PORT ELLEN

Nestling in a perfect little circular bay with the Sound of Jura beyond is the ferry port of Port Ellen, linked to the mainland by a ferry to Kennacraig. Like Port Charlotte, the village was founded by the Laird of Islay Walter Frederick Campbell, and whereas Port Charlotte was named after his mother, Port Ellen was named after his first wife Eleanor. Port Ellen used to have its own distillery, but this has now closed, although there is a large maltings here which produces malted barley for distilleries throughout Islay and Jura. However, whisky connoisseurs need not despair, since just up the coast from here they can sample one of Scotland's most famous labels, Laphroaig, while there are two more distilleries a bit further still at Lagavulin and Ardbeg, making this a veritable "whisky coast". Towards the south end of the village is St Johns Church, built in the 1800s, with a simple white-walled interior and a venerable stone exterior. Near the Lagavulin Distillery is the ruined Dunyvaig Castle, a former stronghold of the MacDonald Lords Of The Isles, where several sieges took place during the 17th century before the Campbells came along and finished the castle off by demolishing most of it. Another point of interest lies beyond the Ardbeg Distillery: the Kidalton Cross, a fine example of an early Christian "high cross". The adjoining church and churchyard is a treasure trove of grave slabs, some bearing the images of knights.

Map of the area.

Port Ellen, Islay. Photo by J M Briscoe, via Wikimedia Commons.

LAGGAN BAY AND THE OA PENINSULA

Laggan Bay on the east shore of Loch Indaal is one of the safer beaches for swimming on Islay, with a large, curved sweep of sand 6 miles long known as the Big Strand. The strangely named Oa Peninsula to the south of the bay is the southernmost part of Islay, reaching a height of 202 metres at Beinn Mhor, and with the Mull of Oa rising to 131 metres from where, on a clear day, the coast of Ireland can be seen. The shore mostly consists of cliffs and sandy bays, and there is good birdwatching to be had here, including choughs, golden eagles and peregrines, while otters can sometimes be seen just offshore. The Mull of Oa is dominated by the American Memorial, which was erected in memory of the huge loss of life resulting from two of the island's most famous shipping disasters involving the SS Tuscania and the HMS Otranto, both of which occurred in 1918 towards the end of the First World War (see also Port Charlotte). At Cragabus there is a chambered cairn with a standing stone nearby. The only other sign of human life on the peninsula are the abandoned houses dotted around it. The peninsula once had a population of 800, but following the Highland Clearances became deserted.

Map of the area.

Port Ghillebride, Laggan, Islasy - geograph.org.uk - 340972. Photo by Julian Dowse, via Wikimedia Commons.

BOWMORE

It cannot fail to escape the notice of visitors to Islay that the island is "whisky central", with no fewer than eight distilleries on the island. The reason for the emergence of this sector of the local economy is quite simple: the abundance of the main ingredients, barley and soft water, plus the ready availability of peat to fuel the stills and dry the malted barley. In the early days, the island's distilling was carried out "informally" - that is to say illicitly. The island's cliffs are dotted with caves where the twin activities of illegal distilling and smuggling were carried out. The first legal distillery was founded in 1779 here in Bowmore, the island's main settlement and its administrative capital, its white buildings gracing the lochside.

Members of the landed gentry in 18th century Scotland were not averse to uprooting the local inhabitants and moving them to a new location if it suited their purposes to do so, and the local laird in these parts was no exception. He allegedly decided that the village of Kilarrow was too close to his residence for comfort, so the villagers were moved to Bowmore, which was established in 1768 as a replacement for Kilarrow, and which is a typical example of a planned village with streets laid out in a grid pattern. The most striking sight in Bowmore is the Round Church, a whitewashed building which, as its name suggests, is built in a round shape, the thinking being that this way there would be no corners for the devil to hide in. There is a pier on the lochside, and during World War II there was a sea plane base from which Sunderland and Catalina flying boats operated. As well as a range of restaurants and places to stay, visitors will find Islay's only Tourist Information Office in Bowmore.

Map of the area.

Bowmore Kilarrow Parish Church. Photo by Eberhard Kaiser, via Wikimedia Commons.

PORT CHARLOTTE

On the east side of the Rhinns of Islay and facing Loch Indaal is the attractive little village of Port Charlotte, named after the mother of the person who founded the village in 1828, Walter Frederick Campbell. It is the whisky trade for which Islay is so famous that is responsible for the existence of the village, since it was built to house the workers at the Lochindaal Distillery which opened the year after the founding of the village. The distillery is no longer there, but there is another one a couple of miles up the coast at Bruichladdich. Points of interest for visitors to the town include the Islay Natural History Trust, colocated with the Youth Hostel, with information on the island's flora, fauna and geology, and the Museum Of Islay Life, which, as well as books and items illustrating the island's heritage, also displays items from some of the many shipwrecks which have occurred off the island's coast, which include the Tuscania and the Otranto, two American ships which foundered within eight months of each other during the First World War as they were bringing troops over to Europe.

Map of the area.

Port Charlotte from the pier - geograph.org.uk - 758315. Photo by Gordon Hatton, via Wikimedia Commons.

