Ileach – Islay: "The Queen of the Isles"

Part 2

Only 25 miles in length and 20 miles wide at most, Islay is nonetheless one of the largest islands among the inner Hebrides and has a fairly even climate. For such a relatively small island, Islay offers a widely varied landscape reaching from the Rhinns of Islay on the western peninsula to the rough moorland of the Oa in the south-east and the white sand dunes of Lough Gruinart in the north. Islay’s abundant wildlife includes red deer, seals , puffins, otters, herons and more.

Islay is also an island steeped in malt whisky. Today, there are still seven distilleries on the island, though only six are currently working. That’s still quite a lot of whisky for a population of around four thousand! However, around the middle of the last century, Islay sported no less than a dozen distilleries and the distilleries are still the most important part of the island economy, Islay being famous for making some of the most powerful and flavoursome whiskies in the world.

The Gaelic name of Islay is Ile or sometimes Eila. There are two possible origins to the name. One maintains that Islay is named for an ancient Goddess of the same name. The other tells of a princess from Denmark named Yula who is supposed to be buried on the island near Port Ellen where standing stones mark the grave.

Part 3 (of 6)