Islay Whisky Short Break

Within easy striking-distance of several distilleries and the island ‘capital’ Bowmore, your accommodation on the island is a family-owned property whose welcome is as warming as the whisky itself. There’s no shortage of advice from island residents of longstanding, whether that be directions to the quietest beach, the latest on Islay’s best dining or suggestions for that off-kilter dram you may never have tried. Comfortable en-suite rooms ensure the most restful of nights, while a fine, freshly cooked breakfast charges the batteries for a full day’s exploration.

No visit to Islay is complete without visiting at least some of the island’s world famous distilleries.  Your break will include 2 tours, usually of Laphroaig and Bruichladdich – we can include any that is a favourite brand, or let us choose for you.  We can arrange taxi transport on the island if required, or would recommend that you nominate a driver.

Once the ancestral seat of the Lords of the Isles, Islay is a fertile island of low heather-clad hills, attractive beaches, numerous historical sites and more whisky distilleries than any other Scottish island!  A haven for hill-walkers and bird-watchers, it is home to the huge Loch Gruinart bird sanctuary and its vast numbers of migrating geese.  In the island capital, Bowmore, you can visit the unusual Round Church (no corners for the devil to hide in!) or, if history is your thing, the Museum of Island Life in Port Charlotte is well worth a visit, as are the ruins of Finlaggan Castle, home of the Macdonald chiefs, and Kildalton Chapel with its early Christian cross.  Easily accessible for day-trips are the neighbouring islands of Jura – rugged and truly remote – and pretty Colonsay (Wednesdays only), which boasts spectacular Kiloran Bay.