IslayBlog.com ->
Thursday, 15/May/2008
Chough Conservation on Islay (and in Portugal)
In the Islay Blogging Roundup #31 two weeks ago I linked to a Portuguese blog entry with the title Projecto Bico-vermelho: Os abrigos de Islay. As my knowledge of Portuguese is a wee bit underdeveloped (or in other words, I don't know a single word) I asked if anyone could help with translating with it. From some of the words and pictures I could guess that it was about Choughs and that it was somehow about Islay, which is a stronghold for them in the UK. Yesterday evening the comment and translation I had hoped for turned up at the entry:
Not just by anyone, but by Paulo Travassos who is a member of the team running the Projecto Bico-vermelho project and blog. He wrote:
O "Projecto Bico-vermelho" is about a Choughs conservation project that we start at north of Portugal. There we talk about specie status, how choughs became scarce, point some causes of their low numbers and efforts to help them find nesting places in a Alvão Natural Park. We mention our radio tracking project with chougs and a visit to Islay after being present in the 2nd International Workshop on the Conservation of the Chough (Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax), held in the Scottish Agricultural College, Ayr Scotland, which took place on 13rd and September 14th, 2007.
While the blog is in Portuguese there are also two documents in English available for those (like me) who don't understand Portuguese:
Paulo also wrote:
We want start a change of information about Choughs and will try publish more English text regularly, so if you want please feel free and “post “ us your perceptions about the specie.
There are various efforts under way on Islay to help the Choughs, one are disused buildings to be prepared so that they can provide shelter for nesting birds. The RSPB has a few good pages about the Chough (Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax) and Chough conservation. Some of the key places on Islay for Choughs are the reserve on The Oa (where it is listed among the Star species) and Smaull Farm. Not to forget the Loch Gruinart reserve and visitor centre, from where it is not far to Ardnave, another good place to spot Choughs.
I'm quite sure that several of my readers know much much more about choughs than me, if you have anything to add please feel free to add it in the comments. Also get in contact with Paulo and the team, their e-mail can be found on the Projecto Bico-vermelho blog.
15/May/2008: Chough Conservation on Islay (and in Portugal)
Advertising
End of Advertising
Wednesday, 14/May/2008
Islay Hotel April Progress
It's been a while since I last updated you about progress at the new/old Islay Hotel in Port Ellen. Looking through my archives I think the last update was the first floor ceiling entry from the end of March. Because of the events of the last few weeks I hadn't got round to post the pictures from my visit to Islay in April, so I decided to catch up on them before posting more recent pictures later this week. Here's a view of the hotel from street:
In April most of the ground floor outside and inside walls were complete, you could really see the building starting to take shape. Roland gave me a quick guided tour around the site, proudly presenting the progress and explaining the features. He's hoping to possibly even opening the hotel by the end of the year. Fingers crossed!
Everyone working on the site is from Islay, here are some of them erecting scaffolding to work on the restaurant area of the hotel:
Two impressions of views out of the windows of the hotel, giving an idea how it will be once the hotel is up and running. On the left a view out of the restaurant out to the marina in Loch Leodamais (with the Shannick of Islay Sea Safari). On the right a view out of the kitchen into Charlotte Street, one of the builders taking a break and having a chat.
That's all I have for today, I hope it gives you a good idea of the progress in April and how it will look once completed. I'm planning to post some more current pictures on Saturday. Good night for now.
