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Diardaoin, 13/Jun/2013
Off to Islay again
Not long now until I leave for this year's Islay summer (stop sniggering there in the back!) holiday. Sorry it's been quiet here the last few days again and I don't really have anything new this evening, the workload and long hours in the day job unfortunately didn't leave me any time for blogging or preparing anything new. So instead I'm going to recycle (hey, they repeat things on the telly as well I'm told) my latest Islay video:
YouTube: Machir Bay, Islay, with a DJI Phantom Quadcopter
Of course I'm hoping to film more videos like this, but then I need some calm weather and ideally sunshine for that. Let's see what happens. Apart from that I'm aiming for the usual, beaches, walking, distillery visits, meeting old and new friends, wildlife, relaxing in front of the open fire, that kind of stuff. As mentioned before my sister will join me for a week as well, looking forward to seeing her again and revisit places she's already seen as well as showing her a few new ones.
As usual this blog will stay quiet while I'm away, most likely also the Islay Pictures photoblog. However, I hope to be posting on my Tumblr site IslayBlog on Tumblr as I did in April. Also don't forget to follow my @islayblog Twitter account. Bye for now.
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13/Jun/2013: Off to Islay again
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Didòmhnaich, 09/Jun/2013
Islay Blogging Roundup #253
Right then, last Islay blogging roundup before it takes a break for a few weeks. Reason of course my upcoming summer holiday on Islay. Very much looking forward to it, hopefully the weather holds. My sister will join me for part of it, flying over from Germany, for her fourth (if I counted correctly) visit to Islay. But it's still a week to go until then, so now back to the Islay blogging roundup:
Still some catch up to do on Feis Ile, Loving Whisky writes Bruichladdich, a whole lot off fun and something for everyone! LivingRoom Whisky continued their series with Feis Ile 2013 Day Five, there might still another post waiting. The Master of Malt crew finished the week with Feis Ile 2013: Day 7 (Bunnahabhain) - Wyre Majestic & IPed 2013, Feis Ile 2013: Day 8 (Ardbeg) - Ardbog & The SS Malt and Feis Ile 2013: The Islay Whisky Roundup!
The Malt Impostor returns to an old favourite, The Laphroaig 10 (50 ml cold winter's night nip with tube). If you speak German you might want to head to whiskyundfrauen for Interview: Dr. Bill Lumsden, Ardbeg (Teil I), following on from Im Portrait: Dr. Bill Lumsden, Ardbeg und Ardbog (Teil I) and Im Portrait: Dr. Bill Lumsden, Ardbog und Ardbeg (Teil II). On the Bruichladdich news blog we find Battle Of Britain Aces Enjoy A Top Dram.
The Spirits Business writes Drinks Writers Run Ardbeg Half Marathon For Alan. From Rowan Cottage we hear about BLUE and Garden moves. Ron announces his Welcome to Islay Video. On the Our Learning Blog of Port Ellen Primary we can read about Fishing P3/4, p3/4 crofting and some more P3/4 Crofting. Am Bothan brings us Boats On The Loch.
From Colonsay we hear The Generals visit… and also Oh what a fantastic journey…. From a visit to Colonsay Posie explains I want to ride my bicycle…
A few Islay visits: On RUMBLIEBURN'S BLOG we find Landing on Islay, Visiting the first of eight distilleries, Our wee Jaunt to Jura and Bye Bye Islay. Heiko Blumentritt heaps praise on The Bowmore House on Islay (and from my own stay I have to agree with him). I mentioned hillora last time, it continues with hillora’s big uk adventure, installment #16: islay. A lot of Islay in An American Girl In Scotland Part I, An American Girl In Scotland Part II and An American Girl In Scotland Part III. Kathy travelled Onward To Islay and Home For The Holidays, Finlaggan.
The birds and wildlife: Gordon Yates writes about A Late Islay Spring. The Islay Birds blog notes spottings by the Rochdale birders, a variety of sightings and temporarily says good bye to Michal. On the INHT blog we can read about the Marsh Fritillary, the Sanaigmore nature ramble 3rd June 2013 and a Glas Bheinn Walk.
Some Islay pictures: While it also fits under whisky I've decided to mention these entries from a Finnish blog here as they also have some interesting pictures, It is the Ardbog day!, Bunnahabhain Darch Ür batch 6 and 8 – From meadows into oaken woods and Bruichladdich First Growth Cuvée A: Pauillac (Chateau Lafite) during Summer. A wandering photographer has lots of nice shots in Islay, Scotland and I fell in love with a place, and a whisky. Mark has been busy elsewhere again. From my own Islay Pictures photoblog I think I'll go with Islay Beach Rugby 2012 Action (8), Islay Beach Rugby Women 2012 and Waves at Machir Bay in the morning, Isle of Islay.
I think I'll leave it at that. The next Islay blogging roundup will follow in about 4 weeks. Good night for now.
