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Didòmhnaich, 14/Mar/2010
Islay Blogging Roundup #115
Suddenly it's the mid of March already, less than a month to go until Easter and soon after the WalkIslay Islay Walking Week. At least in Aldermaston Wharf from where I'm writing this it for the first time felt like spring was just about to arrive. Still a cold wind but nice warm sunshine. Let's hope spring arrives by the time the holiday season kicks off. With that thought over to what the blogs have been writing about Islay and Jura over the last week:
Weekends in Islay, a nice wee blog with irregular entries I've been watching for a while, has been back to Islay (and Jura) again: Lovely Jura has some nice pictures from a day trip to Jura. Hilary has a nice garden, you can see Jura from Hilary's back garden. Finally there is Sunday Morning (and evening).
Alison recently visited Islay as well and after her return asks When did you last turn your mobile off? (My answer: last night. I switch mine off every night). I think Stuart might still be on Islay as I write this, he started his journey with Blockbusted, followed by My Hebridean Ointment and yesterday's Where Susie Leads, I Must Follow.
Among other places Susie led him to the distilleries, nicely taking me to a few Islay and Jura whisky postings: The Torridon Blog writes about the Bruichladdich Black Art, John Hansell reviews the Kilchoman Autumn 2009 release and Vuoto Siderale writes about the Ardbeg Rollercoaster in Italian. Whisky Israel takes us over to Jura for a Quick Dram : Jura Superstition while The Jewish Single Malt Whisky Society takes us back to Islay for the Bruichladdich 18yr (not 2nd edition) and the Ardbeg Airigh Nam Beist 1990, 16 years old.
The Bruichladdich Blog provides an update on the Warehouse Building and like many others picks up on Google Streetview in New: Spot the Pot Hole. David announces the Queen of the Moorlands Whisky Tasting Dates for the Islay Festival of Malt and Music 2010. Some very nice ones in there. Onversneden has Een indrukwekkend setje Port Charlotte (which I believe means something like ‘an impressive set’?)
Ron also picks up on Google's latest offering for Islay in Islay on Google Streetview and More Islay Streetview. He also has news of Auntie Flora's New Shop in Portnahaven. Elliott in the meantime has pictures of the M.V Martin and the M.V Shetland trader. Which makes me wonder if Google will at some point develop a ‘Google sea route view’, complete with bearings etc?
Of course there has been some birdwatching as well, the Islay Birds blog has a nice picture of a Black Guillemot and memories of the first Skylark singing this year. Then there was the greedy pheasant and a tale of duck spotting at the Loch Gruinart reserve. I wonder if these were Stuart and Susie? John Islay Birder Armitage spent quite some time watching a Merlin before leaving for Inverness. On his wildlife blog he wonders about Signs of a recovery? (for the rabbit population on Islay that is).
As usual I'll close with the pictures: Ewan Graham has posted several nice pictures on his Islay Photos blog, Tree at Dusk and Ballulive Powerlines I quite like. Mull from Ballulive is also very nice, something different to the snowy Paps of Jura. Speaking of Jura, Jura Picture of the Day has It’s not just deer on the island and an old ad in Ads from the past #1. On Scot Through A Lens I found nice pictures of Tràigh Mhachir, Machir Bay, Islay, Scotland and Dunyvaig Castle, Lagavulin, Islay, Scotland.
On Ron's Picture Blog we find Piggies at Dunlosit Estate and an Evening at Caol Ila Bay. Mark Unsworth on his Islay Photography Gallery goes a bit more abstract this week with Pebble Patterns and Rock Grain. I must admit I prefer more ‘old-fashioned’ shots like the one of Lower Killeyan. From my own Islay Pictures photoblog I think I'll pick the The Big Strand at Laggan Bay and the Burn crossing Beach, Isle of Islay this week.
I think that's all this week, I hope you found a few interesting links. Of course I'll close with the usual reference to the Scottish Roundup for the bigger picture if you're so inclined, this week with Turning Left?
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Disathairne, 13/Mar/2010
Saturday Evening Islay Film
Remember Alice Hathaway's Reality of Nightmares video I wrote about in January? That's the same Alice who directed Islay High Schools successful FilmG entry. A few days ago I spotted her second own short film has become available online, filmed at Kilchoman Beach:
something in the dark from Alice Hathaway on Vimeo.
I must admit I'm struggling a bit with this one, I'm not entirely sure what the story is here. Presumably the girl finds something in the dark at the end of the beach, or something happens when the sun sets? May be my imagination isn't strong enough, I seem to be missing the final hint.
Still, I'm not saying I don't like it. I enjoyed watching it, trying to figure out what's going on (and enjoying the views of the beach). I also did spot mum (at least I think so).
How about you?
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Dihaoine, 12/Mar/2010
Friday Islay Picture #144 - Big Strand
That's a very busy week finally over. Time to relax over the weekend. I'm not a ‘sunbathing on a beach’ person, but I wouldn't mind a bit of beach now, in particular an Islay beach. Just for a long beach walk, the wind blowing away the tiredness. So here's the ‘Big Strand’, Islay's longest of the many beaches:
This view is from the dunes in the north looking south past the airport towards Kintra. I took this picture in 2002, but I don't think anything has really changed here.