14/May/2008: Islay Hotel April Progress
Tuesday, 13/May/2008
The Reappearing Islay Wreck
Last Friday I posted a picture of Machir Bay and mentioned the changes the winter storm which battered Islay this year brought to the beach. In the entry I promised to revisit an entry from last year, which I'm going to do today. I guess I could call it the Islay version of now you see, now you don't, now you do:
Regular readers (or those who made the effort to trawl through the archives) will recognise the picture from the Friday Islay Picture(s) (36) entry. It shows a wreck in the sand at Machir Bay in summer 1999. Over the years it pretty much disappeared and in October 2007 it looked like this (another picture you might remember):
Then the winter storms came. Back in March I noticed Scott Liddell's blog entry with this beautiful picture of Machir Bay. It looked like the wreck was quite visible in the picture, so I wondered if it had reappeared. During my visit to Islay in April I went down to the beach to check:
As you can see the wreck has been dug out again by the winter storms. I'd say there's a foot or two (that's 30-60 cm) of sand gone and it's pretty much back to how it looked in 1999. It looks quite nice with the crags as a background:
To be continued?
13/May/2008: The Reappearing Islay Wreck
Monday, 12/May/2008
Islay Blogging Roundup #32
Yesterday I promised you an Islay blogging roundup for today, so I think I better get going on this mild spring evening. I managed to collect a few Islay related links over the last week, although not much about Jura or Colonsay. Last week I started with the birdwatching, let me start with the whisky this week:
The Bruichladdich Blog tells us not to worry about the Port Charlotte Distillery Project. This is followed by The Whisky Channel writing about Good news from Islay, or that planning permission has been granted for the old new distillery.
Also on the Bruichladdich blog the news that they started bottling the Octomore. Being a proud owner of Octomore Futures I picked it up, but the first other blog (to my knowledge) was the OH Group writing The Octomore has Come! Takeshi Mogi brings the news of the Octomore to Japan.
On other whiskies John writes about Special Lagavulin & Port Ellen for Islay Whisky Festival while Tom of the ardblog is one of several mentioning the Laphroaig Càirdeas (even though in his case it is competition for Ardbeg).
From whisky to walking: After completing the last stage with a walk from Glen Astle to Soldier's Rock Becky Williamson completed her walk around Islay's coastline with The Grand Finale. An excellent way to complete the walk while celebrating a big birthday!
Bikers also visit Islay, Russell being a perfect example with his weekend with the bikers. Just one problem and a hint for anyone thinking of getting help from The AA on Islay: Don't count on it, at least not quickly.
A lot of people visit Islay for some birdwatching, regular visitor Gordon Yates is having a good week with lots of sighting and successful filming.
Ian Brooke and his contributors from the Islay Birds had a great week: Early in the week they watched an Osprey catching and eating a fish. Then an update on Big Bird Brother and on Friday this young Lapwing chick.
John Armitage has now left Islay for a birdwatching trip around the UK and Poland (he's also coming to Berkshire, if anyone speaks to him tell him to contact me?). Before that he reported a temporary reduction in the number of birds and finding a Pied Wagtail nest.
Jeremy of Islay Birding News writes about Corncrakes and Whitethroats as well as Whimbrel and Arctic Terns. No Islay nature update this week on Ron's Weblog, as Ron is on holiday (on Islay obviously).
If you're a teacher and/or interested in learning what and how they use technology at Islay High School, Ian is posting a reminder of the Islay Open Day.
That's all I've got time for today, I need to get to bed to catch up on some sleep. But not before providing you with the weekly link to the Scottish Roundup for the bigger picture, this week with Bringing It On…
12/May/2008: Islay Blogging Roundup #32
Sunday, 11/May/2008
Islay Kayak Circumnavigation
That's a very busy weekend almost over. After two days of sorting out various administrative tasks and finally unpacking the remaining boxes in the new flat as well as cleaning the old flat I finally find some time to sit down and think about Islay blogging again. With a nice pint of Angus Og from Islay Ales and a bar of chocolate I think I'll send you out to look at a few interesting pictures and views of Islay.
Keith Robertson from Fachwen in Wales seems to be a quite active person, engaging in sea kayaking, rock climbing and cycling. Luckily for us he documents his activities with pictures, many of which you can see in his Flickr picture sets. Three in particular are of interest from an Islay and Jura point of view:
Islay May 2008 is probably the most interesting set (and the one through which I discovered his pictures). Over the last week Keith and his kayaking partner Anne Vowles (she features in a number of other sets) successfully circumnavigated Islay with their kayaks. They had quite a lot of excellent weather, some pictures look more Caribbean than Hebridean some might argue.