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09/Jun/2013: Islay Blogging Roundup #253
Dihaoine, 07/Jun/2013
Friday Islay Picture #286 - Cooling down
It looks like the weather this weekend will be nice and sunny, but not too hot. Just right for the Islay Beach Rugby on Saturday. Of course the party starts this evening with many teams having arrived this afternoon and evening.
After a tough game of beach rugby (or just because of the warm weather) you might want/need to cool down. Of course beach rugby means there's water right next to it, which led me to pick today's picture.
Unfortunately I don't know which team they were from, but here are two players cooling down in the bay during the 2011 tournament.
As mentioned on Thursday I unfortunately can't visit this year as day job commitments don't allow me to travel to Islay just yet (I will catch up in a week though). So all that's left is to wish everyone attending a great time and those playing good luck and the wins you're hoping for. For the rest it's just have a great weekend!
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07/Jun/2013: Friday Islay Picture #286 - Cooling down
Diciadain, 05/Jun/2013
Islay Beach Rugby 2013 this weekend
Not long to go until the Islay Beach Rugby tournament 2013 on Saturday 8th of June, which will be the 10th anniversary of the event. For those of you who haven't been to one yet or need a refresher here's a video providing an overview I created a few years ago:
Unfortunately I won't be able to be there this year as I can't take any holidays from my day job for another week. I'll be there in spirit though, hopefully visitors will post pictures and videos again. In addition I'll (re)post some of my beach rugby pictures from previous years on my photoblog, you can find them tagged with ‘Islay Beach Rugby’.
Those of you going, enjoy and have a great time!
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05/Jun/2013: Islay Beach Rugby 2013 this weekend
Diluain, 03/Jun/2013
Islay Videos on Vine
Earlier today an app which went through the news a while ago when it was released for iPhone was finally released for Android phones. The app is called Vine (not a lot to see on the website), it allows you to record short six second videos and share them online. Of course I couldn't resist to make my first one an Islay whisky one (you might have to click on it to play):
There doesn't seem to be a search as far as I can tell, but another nice one I'm aware of is from Noodlefish:
Have you seen any good Islay videos on Vine?
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03/Jun/2013: Islay Videos on Vine
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Didòmhnaich, 02/Jun/2013
Islay Blogging Roundup #252
With the last Islay blogging roundup having been written on the bank holiday Monday this one came around a bit quicker. Still, I think I've found plenty enough blog entries mentioning Islay for this one.
Of course Feis Ile featured heavily in the blogs. The Master of Malt crew continued with Feis Ile 2013: Day 3 (Caol Ila) - Caol-Itos, Way, Feis Ile 2013: Day 4 (Laphroaig) - Cairdeas-ing Fairies, Feis Ile 2013: Day 5 (Bowmore) - Message in Bottle Winners & Flaming Bows and Feis Ile 2013: Day 6 (Kilchoman) - Kikkoman VS Kilchoman. I'm guessing day 7 and the journey home is still to come. Similar the LivingRoom Whisky team, Feis Ile 2013 Day Three, Feis Ile 2013 Day Four, Bowmore Bottle Your Own Experience are the entries so far, I think there might be more to come. Then there's Pete, who wrote Feis Ile: Caol Ila, Feis Ile: Laphroaig, Feis Ile: Bowmore, Feis Ile: Kilchoman and Feis Ile: Bunnahabhain.
On the Laphroaig Feis Ile Live blog entries included Welcome to the Laphroaig open day!, Having a nibble on the Cairdeas Cheeseboard! and Raising a final dram to Feis Ile and our fans of Laphroaig. The CaskStrength team went for Hatches, Matches & Despatches. Jura Distillery Open Day Fun - Feis Ile Day One and Sauce-ages. The Future of Meat Products. Bunnahabhain & Lagavulin - Feis Ile Day two.
If you prefer to listen (and watch) try the whiskycomedian with the Whisky Comedian Podcast Islay Feis Festival, who also has a picture of Bunnahabhain Distillery. If you prefer to read in Italian, I've got something there for you as well, Angel's Share from Italy has a written up their experiences as well: Feis Ile 2013: conto alla rovescia, Feis Ile: un lungo giorno 0, Feis Ile giorno 1: Lagavulin open day, Feis Ile giorno 2: Bruichladdich open day, Feis Ile giorno 3: Open day (nostro), Feis Ile giorno 4: Laphroaig open day, Feis Ile giorno 5: Bowmore open day e molto altro, Feis Ile giorno 6: Jura (e Kilchoman) open day, Feis Ile giorno 7: Bunnahabhain open day and finally Feis Ile giorno 8: Ardbog day are the entries.
The Ardbog day was celebrated around the world, Ardbeg (Ardbog) Day 2013 comes all the way from Australia. From Germany comes Ardbeg Pretasting vom Ardbog – dem Schatz aus dem Torf – in Köln. On the TWE blog we find Ardbog Day and Elements of Islay Tasting with Simply Whisky. The Malt Impostor offers us A Flight of Bruichladdich Valinch Bottlings. The Bruichladdich News blog writes Disruption. Independence. Challenging Convention. and Music In The Laddieshop.