That's all I have for this evening. As usual I'll post the larger version (larger as in more than twice as big) on the Islay Pictures photoblog on Saturday morning. But now it's time for a well earned wee dram (or two) of Laphroaig Triple Wood Islay single malt. Have a nice weekend!
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Diardaoin, 11/Mar/2010
Islay Google Streetview Discoveries
Two weeks ago, after Ron had pointed out that there are now Detailed Islay Satellite Images on Microsoft's Bing I wondered how long Google Maps would need to catch up. Well, they kind of have, yet they haven't. The satellite images of Islay on Google Maps are still rather useless. On the other hand Google Maps with Street View now has imagery from many roads on Islay:
Earlier this morning with thanks to ‘Kenny’ (?) The Ileach pointed out that Islay street view is now available on Google Maps. During my lunch break I had a first play and picked up a few views like the road to Machir Bay, Bruichladdich distillery, The Ileach offices in Bowmore, the Islay Hotel and the Spar in Port Ellen and the entrance to Laphroaig. Unfortunately you can't drive any further towards the actual Laphroaig distillery as far as I found.
But there are also a few quirky things to be found, like this young mother waving to the Streetview car (of course the faces are blurred by Google, as are number plates):
Here are a few other ones I liked from my ‘journeys around Islay’ (link should take you to the Google Streetview):
- Driving down towards Machir Bay from Kilchoman
- A horse in a field near Saligo
- Cattle grid on the way to Saligo
- The famous red phone box near Carnduncan
- Bowmore fire station
- Bowmore pier and harbour with a tourist (and a yellow Mini Clubman)
- The strange bikeless motorbiker in Bowmore
- The Gaelic college with the Paps of Jura in the distance
- Friends of Laphroaig field
- One of Currie's lorries in Port Ellen
- The Maid of Laphroaig at Kilnaughton Beach
- The Caol Ila roundabout and the Paps of Jura
- Upturned benches at Persabus
- ‘Other places’ sign coming from Bunnahabain
What have you found? Any other quirky finds or great views?
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Diciadain, 10/Mar/2010
Dogs, Beach, Colonsay, Sequel
OK, I think it's time for another excursion from Islay to Colonsay. Remember the Dogs, Beach, Play, Colonsay entry from February? Well, Marc and the dogs have been back on a beach on Colonsay, for a Strand Walk (West) to be precise. Here's video of it:
DirectStrandWalk(West)-Colonsay2009
The dogs (Missy, Jack, Rhys, Finlay and Zack, I believe) certainly seemed to enjoy their time on the beach again. I hope you also enjoyed watching them again.
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Dimàirt, 09/Mar/2010
Three Mixed Islay Links
Every once in a while I come across something weird and wonderful on this internet thing which has some kind of Islay connection. Something that doesn't necessesarily fit into the usual categories. This evening I've decided to point you towards three of these finds from the last week or so. An Islay related painting, a plane named after Islay and some Islay papercraft:
Let me start with the painting. It doesn't exactly come cheap at $498 (that's approx £330 or €370) but if you're interested in a acrylic on canvas painting of a highland bull titled ‘islay’ then you might have found it. Not my style really, so I won't bid for it.
Ships have names, trains often have names and many planes have names. On Flickr I recently came across British Caledonian Airways Isle of Islay BAC-1-11 Series 501EX G-AXJM. As it is on an account called Airlinerart I initially wasn't sure if this was a real name or just made up, a quick search soon told me it wasn't made up: The plane seems to have been in service in the 1970s, several pictures of G-AXJM here and if you look closely on this picture you can even make out the name ‘Isle of Islay’ painted on the fuselage.
Have you ever wished to have your own distillery in your living room? Well, you can now. Unfortunately I doubt you will be able to make any whisky in it. For the simple reason that it is a papercraft model of Ardbeg distillery on Islay. I think they don't ship internationally, so you have to live in Germany or at least have an address in Germany they can send it to. Not to mention that you will need a lot of patience to build it. Found via a tweet by the Whiskyfanblog.
That's all.
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Diluain, 08/March/2010
Shortest Islay Video Ever?
Running rather late again this evening after a very long day at work. Not much time left in the day today for Islay blogging, so I thought I just post what I think is likely to be the shortest Islay video I'll ever post. Here it is, a full amazing 6 seconds long:
Thinking about it, I can feel a challenge coming up: Above I've written I think this is likely to be the shortest Islay video I'll ever post. I wonder if anyone will rise to the challenge and film an even shorter meaningful Islay video? With that I don't mean just a pointless 3 second fragment of something, no, it would have to show something in its entirety and make sense when watched without explanation.
Any takers?