Two years ago their attempt to circumnavigate Islay was stopped by force 8 wind, but there are still a few nice pictures available in the Islay May 2006 set. I quite like the view from Texa over to Lagavulin (at least that's what I think it is).
Last but not least there is the Sound of Jura from June 2004. From Crinan they crossed the Sound of Jura, then followed the Jura coast down to the Sound of Islay. Here they ran out of time (they had planned to circumnavigate Jura) and returned across the Sound of Jura to Crinan.
PS: If you were expecting the Islay Blogging Roundup this evening I'm afraid I'll have to disappoint you until tomorrow. It got too late today to write it (takes a while to pull it all together), but I'm aiming to catch up on Monday. Good night for now.
11/May/2008: Islay Kayak Circumnavigation
Friday, 09/May/2008
Friday Islay Picture (57)
Slowly but surely I'm beginning to settle into a routine again, having blogged every day for almost a week now. It's a very nice evening here in Aldermaston, very mild and calm. Looking out of the window over the canal is very nice. Not much can beat that now, although I can think of several views on Islay which can. One of them is this weeks Friday Islay picture, it's a morning view rather than an evening view though:
This is obviously Machir Bay, taken in April this year. Machir Bay looked quite different to how I remembered it from my visit in October, the winter storms which battered Islay had quite an impact on the beach and the dunes this year.
One of the changes will be the topic of another blog entry which I'm hoping to post over the next few days. It will actually revisit a double Friday Islay picture I posted a while back. Not saying which one yet, but feel free to dig through last years archives if you're curious.
That should keep you busy for a while this weekend if you haven't got anything better to do. Either way, have a great weekend, whatever your plans are!
09/May/2008: Friday Islay Picture (57)
Thursday, 08/May/2008
The First Octomore is Being Bottled
The rumour has been out for a while, today it was made official: Islay's new peatiest whisky is being bottled today. Until now I believe that claim fell to Ardbeg, now the crown has passed on to Bruichladdich. Not only is this interesting from an Islay news point of view, it also has some significance for me personally:
I own one case of Octomore Futures.
While I didn't have the foresight to buy them as early as 2002 I was clever enough to snap up one of the last cases being sold of this first edition. I hadn't expected it to be bottled until earliest 2010 or even 2012, but Jim has decided it is ready now.
I'm not sure yet when I'll be on Islay next, latest in October but hopefully earlier. Assuming Bruichladdich agrees to it I'm planning to collect from the distillery, so in worst case I'll have to wait for another five months. Having waited for several years already and having expected to wait for a few years more a few more weeks or even months won't really make a difference.
Once I have it I'll follow up with some ‘tasting notes’...
08/May/2008: The First Octomore is Being Bottled
Wednesday, 07/May/2008
From Antarctica to Islay
For a change I'm going to send you away from Islay today. Although towards the end you can return to Islay. I think there might be a few bird- and/or sealwatchers among my readers and the blog I found today is probably of interest for them. It's the blog of Stephen Boulton, who just returned from an 18 months stay in Antarctica:
I'm not entirely sure what he did there exactly after my first quick scan of his blog, but he stayed at Rothera with the British Antarctic Survey. More importantly he documented his stay with many pictures in his blog Antarctic Adventure. You can see examples of some of the wildlife at Lagoon Island, watch Adelie Penguins on a glorious day or take a look at Crevasse Ice formations. There's much more (a lot I haven't seen myself yet), but those three pages should give you a flavour.
There is a link to Islay in all this though. Stephen is from Scotland and after his return his wife and kids went to Islay for a long weekend as his first holiday. A great way to celebrate the return to Scotland...
