IslayBlog.com -> 2009 -> Islay Blogging Roundup #79

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Sunday, 17/May/2009

Islay Blogging Roundup #79

Islay Blogging Roundup in stencil

So there we are, it's Sunday evening and it's time for this week's Islay Blogging Roundup. Having spent the afternoon working on yet another Islay Hotel in Port Ellen panorama (more about that tomorrow) I can now get back to what the blogs have been writing about Islay and Jura over the last week. Looks like there was quite a lot, let me start with the whisky this time (quite fittingly I'm enjoying a Bruichladdich Octomore Futures while writing this):

It's less than a week way away, so it's no surprise that the first entries about the Feis Ile - Islay Festival of Malt and Music start to show up: The Whisky Boys are going to the festival and are looking forward to it. Gordon is now on Twitter, not surprisingly under SpiritofIslay. And why? So that he can bore everyone rigid with reports from the Feis Ile.

Others are tasting whisky, like caskstrength.net tasting The Royal Choice (that's obviously Laphroaig) or the Scotch Hobbyist enjoying Port Ellen for the rest of us. Joan is introducing Destil•leries : Laphroaig. On the picture side Photogenic Scotland shows us Bunnahabhain.

On the Black Bottle Campervan Blog! (which is less campervan at the moment) Darroch is catching up on blogging and is asking for suggestions about the essence of the island (i.e. Islay). Ron picks up on the story of the Air Support for Ardbeg while the Bruichladdich Blog writes about Fred the Shred and Future Values (no, I'm not planning to sell any of mine).

How about some sport next?

The Islay Boys Football Club left Islay and went on to the IBFC Valencia Trip May 2009, sounds like they had a fantastic and memorable time. A Race Report of the Vango Scottish Ultra 2009 can be found on Multidays.com, another one on Cam Carter's 2009 Scottish Ultra Marathon Blog: Full race report 2009. And Chris stopped on Jura during the Scottish Islands Peaks Race for some running.

A bit of politics? I normally leave that to the Scottish Roundup, but there are two in a way involving Islay and Jura:

I think nobody in the UK will be unaware of the MPs' expenses scandal. Stephen Glenn goes on A Tour of Argyll and Bute Take Two to explain why Alan Reid needs to claim for overnight accommodation in his constituency, using a visit to Jura as an example to show how big and difficult to travel it is.

For Argyll points out that Europe takes notice of Argyll in renewable energies, but that there are some problems to overcome with among others Islay's link to the National Grid.

I've written about the Education 2020 Unconference on Islay on Thursday, since then I've also found two other mentions in the blogs: Education2020 - Islay, 12th June 2009 - 38minutes and A week on the stump… on Mimanifesto, Jaye’s weblog.

For the pictures let me start with Muasdale Holidays Reports: Islay Ferry on route to Kennacraig. Mirko Herzner is having a break on The Oa after some nice views of the American Monument. Ron has a picture of Killinallan Farm at Loch Gruinart with lots of daisis.

On Mark Unsworth Islay Photography Gallery we are treated to a Finlaggan Saltire. There's also a lovely cloud break and an aerial view of Lagavulin Distillery. Elliott has a picture of the M.V Viscount in Belfast Lough before her departure for Port Ellen. On my own Islay Pictures photoblog I think this week's favourites are Port Charlotte seen from Bowmore and Stone Skimming in Kilnaughton Bay, Isle of Islay.

Last but by no means least the bird- and wildlife watching:

The Islay Birds blog treats us to not only one picture of a Corncrake, no, there's a second picture of the rarely seen Corncrake. Ian and Margaret are getting quite good at taking rare pictures (remember the Gyr Falcon?)! Michal in the meantime took a nice picture of a pair of Treecreepers and even James How joined in with this great picture of a Whimbrel.

On Ron's Islay Weblog Jeremy provides all kind of facts about Gorse while Teresa Morris provides an update from her week on Islay with a video of a Lapwing chick. John Islay Birder Armitage reports of three Corncrakes locally (a record) and Goldfinches everywhere.

I think that's it for this week, I hope I haven't forgotten anything important. As usual the reference to the Scottish Roundup (even though I've already mentioned it earlier), which is running late today (meaning I can't link to this week's entry yet).

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