Ileach – Islay: "The Queen of the Isles"

Part 5

Just north of the Oa, beginning at Kintra is a miles long beach of almost tropical quality (10km).

It reaches far north, almost to Laggan. The coastal road heading to Bowmore from Port Ellen runs parallel to this golden stretch and passes through a flat an somewhat boring bogland. At the end of this road lies Islay’s largest town, Bowmore on Loch Indaal, the home of yet another distillery.

At the top of the main street the famous round church presides over the town. Today, Bowmore is the islands tourist centre, with the Bowmore Distillery (Islay’s oldest whisky producer) most suited of all the local distilleries for accommodating visitors. Bowmore is also probably the only place in the world where a visitor can go swimming in a former whisky warehouse – surely a different way to dive into the "spirit" of things.

Heading north-east from Bowmore, the road passes through Bridgend where it meets the road to Port Askaig. Turning west along Loch Indaal’s northern and then western shore, moving into the western peninsula of the island known as the Rhinns of Islay.

On the way to Port Charlotte, we pass Scotland’s westernmost distillery, Bruichladich. Port Charlotte itself is a charming and very small town looking east over Loch Indaal. The Museum of Islay Life is situated in Port Charlotte’s old church and is definitely worth visiting, especially since touching the exhibits is allowed. Port Charlotte was also once a home to distilleries, the Loch Indaal and Ochtomore Distilleries of which little remains today. One of the Loch Indaal warehouses is now a hostel and houses the Natural History Field Centre, the former management building being a B&B.

Part 6 (of 6)