07/May/2008: From Antarctica to Islay
Tuesday, 06/May/2008
Probably not a Car for Islay's Roads
In yesterdays Islay Blogging Roundup I mentioned Tom Paine who fell in love with a Maserati Granturismo and took it to Islay recently. Now the roads on Islay are not exactly made for high performance sports cars, something I've mentioned previously. Tom described his experience on Islay this way:
The roads on Islay are built on the peat that flavours the local whiskies and in consequence rise and fall alarmingly. Given Vittoria's low ground clearance, and the locals' better knowledge of their terrain, I was cautious enough to have the humiliation of being overtaken by a landrover towing a trailer. I must finally be growing up, because I saw the joke. I hope the local farmer enjoyed telling the tale.
Earlier today, not long after mentioning the above episode to a colleague, I found this car (via Der Spiegel), which led to a few quick calculations. Apparently its top speed will be 420 km/h, which is 261 mph. At that speed it travels more than twice the length of an Olympic size swimming pool in a second. From my home to work would take less than 3 minutes. Driving from Aldermaston Wharf to Kennacraig (that's 506 miles) would take just under 2 hours (I know, just hypothetically) compared to the 9 hours Google Maps estimates.
But I feel it would be a bit misplaced on Islay: Apart from the problems it would have with the unfortunately often rather rough roads on Islay (I fear it would end like this poor car rather quick) it doesn't feel right for Islay. To me Islay has a more relaxed pace, even if there might be the occasional dash to catch a ferry in general people take their time. Considering that most whisky matures for 10+ years this is probably not very surprising, in such an environment you learn to wait. 0 to 60 in 2.5 seconds doesn't really get you anywhere (apart from the next pothole or ditch, probably).
However, the Islaymobile did a great job taking me around Islay recently. And doesn't it look great on Islay:
06/May/2008: Probably not a Car for Islay's Roads
Advertising
End of Advertising
Monday, 05/May/2008
Islay Blogging Roundup #31
The last Islay Blogging Roundup was almost exactly a month ago, I'll have to slowly ease back into the habit of collecting input and writing it weekly. This Bank Holiday Monday is a good time to start with it. Here are some of the blogs and blog entries about Islay and Jura I spotted over the last few weeks:
Let me start with the new ‘kid’ on the block: John Armitage recently started Islay Birder, the third birding and birdwatching blog from Islay. His latest entry is from today and describes a frustrating as well as very enjoyable day. Two weeks ago he wrote about territorial Hen Harries and young Ravens.
Not to be outdone Ian's Islay Birds recently celebrated its first birthday! Happy Birthday again! In addition there were Yellowhammers, a group of Whimbrel and most importantly news of the first Corncrake being heard for this year.
Jeremy Hastings has been busy as well, spotting Peregrine, Owls and Bats, spending seven days in the wilderness and watching Whooper Swans and Red Deer. More from him in Ron's Islay Nature Report 16 - Spring, Islay Nature Report 15 - Isle of Texa or Islay Nature Report 14 - Barn Owls.
Anyone who can understand Portuguese and help translating this?: Projecto Bico-vermelho: Os abrigos de Islay seems to be about Choughs and how to increase their numbers. It also mentions Islay, which is well known for its Chough population and the various efforts to help them find nesting places.
From birdwatching to other activities, let me start with sailing:
Dave and John are sailing round Britain and recently stopped in Port Ellen on Islay. They had arrived from Ireland earlier. They left Islay on a Speed run through the Sound of Islay to travel on to Mull.
Do I hear you asking for whisky? OK, whisky next:
The Bruichladdich Blog writes about the New Valinch and the first cask they ever filled which was for Ruari. Not to forget the continued fight against blanded whisky with 1100 Say No!
It took a while to make its way to Germany, but finally the Germans have picked it up: Trainspotting war gestern - Spot the whisky barrel! Now let's see if all those German engineers can crack it and calculate it correctly...