PORTNAHAVEN AND PORT WEMYSS

The tiny villages of Portnahaven and Port Wemyss, located at the end of the peninsula known as the Rhinns of Islay, are close enough together to be almost one community, in fact they share a church between them. The church, a small, rectangular building dating from 1828, has two doors at its front, and it is said that at one time the worshippers from Portnahaven had exclusive use of one of the doors and those from Port Wemyss the other. Portnahaven was built as a planned village to house people being cleared from the island's interior, with an economy based around crofting and fishing. The village was ideally suited to the latter, since the island of Orsay which lies opposite the village provides shelter from the capricious ocean beyond as well as providing a warning to approaching vessels with its tall lighthouse, which dominates the horizon for miles around. The sheltered harbour at Portnahaven is also favoured by Grey Seals, who can often be seen sunning themselves on the rocks in the bay. About two kilometers north-northwest of Portnahaven is a headland called Rubha Na Faing, and just offshore is a group of islands called Frenchmen's Rocks, named after a battle which took place here with three British frigates in which three French ships were driven onto the rocks. This spot is also a treasure trove of birdlife, including shearwaters, petrels, gannets and auks, best seen in autumn. At nearby Claddach is the "Islay LIMPET" (Land Installed Marine Power Energy Transmitter), an installation which has the distinction of being the world's first commercial wave power generator, putting it at the forefront of renewable energy technology.

Map of the area.

Port Wemyss Pier - geograph.org.uk - 1419252. Photo by Peter Church, via Wikimedia Commons.

MACHIR BAY AND KILCHIARAN BAY

The 2 kilometers of fine sand which fringes Machir Bay is one of Islay's most beautiful beaches. Machir Bay is also the name of one of Islay's whiskies, recently released by the Kilchoman Distillery. The bay is a great place to walk, for example following the track towards Kilchiaran Bay to the south, which takes in an Iron Age fort. A climb up to the fort is well worth it for the magnificent view of the bay from the site. Machir Bay is also a perfect place for viewing the legendary sunsets in this part of Scotland. Bathing, however, is not recommended due to the strong currents in the bay.

Kilchiaran Bay is the next bay along, and besides the above-mentioned fort there are a couple of other historical sites. The ruined Kilchiaran Chapel, dating from at least the early 13th century, consists of a rectangle of low walls with the roof gone. The grounds of the chapel include a broken stone font and a number of grave slabs, some with intricate designs carved into them. Also in the area is the Cultoon Stone Circle, believed to have been abandoned before completion, and to have had an astronomical purpose, as two of the stones were aligned to show the position of sunset at the Winter Solstice. Only three of the stones are still standing. There was once an RAF base at Kilchiaran, and during the Cold War a ROTOR radar station was installed there, part of a 1950s government scheme to counter attack by Soviet bombers. Activity at the station was short-lived as it ended service in 1958, but the rather ugly, light brown buildings remain as a reminder of those paranoid times.


Map of the area.

Machir Bay - geograph.org.uk - 700228. Photo by Mary and Angus Hogg, via Wikimedia Commons.

LOCH GRUINART

The main draw at Loch Gruinart is the RSPB Reserve, which in winter sees huge numbers of geese, such as barnacle geese. In Spring it is waders who take centre stage, including Redshanks. The elusive corncrake can also be found here. The loch has in the past been voted one of the best places for wildlife in the United Kingdom. The name Gruinart derives from the Old Norse meaning "shallow fjord". The ruined Kilnave Chapel lies on the shore of Loch Gruinart, and is believed to have been built around the late 1300s or early 1400s. Its tranquil location belies the fact that it was the scene of a particularly bloody battle between Clan MacDonald and the MacLeans of Duart (Mull). As was so often the case, the battle was fought over land rights. The MacLeans came off worse as although a number of survivors were able to return to their boats, around 30 retreated to the chapel, where they were burned alive when the MacDonalds set fire to the thatched roof.

Map of the area.

The Edge Of Loch Gruinart - geograph.org.uk - 704123. Photo by Mary and Angus Hogg, via Wikimedia Commons.

PORT ASKAIG

For those making the short crossing from Jura across the Sound of Islay, Port Askaig is the gateway to Islay, though by no means its largest settlement. There are also ferry links from Port Askaig to the mainland and to Colonsay. The port enjoys wonderful views of the Paps of Jura from across the narrow strait, all the better when there is a decent sunset, with the Paps silhouetted against the sun and the water glistening. One of the things Islay is best known for is its distilleries; there are eight of them on the island, and the one nearest Port Askraig is the Caol Ila Distillery in a little cove just to the north. Just inland from Port Askaig is the important historic site of Finlaggan, seat of the Lords Of The Isles and the Clan Donald. Loch Finlaggan and the islands of Eilean Mor and Eilean na Comhairle were the nerve centre of the Lords' Administration from the 13th to the 15th centuries. A cottage has been converted into a museum which is run by the Finlaggan Trust, and the ruins of Finlaggan Castle, built in the 13th century, lie on Eilean Mor.

Map of the area.

Port Askaig and the Ferry to Jura - geograph.org.uk - 1190. Photo by Dorcas Sinclair, via Wikimeda Commons.