Islay

This article is about the island in Scotland. For the Peruvian province, see Islay Province.

Islay, a Scottish island, known as 'The Queen of the Hebrides,' is the southernmost island of the Inner Hebrides. It lies in Argyll just to the west of Jura and around 25 miles north of the Irish coast, which can be seen on a clear day. Islay is (pronounced ; in Gaelic Ìle or ee-luh). Islay natives are called "Ileach." The island's capital is Bowmore, famous for its distillery and distinctive round Kilarrow Parish Church. Port Ellen is the second largest settlement.

Islay has just over three thousand inhabitants. It has a total area of just over 600 square kilometres. Its main industries are malt whisky distilling, and tourism largely based on whisky and birdwatching.

The island is home to many bird species and is a popular destination throughout the year with bird watchers, notably in February to see a large colony of Barnacle Geese. Other bird visitors to the island include Chough, Hen Harrier, Oystercatcher, Cormorant and many wading birds.

The location of Islay, exposed to the full force of the Atlantic has led to it being the site of a pioneering Wave power station called Limpet.

The climate on Islay is often more clement than the Scottish mainland owing to the Gulf Stream. Some people consider Islay to be one of Scotland's most beautiful islands. Islay is commonly known as "God's country" due to its undeniable natural beauty.

Geography

The island's population is mainly centred around the villages of Bowmore, Port Ellen, and Port Charlotte. Other smaller villages include Portnahaven, Bridgend, and Port Askaig. The rest of the island is sparsely populated and mainly agricultural.

The southwestern end of the main body is a largely rocky region called The Oa. The western arm of the island is called the Rinns of Islay. There are several lochs on the island including Loch Finlaggan, Loch Gruinart, Loch Gorm, Loch Indaal, Loch Ballygrant and Loch Allan.

History

Islay's prehistory dates from the mesolithic period circa 8,000 BC (source: Museum of Islay Life) with well-established settlements by the Neolithic. Islay can claim evidence of continuous settlement for ten thousand years.

Recorded history begins with a document relating to St Columba (source: Finlaggan Trust) who probably passed through Islay on his way to establish the monastery on Iona in the sixth century.

From the 14th to the 16th centuries much of the west coast of Scotland was governed by the Lordship of the Isles from Finlaggan on Islay. The origins of the Lordship date back to the defeat of the Danes off the coast of Islay in 1156 by Somerled. The Finlaggan Trust deal with this period in detail and the Island is open to visitors daily. The Finlaggan Trust also have a visitor centre which is open on some days of the week. The popular British Channel 4 Time Team television series excavated on Finlaggan on the 24th, 25th, and 26th June 1994. The episode was first broadcast on 8 January 1995.

Starting in the 1830s, the population of the island began dropping from its peak of fifteen thousand as a result of the Highland Clearances (today's population is about three thousand). Most emmigrants from Islay made new homes in Ontario, Canada; the Carolinas in the United States; and Australia.

During World War II, the RAF built an airfield at Glenegedale which later became the civil airport for Islay. There was also a RAF flying boat base at Bowmore using Loch Indaal. There was a RAF Chain Home radar station at Saligo Bay and RAF Chain Home Low radar station at Kilchiaran which became a RAF ROTOR radar station in the 1950s.

Weather

The influence of the Gulf Stream keeps the climate extremely mild. Snow is rarely seen and frosts are light and short lived. One might expect therefore a gardener's paradise and indeed, it is not unusual to see exotic plants growing in gardens. However, the winter gales which sweep in off the Atlantic can make travelling and living on the island during the winter difficult, while ferry and air links to the mainland are frequently delayed. The weather tends to become more pleasant around Easter and the summer season then extends until well into September.

Weather statistics for Islay are tricky to obtain, but the Met Office have data back to 1928 for the neighbouring island of Tiree - the climate on Islay is not so different. The values are averages of all the records.

Month Rain Sun (mm) (hours)

Jan 126 39 Feb 84 68 Mar 84 112 Apr 66 170 May 56 225 Jun 67 198 Jul 83 160 Aug 92 162 Sep 120 122 Oct 135 81 Nov 127 48 Dec 127 31

Transport

Many of the roads on the island are single-track with passing places. The two main roads are the A846 from Ardbeg to Port Askaig via Port Ellen and Bowmore, and the A847 which runs down the east coast of the Rinns.

The island has its own airport (Glenegedale Airport) with services to and from Glasgow. There are regular ferry services to Port Ellen and Port Askaig from Kennacraig, taking about 2 hours. Services to Port Askaig also run on to Scalasaig on Colonsay and on to Oban on Wednesdays during the summer only. These services are run by Caledonian MacBrayne. There is also a ferry that runs from Port Askaig to Feolin on Jura.

