while and being told yesterday it had now officially gone live this entry should have been written last night. But then I got carried away learning, setting up and playing with my new toy. So with a days delay the introduction of a new Islay accommodation website, Go Islay, for Bayview at Lagavulin:
I've been in contact with John and Hilary for a while as they also use Twitter for Go Islay, they were also the ones who sent me one of the Islay snow pictures (this is the website I mentioned).
The website is mainly about their holiday cottage, Bayview at Lagavulin, but the Gallery also contains a few more great Islay pictures. The cottage is certainly in a great location with its views over to Lagavulin distillery. You can't see it in the panorama (it's just to the right of it), but my Quicktime VR panorama of Lagavulin Bay, Islay gives another impression of the area.
Best wishes and all success to them, the website is certainly a great invitation to their cottage and to Islay. Go Islay!
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Dihaoine05/Mar/2010
Friday Islay Picture #143 - Crannog in Loch Laingeadail
It's getting a bit tight this evening for the Friday Islay picture, not much left in my Friday as I'm writing this. Very tired after another hard week, but I didn't want to leave you without an Islay picture this evening. Earlier this week I wrote about about Islands on the Isle of Islay and posted pictures under the island_on_islay tag in the Islay Pictures photoblog. It's probably not a huge surprise that I picked another one for the series this evening:
This is probably one of the lesser photographed ‘islands’ on Islay. It is a crannog in Loch Laingeadail, near Ardnave. Not something you can see from the road, you have to get your hiking boots out and walk about a mile or so south east of Ardnave. I took this picture during WalkIslay 2005, on a walk from Gruinart to Ardnave.
Of course I will post a larger version (larger as in more than twice as big) on the Islay Pictures photoblog tomorrow morning, you know the spiel. For now I say Good Night, time for a last wee dram of Laphroaig QC and then a good night's sleep…
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Diardaoin, 04/Mar/2010
John MacLellan joins Kilchoman Distillery
It's not really new news any more, The Ileach already mentioned it in their Twitter feed a few days ago and it probably popped up on a few whisky forums. Now there is a bit more information available about an interesting move between two distilleries on Islay: John MacLellan currently of Bunnahabhain is moving to Kilchoman distillery on the 3rd of May.
On the Kilchoman Distillery website you'll find the announcement under General Manager, informing us that he will join as just that and ‘will be responsible for the day to day running of the business’. With his many many years of experience in the whisky industry I believe Kilchoman have landed a coup here.
From my personal experience of John I also believe he will be a great ambassador for the distillery in general: His wife Lindy often leads walks during the WalkIslay - Islay Walking Week, usually in the area around Bunnahabhain. When returning from a walk and arriving at Bunnahabhain we were welcomed by John (and when they were home their children) with a wee dram of the local whisky. Once or twice he also started the distillery bus to drive us back to our cars. As such not a big thing, but a nice friendly gesture which at least for me created a lot of good will for Bunnahabhain. I hope he will be able to continue in a similar fashion in his new position at Kilchoman.
For a few other voices try Angling and Dramming, the Whisky Whisky Whisky Forum and the Belgian Cask Six forum.
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Diciadain, 03/Mar/2010
Why I'd like Port Ellen to Remain an Islay Ferry Port
Ron is trying to get a bit of a bit of debate going on the question if the ferry should continue going to Port Ellen or not. Now like him I don't live on Islay either, but that doesn't stop me from having an opinion. And since I have this blog I might as well write it up here. I'd like Port Ellen to remain an important ferry port for Islay. Here's why:
I'm kind of a nostalgic kind of guy. I grew up in Bremen, once a proud harbour, although a lot of the activity has now moved to Bremerhaven. In other words, I grew up with a bustling harbour, with all kinds of ships and activity. I remember the promise of the big far wide world a proper harbour provides. Something only an ‘all purpose port’ can provide. I'd loathe to lose all that, I feel I'm not alone in that.
