Famous for its numerous
whisky distilleries, Islay is a beautiful island with a dozen beaches, several historical
sites and not too many tourists. On a clear day you can see over to Ireland.
Leisure facilities include a
swimming pool in Bowmore, tennis courts in Port Ellen, a golf course at Machrie and diving
around some of the many local wrecks.
By the way, Islay is
pronounced 'eye-la' (you don't sound the letter y).
The population of the island
is around 3400. Figures given in December 1996 spoke of 14% unemployment. By the year
2000, it is estimated that the island will be home to some 60,000 geese!
The Islay Mod takes place on
11-12 June 1999. On 12 August 1999, the Islay, Jura and Colonsay Agricultural Show will be
held.
How to get to Islay
By ferry
There are two ports on Islay: Port Ellen (tel: 01496 302209) in the east and Port Askaig
in the north. Both are served by vehicle ferries from Kennacraig (tel: 01880 730253) which
is located on the Kintyre Peninsula 100 miles north of Glasgow. Crossing time is
approximately 2 hours.
On Wednesdays it is usually
also possible to travel between Oban and Port Askaig. A ferry leaves Port Askaig at
10.40am and reaches Oban at 2.50pm. The ship leaves Oban at 3.15pm and returns to Port
Askaig at 7.30pm. The journey is made with a 10 minute stop at Colonsay.
Vehicle reservation is
required on all these ferries (tel: 0990 650 000 / fax: 01475 635 235).
There's talk of starting a
17-car ferry direct from the mainland to Jura. It is part of a proposal by a group of
Islay-based businessmen who would then like to see tourists driving 20 miles across Jura
and taking the short ferry over to reach Islay which would be shorter for them than the
current ferry from Kennacraig to Islay.
By air
Flights are available in light aircraft from Glasgow (35 minutes). The airstrip is near
Machrie Bay, 4 or 5 miles from Port Ellen. Prince Charles almost crashed his plane here a
couple of years ago. Glenegedale Airport telephone number: 01496 302022. These flights are
now operated by Loganair working as a franchise partner of British Airways .