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Didòmhnaich, 07/Mar/2010
Islay Blogging Roundup #114
Two Islay blog entries today, after the announcement of ‘Go Islay’ Goes Live this morning it's now time for the traditional Sunday evening content, the Islay blogging roundup. Considering we are well into March now I hope to bring you the first proper spring on Islay and Jura entries soon, so far there seem to be only very tentative signs of it. Here's what the blogs have been writing about Islay and Jura over the last week or so:
John Islay Birder Armitage brings us Thursday---- a hint of what's in store? where he spots first movements towards spring. He also has some interesting reading about the Diet of a Golden Eagle. The on Sat. 6th March....a period of hiatus? Or is it?
On the Islay Birds blog we find the monthly weather summary, drier and colder than usual for February on Islay. There was an odd looking Goose (and the Geese count numbers), a great picture of two Mute Swans with their five young and an interesting picture of a Teal duck.
But there's at least one sign spring can't be that far away, Gordon Yates writes Snowdrops Flourish after returning from a week on Islay. Our first night on Islay - The Lochindaal write the Whisky Boys from a recent visit.
Speaking of whisky, Angling and Dramming writes about John MacLellan joining the Kilchoman Distillery Team, as does Ron in Islay Whisky News from Kilchoman and Ardbeg. I'm not really sure what Islay, una historia de humo {Nº19 Terruño} writes, but it seems to be mainly about Islay whisky. I don't think Mendelssohn-Bartholdy made it to Islay though. WhiskyHost tastes a Bowmore in his Tuesday Tasting - Bonus Master of Malt Edition. The Whisky Exchange blog writes about the Ardbeg Rollercoaster & TWE 10th Anniversary and the Scotch Hobbyist tries the SMOS Caol Ila 1991 18 Year – Smokin’. Not to forget John Hansell's Review: Ardbeg Rollercoaster.
Kind of related the Bruichladdich Blog writes about the Renegade Rum Success. We can read about Ardbeg & Graeme Obree on THE CASKS. Kind of in last years news I found 2009 Islay Whisky Festival Visit-Jura Distillery on the Glenfiddich Explorers blog.
In other news World Island Info writes about The Loch Islands of Islay, the series about the Islands on the Isle of Islay I kicked off on Monday. On the Bad Witch's blog (which I probably linked to already in 2008) we find Pagan Eye: Sea Change. Ron discusses the pier and future of the ferry to Port Ellen in A Local View on the Port Ellen Pier Reconstruction and To Ferry or not to Ferry to Port Ellen.
OK, time for the pictures, I'm sure some of you have been waiting for them. On Scot Through A Lens there are several nice Islay and Jura ones: Peat Smoke at the Laphroaig Distillery, Islay and Lagavulin Distillery, Islay, Scotland as well as The Paps of Jura. Ian Besch has the Oa, Islay and a nice story about two cyclists. On Ron's Ron's Picture Blog we find Sunny Oa Peninsula.
On Mark's Islay Photography Gallery my favourites this week were Kilchoman Bay, Glen Astle and the Wild Goat. On my own Islay Pictures photoblog all pictures this were tagged with the island_on_islay tag, my favourites were Two Islands in Loch Finlaggan and Tree covered Island in Loch Lossit, Isle of Islay.
That's it for this week. Last week I mentioned Islay High School, who were going to have a HM Inspectorate of Education visit this week. To my knowledge they passed with flying colours. Congratulations! Before I close the usual reference to the Scottish Roundup, this week with That was the week that was … Good night!
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‘Go Islay’ Goes Live
Having known about it for a while and being told yesterday it had now officially gone live this entry should have been written last night. But then I got carried away learning, setting up and playing with my new toy. So with a days delay the introduction of a new Islay accommodation website, Go Islay, for Bayview at Lagavulin:
I've been in contact with John and Hilary for a while as they also use Twitter for Go Islay, they were also the ones who sent me one of the Islay snow pictures (this is the website I mentioned).
The website is mainly about their holiday cottage, Bayview at Lagavulin, but the Gallery also contains a few more great Islay pictures. The cottage is certainly in a great location with its views over to Lagavulin distillery. You can't see it in the panorama (it's just to the right of it), but my Quicktime VR panorama of Lagavulin Bay, Islay gives another impression of the area.
Best wishes and all success to them, the website is certainly a great invitation to their cottage and to Islay. Go Islay!
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Friday Islay Picture #143 - Crannog in Loch Laingeadail
It's getting a bit tight this evening for the Friday Islay picture, not much left in my Friday as I'm writing this. Very tired after another hard week, but I didn't want to leave you without an Islay picture this evening. Earlier this week I wrote about about Islands on the Isle of Islay and posted pictures under the island_on_islay tag in the Islay Pictures photoblog. It's probably not a huge surprise that I picked another one for the series this evening:
This is probably one of the lesser photographed ‘islands’ on Islay. It is a crannog in Loch Laingeadail, near Ardnave. Not something you can see from the road, you have to get your hiking boots out and walk about a mile or so south east of Ardnave. I took this picture during WalkIslay 2005, on a walk from Gruinart to Ardnave.
Of course I will post a larger version (larger as in more than twice as big) on the Islay Pictures photoblog tomorrow morning, you know the spiel. For now I say Good Night, time for a last wee dram of Laphroaig QC and then a good night's sleep…
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