Simon Majumdar visited Islay last year to work at Kilchoman Distillery for a week. He wrote about it previously, somewhere in the archives you'll find the links. He has now revisited his visit and written another entry, Islay: Three Men and a Still.
From whisky to a bit of travel:
Tom Paine visited Islay in a high performance sports car, I'm not sure how much joy he had with it on Islay's roads. He mentions being overtaken by a Landrover towing a trailer though, picture of his car in this entry. A few pictures of the car and some of Islay at Journey's End.
The Ravenous Rambler wrote about a walk to the American monument on Islay and a visit to Jura. There's also a review of the Harbour Inn in Bowmore and a post about Whisky galore!
Tom from the ardblog is planning his next visit, among others he's planning to see Islay Oysters. In the meantime he's also watching Schleiereulen-TV auf Islay and declares Ich liebe Spar (in particular the ones on Islay).
I think with that I'll close the first roundup after starting it up again, there should be more next Sunday at the normal schedule. As usual also the link to the Scottish Roundup, this week with Tartan Special Goes Dutch Memorial Edition after last weeks There’s nothing like a lack of petrol to fuel the blogosphere. Thank you for your patience, I hope you enjoyed the return of the roundup and found something interesting.
05/May/2008: Islay Blogging Roundup #31
Sunday, 04/May/2008
Islay Ferry Rainbow
Let me start this entry with a big thank you to the man with the horsebox. I don't know how comfortable he is with seeing his name blasted out on the web, so for the time being he'll remain anonymus. Either way, he helped me to pretty much finish the move today by transporting my larger furniture from Swindon to Aldermaston in said horsebox. This means I now have my desk again with the full dual monitor setup and everything else I need for cask strength Islay blogging. Setting it all up took longer than I had expected, leaving only time for another Islay related picture instead of the Islay Blogging roundup I had hoped to write today:
Now this isn't a full rainbow, just a tiny fraction of a rainbow, but I still think it looks nice. This was just over two weeks ago, on the ferry from Islay to the mainland. I spotted tiny rainbows forming in the spray being blown up from the bow wave of the ferry. They only lasted for very short periods before disappearing again, only to be replaced by another mini rainbow. I took a number of pictures, this being one of the better results.
The picture doesn't fully reflect what I saw and felt, it is just the snapshot of a moment. Nevertheless I hope that it conveys a little of the atmosphere, the nice light combined with the brisk winds.
With that thought I'm off to bed, I'm quite tired after all that furniture carrying. Assuming everything goes to plan more Islay blogging tomorrow, most likely with an Islay Blogging roundup.
Good night!
04/May/2008: Islay Ferry Rainbow
Friday, 02/May/2008
Friday Colonsay, Jura and Islay Picture (56)
It's been a while since the last Friday Islay picture, so this one is a little bit special. It's not just one island on it, no, you get three for the price of one. Islay, Jura and Colonsay. As I'm enjoying a nice pint of 80/- Ale from the Colonsay Brewery while writing this entry I thought Colonsay should feature in some form and picked this picture:
This is actually on Colonsay, a view from Cnoc Eibriginn with the standing stone. Both Jura and Islay are visible on the horizon. The Strand below with the walkers on their way to it, as this was taken during the recent Islay walking week excursion to Colonsay.
From what I can remember from what James How told us the stone is a real standing stone, although it hasn't always been there. Apparently it used to stand somewhere else and was put on the top of the hill by an islander some time early last century (1930s?). If anyone knows or remembers more details please tell me and others in the comments!
With that plea I'll finish this entry, but not before wishing you a great weekend, whereever you are and whatever your plans are! Good night.