Distilleries

Islay malt whisky is produced by seven distilleries on the island.

The distilleries on the south of the island produce whiskies with a very strong peaty flavour. From east to west they are Ardbeg, Lagavulin and Laphroaig. (Ardbeg and Laphroaig are considered to be among the most intensely flavoured of all whiskies). On the north of the island Bowmore, Bruichladdich, Bunnahabhain and Caol Ila are produced. These whiskies are substantially lighter in taste. There were more distilleries in the past: Port Ellen closed in 1983 while the Lochindaal in Port Charlotte closed as long ago as 1929. Little blending is done on the island though, since the takeover of Bruichladdich distillery by several private individuals, whisky is now blended and bottled there by Master Distiller James McEwan. Bruichladdich is also noteworthy as the only distillery which bottles its malts on Islay.

In 2005, a new micro-distillery opened at Rockside Farm. Named Kilchoman distillery, it officially opened in June, and distilled its first spirit in November. Sadly, the malting floor burned down in February 2006, but there is sufficient stock to continue production pending repairs.

Apart from the whisky there is now an original real ale from the Isle of Islay. The Islay Ales Brewery opened its doors on March 22nd 2004 and brews continuously seven different Real Ales ever since and every now and then (for the yearly Festival of Malt and Music) a Special. The Brewery is located on Islay House Square just outside Bridgend.

Fishing

Islay has some of the finest brown trout fishing in Europe. The imported rainbow trout have not been released on the island and the "brownies" still dominate the freshwater ecosystems. In 2003 the European Fishing competition was held on five of the lochs. Most of the estates organise fishing on the rivers and lochs and maintain the banks for fishing. Sea angling is also popular especially over the many wrecks around the coast.

Media

Islay featured in some of the scenes of the 1954 film, The Maggie.

In the 1990s the BBC adaptation of Para Handy was partly filmed in Port Charlotte and featured a race between the Vital Spark (Para Handy's puffer) and a rival puffer along the length of Lochindaal. Famously the primary school children were released from classes along the length of the Loch to watch the race.

For more than 25 years the Ileach (pronounced ) has been delivering news to the people of Islay every two weeks. This 28-page, A4-sized publication now has a circulation locally and worldwide of 3000 copies and is thought to have the greatest market penetration for its size of any British newspaper.

Famous natives of Islay

Islay's most famous son of recent times is George Robertson, the former secretary-general of NATO and former British Defence Secretary. In 1999 he was made Lord Robertson of Port Ellen. General Alexander McDougall, a figure in the American Revolution and the first president of the Bank of New York, was born in Islay in 1731.

The Islay-born Reverend Donald Caskie (1902-1983) became known as the "Tartan Pimpernel" for his exploits in France during World War II.

Glenn Campbell, Scottish political reporter for the BBC, was brought up on Islay and attended Islay High School where his performance in the annual pantomime is still remembered.

Churches

The Church of Scotland congregation of the Round Church parish includes the attractive woodland church of Kilmeny and is led by Rev. Paul Reid, a former airline pilot. The Church is round, legend has it, to leave no corner for the devil to hide in.

The Church of Scotland on the Rhinns of Islay is just outside the village of Port Charlotte, known as St. Keiran's it is led by the Rev. Steve Fulcher

Port Ellen Church of Scotland is led by Rev Norman McLeod.

In addition, there are several other lively and vibrant congregations on Islay. With premises in both Bowmore and Port Ellen, the single joint Baptist congregation is led by Rev Adam Plenderleith; meeting in the mornings in Port Ellen and in the evenings in Bowmore.

The Catholic Church and the Episcopal church share a building in Bridgend, meeting alternate weeks.

Many old church buildings on Islay are in an unroofed and ruined state; many have considerable historical interest dating from medieval times. The ruined church of Kildalton has one of the finest carved crosses in the world; dating to the 9th century, it is carved out of the local bluestone. Associated with many churces are mysterious cupstones which date to prehistory; these can be seen at Kilchoman church where the carved cross there is erected on one, at Kilchiaran church on the Rhinns and at other sites. Several more recently abandoned churches have been adapted as dwellings.

Gallery

Image:Wfm islay.jpg|Islay's central uplands, viewed from Kintra in the southwest Image:Wfm islay landsat.jpg|Landsat image of Islay Image:Portaskaig.jpg|Looking over to Jura from Port Askaig Image:Sunset4.jpg|Sunset over the Rinns of Islay from a Bowmore Garden Image:bridgendwoods.JPG|Bridgend woods in January 2006 Image:Port_Charlotte_-_Loch_Indall.JPG|Loch Indaal from Port Charlotte Image:The_Oa_Islay.JPG|View from the American Monument, The Oa

External links