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Diluain, 02/May/2016
A belated WalkIslay 2016 report
It's loooooong overdue, having promised it for last weekend I finally get to it this bank holiday weekend. After returning from Islay I tried to capture a little bit of the walking magic and managed to get out every day both weekends, taking bird pictures, watching birds and bluebells and enjoying butterflies/moths in the spring sunshine. So what remains in memory from the Islay walking week 2016?
It was a great week again, apart from one or two grey days it was dry and often sunny most of the time. However, it was probably the coldest Islay walking week since it started back in 2003. There was a very cold, frequently northerly, wind blowing most of the time. But that didn't stop us enjoying some wonderful walks, starting on the Oa:
I participated in walks on four of the six days, taking a break for other things on two days. The highlight of the first walk was the visit to Eas Mòr waterfall at Lower Killeyan. The second walk took us into the hills behind Bridgend with some great views over Loch Indaal. The third walk was along the River Laggan and out to Laggan Point. This walk was a bit grey and drizzly, but still very enjoyable with interesting conversations and sights.
On one of my non-walking days it was calm enough to fly my DJI Phantom 3 drone. I decided to drive out to Lagavulin to fly near Dunyvaig Castle. While it was overcast I think I got some decent pictures and video, I will aim to edit the video over the coming months. This picture should give you a first impression of the views (also check this picture of Dunyvaig Castle and Lagavulin Distillery from the air):
On the other non-walking day I participated in an online tasting by Bruichladdich distillery, helping to post local imagery while enjoying some excellent new Islay Whisky expressions. A very enjoyable and tasty evening.
The last walk to Beinn Tart a'Mhill on the Rhinns of Islay unfortunately couldn't go ahead as planned, so we had to improvise and walk to Kilchiaran instead. Here we were treated to the sight of some impressive Highland cattle braving the strong and cold northerly wind. But then again another group of walkers was tackling the highest of the Paps of Jura in almost winterly conditions while we enjoyed the sunshine at Kilchiaran.
In summary it was a great week again, meeting old and new friends while enjoying walking in beautiful scenery. Many thanks to the organisers and walk leaders for making it such an enjoyable experience again. As usual I've taken plenty of pictures many of which will appear on the Islay Pictures photoblog over the coming weeks and months. I've brought home some great memories as well as whiskies from Laphroaig and Bruichladdich and beer from Islay Ales.
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