02/May/2008: Friday Colonsay, Jura and Islay Picture (56)
Wednesday, 30/Apr/2008
Islay Link Potpourri
Since yesterday I'm back on ‘proper broadband’ again, so proper Islay blogging can slowly start again (I still need to get my desk over into the new flat from the old flat, which I hope to do over the weekend). For today I thought I'll post a few Islay related links I collected over the last few weeks, from the news to the quirky, also a few Islay pictures thrown in. Here they are:
Some readers might remember the Rare Breeds on Islay entry from last year. While the Boss hogs cleaning up country hazards article in the Telegraph is mainly about a farm in Cambridgeshire, Dunlossit Estate on Islay also receives a good mention. Good explanation how useful these pigs are for clearing land from unwanted growth.
IslayIan mainly writes about technology and its use at Islay High School on Islay ICT. How about some science? Circus ferries scientific fun to the isles writes The Scotsman. An interesting read about a visit by Andy McGeoch and Caroline Chagaresango from the Glasgow Science Centre to Islay.
I'm told she was still driving a car at 103 years of age, Marjorie Macgown received quite a bit of coverage in the news when she passed away in a residential home in Bowmore in early April: The BBC writes 'Oldest' woman in Scotland dies while the Daily Record titles Scotland's oldest woman dies at 110.
A few Islay picture collections from Flickr: Mr_Chips has a few nice pictures mainly from the south of Islay, Port Ellen, the southern distilleries and The Oa. The Islay Trip, 5-6 April 2008 set includes several pictures from the bothy at Proaig. Neil F King in the meantime has posted quite a few pictures of Islay in 1988 and 1989, mainly of Port Askaig and the ferries.
That's all Islay links for today, I hope you found one or two of them interesting.
30/Apr/2008: Islay Link Potpourri
Monday, 28/Apr/2008
Islay, Jura and Gigha Cruise
The difficult task of slowly starting to blog again. I'm back in the UK now and need to settle into some kind of routine again after my mother passed away last week. There's still a lot to think about and the funeral to come in May, but I think she would have wanted me to continue now with blogging about Islay. She never visited Gigha (I've only been once so far myself), but knew Islay and to an extent Jura, so I wonder what she would have thought of this cruise:
On Saturday I watched a video Scotland cruise (via Neil McIntosh) at the Guardian about boat cruises in the Western Isles. Kevin Rushby went on a cruise on Loch Fyne with The Majestic Line and was very pleased. From Loch Fyne it isn't very far to Islay, so I thought I should take a look whether they also visit the waters around Islay and Jura.
They do. It's not cheap (I think) at almost £1,300, but their Heritage and Wildlife of Islay, Jura and Gigha 6-night cruise sounds quite nice. Their vessels are much smaller than normal cruise ships (they only have 6 cabins), so they can reach areas normal cruise ships can't. It doesn't really say how much time you actually get on each island, but I guess there will be enough time to see a few things and get a good first impression if you haven't visited previously. Alternatively I guess the slow pace of travel will be quite relaxing and travelling by sea will give many impressions you don't otherwise get.
A cruise is not something I'm personally planning any time soon, but I thought others might find it interesting. Who knows, I might find a cruise appealing myself at some point, then I know where to look.
28/Apr/2008: Islay, Jura and Gigha Cruise
Thursday, 24/Apr/2008
Good Bye Mutti
She didn't suffer. During Tuesday night my mother fell asleep and passed away. In the end it all happened quicker than we all, including my mother, had expected. I wasn't able to say good bye to her as I had thought, yet at the same time we had our good byes over the past months. She was first diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in September 2006, at first we thought we only had a few months left. Luckily we had much longer than we thought back then.
My mother shared my love of Islay with me (and my sister). She had always shown a lot of interest in our interests and activities and gave us a lot of support in them. When she retired in July 2003 from working as a primary school teacher I invited to a holiday in Scotland including a visit to Islay and she was hooked. So she returned in 2004 for the second WalkIslay walking week. It didn't work out during 2005 and 2006, so when the chemotherapy worked very well in late 2006 and early 2007 and the doctors gave their green light the four of us went on a family holiday on Islay in June. We went walking, we visited beaches and distillieries, we enjoyed good meals and the odd wee dram together. A holiday which gave her and us a lot, a lot of strength and a lot of great memories.
