http://www.islayblog.com/ IslayBlog.com, a blog about the Isle of Islay, an island in the Inner Hebrides off the west coast of Scotland. Links, news and pictures from Islay. en-gb Copyright 2012, Armin Grewe armin@islayblog.com (Armin Grewe) Wed, 16 May 2012 20:58:00 GMT http://www.islayblog.com/images/islayrss.gif http://www.islayblog.com/ 140 70 http://www.islayblog.com/2012entries/20120516-ralfy-laphroaig-10yo.shtml It took him quite some time to get to it, considering it's such a standard whisky. But a few days ago Ralfy finally got round to review the Laphroaig 10yo Islay single malt whisky (having reviewed most of the other expressions previously). Here's his review, including a few other thoughts about Islay and its whiskies: [Watch Ralfy's review of the Laphroaig 10yo in the full entry, then leave your comments and thoughts] Wed, 16 May 2012 20:58:00 GMT http://www.islayblog.com/2012entries/20120516-ralfy-laphroaig-10yo.shtml Armin Grewe http://www.islayblog.com/2012entries/20120515-new-pano-north.shtml Took slightly longer than I had hoped (it's rapidly approaching my bedtime), but I managed to complete another Islay panorama this evening: Again it is from one of the walks during the WalkIslay 2012 walking week. After the southern skerries last week I'm taking you to the other end of the island this time, to the far north near Bholsa: [View the preview, find the link to the real thing and read more about my latest Islay panorama in the full entry, then leave your comments and thoughts] Tue, 15 May 2012 21:11:00 GMT http://www.islayblog.com/2012entries/20120515-new-pano-north.shtml Armin Grewe http://www.islayblog.com/2012entries/20120514-pool-playing-dog.shtml Is it something in the air on Islay? Or in the whisky? There seem to be quite a few rather clever dogs on Islay. You might remember the dog serving whisky on Islay and Jura I mentioned recently. Meet Suzie, who seems to have developed an interest in playing pool: [Watch the video of the pool playing dog in the White Hart Hotel in the full entry, then leave your comments and thoughts] Mon, 14 May 2012 20:50:00 GMT http://www.islayblog.com/2012entries/20120514-pool-playing-dog.shtml Armin Grewe http://www.islayblog.com/2012entries/20120513-roundup211.shtml Well, that's a fairly nice weekend in Aldermaston Wharf over, got out a bit with some Apple Blossom in West Berkshire, watching a Rook vs. a Red Kite over Aldermaston Wharf and even spent some time looking up Trees. With the Islay Festival only two weeks away now surely some warmer weather can't be far off now? Anyway, now it's time for what the blogs had to say about Islay, Jura, Gigha and Colonsay this week: [Read more about Islay and its neighbours in the blogs this week in the full entry, then leave your comments and thoughts] Sun, 13 May 2012 21:40:00 GMT http://www.islayblog.com/2012entries/20120513-roundup211.shtml Armin Grewe http://www.islayblog.com/2012entries/20120512-corncrake-video.shtml Earlier today I had a brief conversation with Colin from Mull and RSPB Islay and Colonsay about Corncrakes on Islay and Colonsay this year. Yesterday Ian mentioned hearing a Corncrake but failing to see it. As far as I can remember I've only seen a Corncrake once (in June last year) even though I've heard one dozens and dozens of times. So I had a look to see what I can find on the interweb. While it was not filmed on Islay it's a great video of a Corncrake, we even get to see it calling: [Watch a great video of a Corncrake (I believe somewhere in Russia) to be prepared for spotting one on Islay in the full entry, then leave your comments and thoughts] Sat, 12 May 2012 19:58:00 GMT http://www.islayblog.com/2012entries/20120512-corncrake-video.shtml Armin Grewe http://www.islayblog.com/2012entries/20120511-friday239.shtml For a change a sunny Friday evening in Aldermaston Wharf, a good excuse to be late with this week's Friday Islay picture. At last week's Friday Islay picture I hinted at a new themed week on the Islay Pictures photoblog. Together with my latest Islay panorama I went for the southern skerries: [View this week's Friday Islay picture of the southern skerries in the full entry, then leave your comments and thoughts] Fri, 11 May 2012 22:30:00 GMT http://www.islayblog.com/2012entries/20120511-friday239.shtml Armin Grewe http://www.islayblog.com/2012entries/20120510-islay-wildlife-pictures.shtml Some very nice wildlife pictures from Islay for you to enjoy this evening. If I remember the sequence of events correctly this great picture of an Otter was the first one I spotted earlier this evening. Taking a closer look at sjdugdale1's flickr photostream I soon discovered there was quite a lot more to see: [Find the links to more beautiful Islay wildlife pictures in the full entry, then leave your comments and thoughts] Thu, 10 May 2012 20:38:00 GMT http://www.islayblog.com/2012entries/20120510-islay-wildlife-pictures.shtml Armin Grewe http://www.islayblog.com/2012entries/20120509-pronounce-bruichladdich.shtml Just a very short video tonight, but then again it might be helpful to a few people wondering how to pronounce the name of one of Islay's distilleries. The distillery in question is obviously Bruichladdich (otherwise the headline wouldn't make any sense) and this, according to Ruaraidh McLeod, is how you should pronounce it: [Watch Ruaraidh pronounce Bruichladdich in the full entry, then leave your comments and thoughts] Wed, 09 May 2012 23:28:00 GMT http://www.islayblog.com/2012entries/20120509-pronounce-bruichladdich.shtml Armin Grewe http://www.islayblog.com/2012entries/20120508-flight-west-coast-jura.shtml Time for a visit to Islay's neighbour Jura today for some quite amazing views, I think. Views of a part of Jura not many of us get to see directly, certainly not from this perspective. It's a flight with what I believe to be a microlight along the west coast of Jura: [Watch the video and help identifying locations in the full entry, then leave your comments and thoughts] Tue, 08 May 2012 20:29:00 GMT http://www.islayblog.com/2012entries/20120508-flight-west-coast-jura.shtml Armin Grewe http://www.islayblog.com/2012entries/20120507-new-pano-skerries.shtml Time for a shameless plug again. While I didn't make as much progress on the Islay video I'm working on as I had hoped I did complete something else. I quite like panoramas for the wide view of an area they can provide, especially when the view is like the one we had on the south coast of Islay during WalkIslay 2012 in April: [Read more about my latest Islay panorama and find the link to the real thing in the full entry, then leave your comments and thoughts] Mon, 07 May 2012 21:13:00 GMT http://www.islayblog.com/2012entries/20120507-new-pano-skerries.shtml Armin Grewe