Losing the ferry service I fear could be the beginning of the end for Port Ellen as a full fledged port. Once that's gone what's stopping other traffic to ‘jump the sinking ship’? It has been heavily criticised, but Bruichladdich has a (council owned, just like Port Askaig) pier which could probably handle several of the things currently being handled by Port Ellen. A lot of cargo traffic could just move to the bigger RoRo ferries calling in Port Askaig. The barley boat is still contracted to Port Ellen for a while, but knowing how big companies like Diageo think some accountant could change that very quickly if there is a cheaper way somewhere else.
I think Ron underestimates the economic benefit the ferry brings, I don't think people are just ‘racing off the ferry to their final destination’. There are probably more people stopping in Port Ellen once they get off the ferry than he gives it credit. May be not the evening boat, but certainly the morning boat. In particular many cyclists and foot passengers will also stay on in Port Ellen instead of moving on from the evening boat.
Can an expanded marina and a few more cruise boats compensate for this? I doubt it. The season for yachts is fairly short while the ferry comes pretty much all year round. I doubt the cruise boats will bring much money to the local economy either. They are full board, so why would anyone spend much money in the restaurants on Islay? Souvenirs? I fear that money will largely go into the coffers of the distilleries, with limited additional benefit to the local economy.
I would also be concerned about turning Port Ellen into ‘a bit more of a luxurious coastal village’. Isn't that risking driving prices up even further, pricing and driving out local folk and creating yet more holiday cottages only occupied for part of the year?
Finally for many people the best part of the journey to Islay are views like this one:
I'm sure many will agree just for that the ferry link to Port Ellen needs to be maintained.
That's it, that's my opinion, my feelings, my unsorted thoughts about the whole thing and reaction to some of what I've read. If you've got some as well and want to voice them, write it on your own blog (if you have one), leave it on Ron's forum topic (requires registration) or write something in the comment thingy below (doesn't require registration, but I'm asking you to please behave and play nice):
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Dimàirt, 02/Mar/2010
Achamore Gardens on Gigha Video
After a long and busy day at work a garden is a great place to relax. Living in a flat I don't have a garden (but I've got some nice trees outside, at least for now) and at least at this time of year it would be too late anyway. Nevertheless I'm going to take you to a very nice garden this evening. Not on Islay though, instead we're going on another excursion to the Isle of Gigha, one of Islay's neighbours. Here we meet Micky Little, head gardener at Achamore Gardens:
I've been to Achamore Gardens twice, once in April 2002 and more recently in July 2008. The picture in the top right is from the visit in 2008. Seeing Micky showing us his flowers with such genuine joy and enthusiasm makes me think I should go again some time.
Oh, and if you just can't live without it, you can get some nice views of Islay from one of the viewpoints at Achamore Gardens.
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Diluain, 01/Mar/2010
Islands on the Isle of Islay
Islay is an island, obviously. Many islands are just that, one island. But some have a bit more, islands on an island. Not off the main island, but on the island, in a lake (or in Islay's case a loch). At least that's what Josh Calder asked me for last weekend:
I'd like to see some pictues of the islands of the lochs of Islay. A slightly surprising request, but then Josh runs a website called WorldIslandInfo.com with the World Island Info Blog. One of his topics are what he calls Double Islands. So he got me thinking how to deal with his request, what could I offer him?
Very initially I thought I'll post a picture in the next Friday Islay picture. But then I thought about it a bit further and decided that wouldn't do. Instead I decided to start a small series of pictures of islands on Islay on the Islay Pictures photoblog and went looking in my archives.
This morning I posted the first picture, Finlaggan Council Island, Isle of Islay. Further pictures will follow this week and potentially later, they will be tagged with the island_on_islay tag. I've got four further pictures lined up until Friday, but I think I'll have a few more until at least Sunday.
I doubt I can give him triple island though, an island on an island on an island. I can't think of any in that category on Islay, if I've forgotten something please let me know!
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