IslayBlog.com -> 2008 -> Islay Blogging Roundup #46

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Sunday, 31/Aug/2008

Islay Blogging Roundup #46

The last Islay blogging roundup for August 2008 after the Islay Hotel Name Update this afternoon. Not entirely sure what happened to August though. At least down here today was another symbol for the month: dull and wet. I don't know if Ian has the August rainfall figures and will post them on the Islay Birds blog as he sometimes does. I suspect Islay didn't fare much better and this August was one of the wetter ones on record. But back to the blogging, what did the blogs have to say about Islay and Jura this week:

Having only just finished my after dinner Islay chocolate and whisky (Bruichladdich Peat today) how about some Islay food? What's cooking?: Islay seafood. No, unfortunately not here, but Tim enjoyed a variety of freshly caught seafood including lobster and crabs on Islay.

Which nicely leads on to the whisky: Håvard Eide writes about whisky tasted, which includes Bruichladdich and Ardbeg. Discover Whisky reviews the Whisky Dreams book. The Whisky Channel picks up on some ‘old news’: Men behaving badly at Bruichladdich and Don't drink and drive - more Islay nonsense.

In the meantime there's a bit of controversy at the Bruichladdich Blog: Heads Down about the PR and general strategy of Bruichladdich (read the comments). Interesting to read for me after some of my own thoughts about Mark and his style earlier this week. More and more I think he needs to tone it down a bit.

Any visitors to Islay this wet August? Sure, several (although some might have been earlier than August but only blogged about it now): Kev went cycling on Islay and writes about Kev's Training with the Ride of the Falling Rain. Roaming around follows up with Islay and Jura 2.

Sister Sweden (I suspect not her real name) visited Islay during Vecka 2 of her holiday in Scotland. My Swedish isn't good enough to understand it all, but I think ‘...här är vi på en av våra två guidade rundturer i två av de största naturreservaten på ön. Jag spanar efter tuffa fåglar - jag såg en Golden Eagle, har ingen aning om vad den heter på svenska, men vingspann på 2.5 meter är jäkligt imponerande oavsett!’ means they went on two guided tours on the RSPB reserves where they were impressed by a Golden Eagle they spotted.

She also reports of some mysterious going ons and investigations on Islay: Tema: CSI Islay.

You want more birdwatching? OK, the Islay Birds blog to the rescue: Michal took a nice shot of a flock of Linnets. Andy Schofield (who took over from Angus Keys on The Oa) sent in his reports including Manx and Sooty Shearwater as well as Crossbills. There's also a report about the Bat and Barn Owl walk, which nicely leads me to this anecdote:

John Islay Birder Armitage also went on that walk and has a nice story to tell. He's back birdwatching after a week with his daughter, spotting Manx Shearwaters and various waders before ‘the wrong kind of wind’ pretty much put a stop to birdwatching.

No Islay Birding News from Jeremy, he's away as Ron reports. Ron also has news on Another Car Hire Website on Islay as well as An Islay Miscellany.

With the start of the school term to other Islay blogs return: Ian's Islay ICT says And …. I’m back………Just while Elliott of Islay Sea Shipping also promises further updates.

Tom of the ardblog has a picture of the Ardbeg Blasda: Bild vom Ardbeg Blasda. He also wonders if the Ardbeg Jack Russell has been kidnapped by Bruichladdich: Ardbeg-Hund nach Bruichladdich entführt?

And that's it for this week. As usual, if you're interested in the bigger picture try the Scottish Roundup, this week with Scotland’s finest forty are picked as Labour’s candidate for Glenrothes still goes wanting. Oh, one last thing: Here's a very early preview of the Islay panorama I'm currently working on:

Picture of a sea loch seen from a hill

Hopefully more about that over the next few days. Good night for now!

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