A visitor starts her report with hillora’s big uk adventure, installment #15: tarbert, kintyre to islay, I think there might be more to come.
Ron reports progress on the South Islay Distilleries Path and brings a video Driving Around on Islay. The Our Learning Blog of Port Ellen Primary writes about the P7 Induction Days while Posie tells us of some Farmyard antics…. If you're using a Blackberry you might be interested in Gordon's announcement Islay Visits on BBM Channels.
On to the birdwatching and wildlife: On the Islay Birds blog we find a picture of a Spotted Flycatcher, another picture of an Arctic Tern and pair of Terns together with the bird nerds meeting report. Quite a few postings on the INHT blog this week, including Bluebells - Wild and Spanish, Green Hairstreak - Beautiful Eyebrow, a Caterpillar Extravaganza and Roe Deer fawns - George Jackson.
Finally the pictures, of which apart from the one included in the other blog entries there didn't seem to be any around. The only one I can offer you are from my own Islay Pictures photoblog, including Bunnahabhain on a calm day, Inside Kilchoman distillery still house and April sunset at Laphroaig distillery, Isle of Islay.
That's all for today, as of writing this the Scottish Roundup isn't updated, so all I can wish you is good night.
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02/Jun/2013: Islay Blogging Roundup #252
Disathairne, 01/Jun/2013
Port An Eas Waterfall Animated Gif Attempt
This didn't turn out as well as I hoped. But as I've created it I thought I might as well publish it, hopefully I can follow up with a better version some other time. After the Port Charlotte lighthouse animated gif and the dancing Heron animated gif I've had another go with an Islay scene:
This is an unfortunately more wobbly than I had hoped view of the waterfall at Port an Eas. I didn't have a tripod with me when I was there with the Islay walking week earlier this year, so I attempted to shoot it free hand. Obviously my hand isn't as steady as I had hoped.
The idea was that just the water in the burn flowing to the waterfall is moving, also may be the sea as the waves move in. I think I'll have to try this again with a tripod to stop the wobble.
I hope you're still enjoying the view with the water rushing down over the rocks. You can't really see the waterfall from here, just trust me that the water falls straight down right behind the edge. Not sure how far, I think it might be around 30 metres.
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01/Jun/2013: Port An Eas Waterfall Animated Gif Attempt
Dihaoine, 31/May/2013
Friday Islay/Jura Picture #285 - Caol Ila and Port Charlotte
Sorry it's a bit late, it was a rather long day in the office today, followed by some shopping for the weekend. But now it's time for a wee dram (I think I'll have some Laphroaig this evening) and the Friday Islay picture. Which in a way is also a Jura picture, as it was taken from Jura, even though most of what you get to see is Islay:
I'm not sure from where exactly I took the picture, but it's somewhere at the foot of Beinn a'Chaolais. In the foreground just on the other side of the Sound of Islay is Caol Ila distillery. In the distance you can make out Port Charlotte on the shore of Loch Indaal and Beinn Tart a'Mhill (232m).
Have a great weekend!
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31/May/2013: Friday Islay/Jura Picture #285 - Caol Ila and Port Charlotte
Diardaoin, 30/May/2013
Water Jet Flyboard action coming up at Bunnahabhain
Most of the Islay Festival Feis Ile is about whisky and music. However, I think those making it out to Bunnahabhain tomorrow are in for quite a show if all goes well. Earlier this evening I came across a tweet indicating what's to come:
Going to have fun displays from these water jets at our @islaywhiskyfest open day tomorrow - hope you can make it! twitter.com/Bunnahabhain/s…
— BunnahabhainWhisky (@Bunnahabhain) May 30, 2013
I've seen a few videos (not from Islay, but elsewhere) before and I think it will be quite a show. These machines in action on the Sound of Islay with the Paps of Jura in the background should be a great sight. I hope someone will be filming it and sharing it online, I would love to see it.
For those who haven't seen it before, here's an example on video:
YouTube: Water Jet Pack: Get High with Jetlev!
For those who are going to be there, have a great time and enjoy the show tomorrow!
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30/May/2013: Water Jet Flyboard action coming up at Bunnahabhain
Diciadain, 29/May/2013
Nice introduction to Bowmore distillery on Islay
Back to something at least slightly Islay Festival / Feis Ile related today. It being Bowmore day today I thought I'd post a new Bowmoredistillers video I came across recently. In it Eddie MacAffer takes us on a whirlwind tour of the distillery and the whisky making process in three and a half minutes:
Youtube: Bowmore tour with Eddie
Of course this doesn't replace a real distillery tour with all the smells and noises and of course the tasting at the end. May be the video inspires some to go on a tour, in this case at Bowmore?
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29/May/2013: Nice introduction to Bowmore distillery on Islay
