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Sunday, 15/Feb/2009
Islay Blogging Roundup #68
The Islay Whisky Honey Chocolate Truffles I made earlier today will have to wait, for now it's scones with clotted cream and Scottish raspberry jam while pulling together this week's Islay blogging roundup. I hope you had a good Valentine's weekend and didn't end up giving each other the same Valentine card as can happen if you live on Islay. So what about Islay, Jura and Colonsay on the blogs and Twitter last week?
Let me start with Islay shipping, Elliott and Graham have a few interesting pictures this week: To start with the M.V Vermland, which goes round the fish farms in Scotland. Followed by news from the Islay Ferry Service, the Hebridean Isles having technical problems. Finally a mixture of ships, incl the MV Polar Star.
Now I have to return to the Islay Whisky Honey Chocolate Truffles for a moment. When I mentioned that I was making them again and reported the progress there was some reaction from Germany: Some thought the recipe looks great and others asked for pictures. Well, that's a picture on the left, all 51 of the truffles with the Islay part of the ingredients. Laphroaig and Heather Honey from R Ferguson in Portnahaven. Talking of whisky:
On John Hansell's What Does John Know? we find a Guest Blogger: Willie Tait from Isle of Jura. He brings a competition where you can win the new Jura collection by guessing the name right. I've put some ideas in, so far I've got ‘Jura Poetry’, ‘Jura Writings’, ‘Jura Seasons’ and ‘Jura Jottings’. May be you've got a better one?
On the Bruichladdich Blog we learn about the Distillers’ March and Islay’s Duty. There's also a very interesting read about The Chemistry behind Whisky and Water on why it makes sense to put water into your whisky. Rob the Whisky Guy says Welcome to the Family, an interesting post about why people matter.
Tom of the ardblog points out that buying whisky at an auction site isn't necessarily the best deal and has a new Whiskybilder picture gallery. The other Tom writes about The Life and Times of Casks, not directly an Islay entry but there are a Islay references.
Over the sea on Colonsay the Colonsay Brewery Blog is back with the lazy blogger having a new target. They are ramping up production for the coming season.
From whisky and beer to birdwatching:
On the Islay Birds blog we get treated to some more great bird pictures from Michal: In the previous roundup I already mentioned the Robin defending its patch from a Pied Wagtail, this week we get to see the follow up image (follow the link to see who wins). There's also a Treecreeper to be seen as well as some Brown Hares from Ian. Oh, and the Fulmars are back in. Regular readers will know what that means.
John Islay Birder Armitage ponders the future of his blog after earlier in the week reporting of excellent birdwatching conditions and geese counts. Away from the birding he discovered an excellent book in the library van.
Jeremy Hastings points out the difference between expectations and reality with some interesting thoughts in his Islay Nature Report 15 February - Weather on Ron's Islay Weblog. On his own Twitter account I spotted news of cracking mornings as well as pouring rain.
In other news Ron answers the question What happened to The Sound of Islay Ferry and highlights the new Website for the Mactaggart Leisure Centre. The For Argyll site bring the news that the Islay Energy Trust partners Scottish Power Renewables in Sound of Islay tidal energy project (how's that for a long title?). Debbie reports the regular VCd'A visit and is annoyed (?) that the coffee cards are finished again.
Last but not least the pictures:
On Mark's Islay Photography Gallery I think the picture of the week is Loch Siob and the Paps of Jura, closely followed by Mist at Ardnahoe. Oh, and the Snow on the Paps of Jura. Of Ewan's Islay Photos I quite like the Kiln at Laphroaig Distillery and the Loch Indaal Sunset Panorama.
Mirko is starting his journey back to Islay from Jura, Isle of Jura: Back to the Ferry (1), after leaving Jura House Gardens having visited the walled garden. Photogenic Scotland also returns to Islay with Finlaggan I and Finlaggan II.
Looking at Ron's Islay Pictures Blog we find Heatherhouse Caol Ila and Paps of Jura and the Arrival of the Geese at Loch Indaal Islay. From my own Islay Pictures photoblog my favourites this week were the Dramatic Clouds over Islay and the Ardtalla shoreline in the south east of Islay.
With that I close this week's Islay, Jura and Colonsay blogging roundup. But not before the traditional link to the Scottish Roundup, this week with Old Taxes and New Ministers. Good night!
PS: yes, dessert will be a wee dram of Laphroaig and one or two Islay Whisky Honey Chocolate Truffles.
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