Our first stop was the historic town of Falkirk, just 25 miles from Edinburgh, where we saw the iconic towering Kelpies sculptures and grabbed a coffee. I knew I was going to like our Glaswegian guide, Peter McShane, from the excitement in his voice as he told us about Scottish folklore. We then rode through the Lowlands and mountainous regions surrounding Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park en route to the town of Oban, known as the “Gateway to the Isles.” There, we browsed local shops and grabbed some fresh seafood.
Bellies full and a dram or two later at Oban Distillery, we hopped back on the coach and drove to Kennacraig to make our evening ferry to Islay. For two hours, we sailed along the glass-like Sound of Jura before the Paps of Jura mountains came into view, signaling that the island was just ahead. Arriving in Islay was like nothing I’d experienced before. At just 240 square miles, the island felt entirely remote yet surprisingly homey. We settled in for the evening in the town of Bowmore.
We didn’t know what to expect when our itinerary said accommodations would be shared, but we were pleasantly surprised by the setup we were met with at Bowmore Distillery Cottages. There were four bedrooms, and my dad and I each had our own room, while two others from our group took over the other two rooms and shared the communal kitchen and living spaces with us.
Our first full day on whisky island started with a short two-minute walk to the distillery that would kick off our tour: Bowmore Distillery. We learned about the distillery’s 240-year history on the island, which was a great starting point for the days ahead. Then came a tasting (straight from the cask!) in the cellar, and another tasting upstairs to end the tour, this time with whisky, chocolate, and views of the sea.
Since Islay is a very small island with a population of a little over 3,000 people, it’s important to be flexible on these types of trips and just roll with the punches. Depending on the days of your tour, some distilleries may be closed or not open to full tours. Our itinerary said we’d be visiting Kilchoman on day one, but instead, we diverted to Ardnahoe for a lively tour and quick tasting before driving through the countryside to Bunnahabhain. With sweeping views of the clear blue waters, we explored the facilities and sampled four drams at Islay’s most remote distillery.
While it’s always great to meet new people and travel around with them, I appreciated that lunches and evenings were free for us to explore at leisure. After full days of sampling whiskies, it was a nice respite to just enjoy some quality time with my dad.