During that year my father also took my mother to Switzerland, they visited my sister in Heidelberg, they went away for a long weekend to Bielefeld for my mother's birthday, just to name a few activities they were still able to undertake. Thanks to the internet we could communicate a lot despite living quite far apart, occasionally having three way calls with my sister in Heidelberg, me in the UK and my mother in Bremen. We had a nice Christmas together with the whole family, the second after initially thinking we had at best one left. In short, we were able to do quite a lot in the time we had left.
In particular from late February this year her health really started to deteriorate, in March she went to hospital for treatment of some of the symptoms returning home in the second half of March. We even started to discuss possible plans for her to visit me in a new home near Reading, although we had to abandon those by the end of the month. In early April she encouraged me to go to Islay, to attend the walking week. It was important for her that I went, knowing how important the week is to me, so I don't regret going. We spoke on the phone several times while I was on Islay and we were planning my visit after my return. During the night before the day I was due to arrive, with her mind still strong and waiting for me, her body just couldn't hold out any more and she peacefully fell asleep. I've only just realised that I in a way was watching over her during her last few weeks and final moments. It might sound strange, but this somehow means something to me.
She will live on in my memory, the good times and bad times we've had together. The support she gave me during so many times in my life, at school, university and during my work life. I hope I've been a good son to her and gave something back to her, especially over the last year.
A number of people on Islay have known my mother from her visits, quite a few of her illness and have and given me as well as my father and sister a lot of support, I'd like to thank you all for the kind words and support. It's been a huge help during these difficult weeks and in particular now. I will take a break from blogging here for a few more days while remembering my mother, then slowly start returning to ‘normal’ as would have been my mothers wish. She used to read this blog as the first thing after switching on her computer every day.
Tuesday, 22/Apr/2008
Off to Germany
This is going to be a tricky post. It has almost nothing to do with Islay, but is more a personal post. Not one I was hoping to write on my birthday (yes, it's my birthday today, but that doesn't matter to me at all now), yet it is also in a sense very fitting to my birthday. Tomorrow morning I will board a plane to fly to Germany to visit my mother. I had only hinted about it in the blog so far, but it has now rather quicker than expected only last week reached a stage where I can't and don't want to hold back on it any more. My mother has terminal cancer and probably not long to live any more.
Nothing to do with Islay (apart from that my mother loves Islay as well and has visited Islay three times), but as I've said before this is my personal blog about Islay, there's a person, a human being writing this blog. Without my mother I wouldn't be here in the first place, without her support in so many things in my life I might not have discovered Islay or started to write about it. Partly through me but also through her own interest she discovered Islay for herself: After her first visit in summer 2003 she joined me on WalkIslay in April 2004 and then made her final visit last year in 2007.
So tomorrow I'm off to see her for a few days, in worst case for the last time. I hope to be with her again, in particular in the final moments, but then these things are impossible to plan. She is quite weak and needs a lot of rest, so she'll probably only be able to talk with me for relatively short periods. I hope I can show her my thanks and gratitude.
I might continue blogging during the periods where my mother is resting, I might not be able to. I might find it helpful to take my mind of things to write about something I (and my mother) love, I might not. I will only really know once I'm there. We have known since October 2006 when she was first diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, but it might only really hit me with its full force when I see her tomorrow.
There are quite a few people on Islay and elsewhere who know, thank you all very much for your encouragement and support. It is difficult to fully express my thanks, but it is really appreciated.
With hindsight I possibly should have visited her earlier and cancelled the visit to Islay last week, but then again she wouldn't have wanted that and it also looked still much better when I left for Islay just over a week ago. In a way the wonderful time I had (and could tell my mother about) combined with the encouragement from everyone I spoke with about my mother will help me to get through the next few weeks.
Thank you.
