emily_m_mackinnon

As part of our driving trip around Scotland this summer, we're going to spend one day and two nights on Islay. We plan to take the Wednesday ferry from Oban to Port Askaig, spend Thursday sampling the fares of as many distilleries as we can handle, and then leave on the morning ferry from Port Ellen.

Where should we stay to make the most of our time? I'm hoping we could stay somewhere that would give us a good taste of the island, but that would also position us well logistically-speaking, since our time is so short.

I'd love any recommendations for things to do or places to see, too! I know one day on Islay is nowhere near enough, but sadly, that's all we can manage. Thanks for your help!

janisj

Do you want a hotel? B&B? What is your budget?

janisj

Meant to add - I'd probably stay in Bowmore/Bridgeend since they are sort of the center of the island.

emily_m_mackinnon

Thanks! Bowmore's what I was leaning towards, although Port Charlotte sounds lovely. I hadn't actually considered Bridgend. Are they very different in character? Do any of them have more services (cafes, places to eat dinner) than others?

I'm OK with either a hotel or a B&B - character is more important to me - although I don't like B&Bs where you are right in the hosts' pockets. My budget is midrange... maybe 80 pounds a night or so?

Frances

Glenegedale House Hotel. Loved it. We stayed 3 years ago when they had just completed a futher house next door. Lovely people and wonderful breakfasts. Don't know if it will come in within budget but we were there during the whisky festival week when there were lots of tourists.
We were there three nights in indifferent weather and saw all we wanted to see. Visited Bowmore and had a very good meal there in the Harbour Inn. I still remember it as the place where I discovered cranachan

emily_m_mackinnon

Glenegedale looks lovely! Is it quite isolated? I wouldn't mind being able to walk to dinner in the evenings, but that might be unrealistic on Islay... (and I gather there might be midges, in which case we might not want that much time in the open air anyway!)

And... what, exactly, is cranachan?

janisj

It is a (REALLY) yummy dessert. Whisky, honey, cream, berries, oats

I like to be w/i walking distance of pus)/restaurants so I can enjoy a drink(s) in the evening.

I'll look through my files for some places

Frances

A person after my own heart but three nights in Islay didn't provide us with somewhere obvious to walk to restaurants unless you wanted to eat in the same place every night.
This hotel is right opposite the airport but this is not Heathrow. In fact the morning plane arrived without me hearing it.
The night we arrived off the evening ferry we had noticed that nearly everyone on the boat had flocked to the restaurant as soon as if not before we had left port. When we arrived at Glenegedale, Rachel- the owner asked if we had eaten and when we said we hadn't she picked up the phone and spoke to someone and then told us to get back in the car and go quickly to the golf club which was just the other side of the airport! It seems that restaurants which are open close at 9pm.
Apart from the restaurant in Bowmore which I mentioned above, we ate the third night in the Port Charlotte Hotel but this was heaving and we only got a table in the bar by watching carefully who was about to leave.
Another day we went into a biggish hotel in Port Ellen(the only place serving food we could find ) to find it totally deserted. There was no sign of anyone. We called and knocked on the bar but nothing! We ended up in the cafe of the Ardbeg distillery which was very good. They had a lovely picture on the wall of the ladies which I thought they might be selling but the shop was closed and even though I made a specific visit back to try and buy it I couldn't find anyone who could help me with it.
Islay is the most remote place I have ever been in the British Isles. Everyone know everyone. The two police officers went around in one car so if they went in one direction the reprobates in the other direction knew that they were free to do what they liked. Both officers were at the Bruichladdich open day!

My favourite cranachan recipe:

For 6
60g coarse oatmeal( I take it you live somewhere which uses metric measures- I still work in imperial)
15g demerara
1 tblsp honey
280mls double cream
60g caster
1 tblsp whisky /rum
230g fresh or thawed raspberries +110 g to decorate.

Method
Pour whisky on to the raspberries and leave to soak whilst you make the rest of the recipe.

Toss oatmeal with demerara and toast under a hot grill keeping a careful eye on this.( Now is not the moment to be a working mum and multitask!)You want the sugar to melt on to the oatmeal so keep checking and turning the mix with a spoon.
Leave to cool and the sugar now forms a crisp coating on the oatmeal.

Whip cream with caster sugar until holding its shape then add oatmeal and mix. Finally add raspberries but do not agitate much at all as the colour will run.

Chill- you and the desert(!)Scatter over more raspberries before serving.

Frances

A person after my own heart but three nights in Islay didn't provide us with somewhere obvious to walk to restaurants unless you wanted to eat in the same place every night.
This hotel is right opposite the airport but this is not Heathrow. In fact the morning plane arrived without me hearing it.
The night we arrived off the evening ferry we had noticed that nearly everyone on the boat had flocked to the restaurant as soon as if not before we had left port. When we arrived at Glenegedale, Rachel- the owner asked if we had eaten and when we said we hadn't she picked up the phone and spoke to someone and then told us to get back in the car and go quickly to the golf club which was just the other side of the airport! It seems that restaurants which are open close at 9pm.
Apart from the restaurant in Bowmore which I mentioned above, we ate the third night in the Port Charlotte Hotel but this was heaving and we only got a table in the bar by watching carefully who was about to leave.
Another day we went into a biggish hotel in Port Ellen(the only place serving food we could find ) to find it totally deserted. There was no sign of anyone. We called and knocked on the bar but nothing! We ended up in the cafe of the Ardbeg distillery which was very good. They had a lovely picture on the wall of the ladies which I thought they might be selling but the shop was closed and even though I made a specific visit back to try and buy it I couldn't find anyone who could help me with it.
Islay is the most remote place I have ever been in the British Isles. Everyone know everyone. The two police officers went around in one car so if they went in one direction the reprobates in the other direction knew that they were free to do what they liked. Both officers were at the Bruichladdich open day!

My favourite cranachan recipe:

For 6
60g coarse oatmeal( I take it you live somewhere which uses metric measures- I still work in imperial)
15g demerara
1 tblsp honey
280mls double cream
60g caster
1 tblsp whisky /rum
230g fresh or thawed raspberries +110 g to decorate.

Method
Pour whisky on to the raspberries and leave to soak whilst you make the rest of the recipe.

Toss oatmeal with demerara and toast under a hot grill keeping a careful eye on this.( Now is not the moment to be a working mum and multitask!)You want the sugar to melt on to the oatmeal so keep checking and turning the mix with a spoon.
Leave to cool and the sugar now forms a crisp coating on the oatmeal.

Whip cream with caster sugar until holding its shape then add oatmeal and mix. Finally add raspberries but do not agitate much at all as the colour will run.

Chill- you and the desert(!)Scatter over more raspberries before serving.

Frances

Sorry!

emily_m_mackinnon

I agree, janisj - we'll enjoy the whisky a lot more if we don't need to worry about driving home afterwards! We were originally thinking Port Ellen would be a good option, since there are three distilleries within walking distance, but in the end I would rather be within walking distance of a pub in the evening - and Port Ellen looks a bit too small for that.

Frances, thanks so much for your awesome reply! Your recipe for cranachan has me drooling, and your description of the police officers is hilarious. I can't wait for this trip!

janisj

stoopid emoticons

should be >>I like to be w/i walking distance of pub (s)<<