Monday, 21/Apr/2008
Impressions from WalkIslay 2008
After my return from Islay yesterday I promised you a few first impressions from the Islay walking week 2008. I didn't have much time to go through the pictures today, but managed to quickly pick seven pictures from almost all the walks I participated in on Islay, Jura and Colonsay. Let me start with a group picture from the Bruichladdich to Kilchoman (and return) walk:
Walking isn't always straightforward, occasionally there are obstacles to overcome like this barbed wire fence on one of the walks:
Not only humans like walking, on one of the walks a large number of sheep joined us for a while. Mark Unsworth tried to stop them. Or was he just taking pictures, as is his day job?
Climbing up the hills on Jura we had great views over the Sound of Jura to Kintyre and also the Isle of Arran in the distance:
On Colonsay we mostly walked on rather low ground, some would argue on the bottom of the Atlantic:
The highest point of the week saw some of us 491m (or thereabout) higher than on the previous picture, on Beinn Bheigier, the highest hill on Islay. It was unfortunately also the cloudiest, windiest and coldest walk of the week:
Finally another view of the Paps of Jura, this time from near Rhuvaal lighthouse. We had just left the lighthouse (where we had been invited to a cup of tea by Howard and Patricia) and were on our way to Bunnahabhain (where John and Lindy MacLellan were waiting with a wee dram for us):
That's all for now, hopefully more soon. Good Islay night.
21/Apr/2008: Impressions from WalkIslay 2008
Sunday, 20/Apr/2008
Return from Islay
Somehow this about sums it up: Yesterday afternoon I left Islay in the sunshine. This morning I left Scotland in the sunshine. This evening I returned to Reading in pouring rain (and I think I still detected a bit of the Euro-Whiff after all that fresh air on Islay).
It's too late to write much today and to select many pictures for a first overview of the Islay walking week 2008, but here's at least one I quickly picked for this evening:
In short: It was a fantastic week. I can't remember the exact numbers, but it was another record week in the number of walks completed. I met many old friends and got to meet a lot of new people I hope to see again. While most of the walkers were from the UK there were also visitors from Canada (even though she was born on Islay), Austria (well, kind of, similar to me she has lived in the UK for a very long time) and the Netherlands. We had almost perfect weather, only one walk was completed under clouds and a very cold wind. We walked on three islands, Islay, Jura and Colonsay (which is also the reason I picked the picture above).
Now it's back to the grind of every day life and work. But going through the pictures from Islay, Jura and Colonsay over the coming weeks and months will remind me of a great time and tide me over until the next visit to Islay.
I'm off to bed now, more tomorrow.
20/Apr/2008: Return from Islay
Friday, 11/Apr/2008
Arrival on Islay
Now I hadn't planned or expected to do this, but as I prefer looking at my latest Islay pictures to watching television and as I seem to get a surprisingly good signal here I thought I might as well post a quick entry that I've arrived on Islay this evening. The Islaymobile in connection with Calmac and the Highways Agency have done a great job and taken me to Islay without any major holdups (apart from a minor problem at the M74/M73 junction because of the roadworks).
This night I'm staying at The Meadows Guesthouse near Bridgend, where I arrived to a very warm and friendly welcome earlier this evening. Very nice views over to Loch Indaal from here on Claggan Farm. Weather permitting I need to take a few pictures tomorrow morning before I leave for the first walk. It could be a quite wet walk, not necessarily from above, but mainly from below. I was told this winter has been the wettest for 25 years. Fingers crossed my boots will be able to cope...
I've already met one walker I know from last year, she just came over from Glasgow on the same ferry (and we both filled up at the petrol station in Lochgilphead. That was quite expensive, I'm not keen on seeing the prices here on Islay tomorrow. They will be even dearer...). Hopefully there will be many more tomorrow as well as many new walkers. The ferry was quite full, so fingers crossed.
Good night, I need some sleep after a tiring journey.
