#kildalton

[thecozycuttlefish]

I have been very busy crafting.

I also adopted a new dog, so if you want to see my dog, go look at my post.

[theirishaesthete]

Let us Leave Something to Testify that we have Lived

Originally from Cumberland, Sir John Ponsonby came to Ireland in the early 1650s and was appointed a commissioner for taking the depositions of Protestants concerning murders said to have been committed during the Confederate Wars: as a reward for his labours, he was granted a large parcel of forfeited lands at Kildalton, County Kilkenny. These had previously belonged to the Anglo-Norman D’Alton…

[celtfather]

The Minstrel Boy with Jesse Ferguson #696

Interview with Jesse Ferguson about traditional Irish songs on the Irish & Celtic Music Podcast #696. Subscribe now!

Jesse Ferguson, Juha  Rossi, The Byrne Brothers, Spoil the Dance, Telenn Tri, Fig for a Kiss, Mànran, Jigjam, Ironwood, Reilly, Misty Posey

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VOTE IN THE CELTIC TOP 20 FOR 2025

This is our way of finding the best songs and artists each year. You can vote for as many songs and tunes that inspire you in each episode. Your vote helps me create this year's Best Celtic music of 2025 episode. You have just three weeks to vote this year. Vote Now!

You can follow our playlist on Spotify and YouTube to listen to those top voted tracks as they are added every 2 - 3 weeks.

THIS WEEK IN CELTIC MUSIC

0:02 - Intro: Jesse Ferguson

0:11 - Juha  Rossi "Spotted Dog / Kataroni" from Irish Tunes on Mandolin

2:44 - WELCOME

5:33 - The Byrne Brothers "Trilogy" from The Boys of Doorin

10:25 - Spoil the Dance "The Maid on the Shore" from The Maid on the Shore  -  Single

14:52 - Telenn Tri "Mountain Road set" from The Cat's Meow

20:18 - Fig for a Kiss "Kildalton Bridge" from Wherever You Go

25:44 - FEEDBACK

29:47 - INTERVIEW WITH JESSE FERGUSON

30:38 - INTRO / THE MINSTREL BOY

34:07 - Jesse Ferguson “The Minstrel Boy” from TEN

36:23 - NEW ALBUM / DANNY BOY

40:05 - Jesse Ferguson “Danny Boy” from TEN

42:58 - YOUTUBE / FAIR AND TENDER LADIES

48:22 - Jesse Ferguson “Fair and Tender Ladies” from TEN

51:44 - THANKS

54:35 - The Stubby Shillelaghs “The Vodka Song” from Whiskey Business

56:48 - Mànran "San Cristóbal" from Ùrar

1:00:24 - Jigjam "Water's Hill" from Across The Pond

1:04:10 - Ironwood "Trip to Goa" from Gretna Green

1:07:09 - Reilly "Whiskey Grease" from Durty Pool

1:09:51 - CLOSING

1:11:06 - Misty Posey "Auld Lang Syne" from Celtic Voice of the Ancients

1:15:43 - CREDITS

The Irish & Celtic Music Podcast was produced by Marc Gunn, The Celtfather and our Patrons on Patreon. The show was edited by Mitchell Petersen with Graphics by Miranda Nelson Designs. Visit our website to follow the show. You’ll find links to all of the artists played in this episode.

Todd Wiley is the editor of the Celtic Music Magazine. Subscribe to get 34 Celtic MP3s for Free. Plus, you’ll get 7 weekly news items about what’s happening with Celtic music and culture online. Best of all, you will connect with your Celtic heritage.

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WELCOME THE IRISH & CELTIC MUSIC PODCAST

* Helping you celebrate Celtic culture through music. I am Marc Gunn. I’m a Celtic musician and host of Folk Songs & Stories. This podcast is for fans of Celtic music.

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THANK YOU PATRONS OF THE PODCAST!

I am blown away by your generosity. You are why I keep sharing new episodes four times per month. You’re also how I am able to do that.

Your kindness pays for our engineer, graphic designer, Celtic Music Magazine editor, and promotion of the podcast. Your kindness allows me to buy the music I play here. It also pays for my time creating the show each and every week.

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A special thanks to our Celtic Legends: Rick Boyce, Bruce, Daniel Ide, Brian McReynolds, Marti Meyers, Alan Schindler, Karen Harris, Margreta Silverstone, Emma Bartholomew, Dan mcDade, Gerald F Boyle, Miranda Nelson, Nancie Barnett, Kevin Long, Gary R Hook, Lynda MacNeil, John Sharkey White, II, Kelly Garrod, Mike Schock, Annie Lorkowski, Shawn Cali

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TRAVEL WITH CELTIC INVASION VACATIONS

Every year, I take a small group of Celtic music fans on the relaxing adventure of a lifetime. We don't see everything. Instead, we stay in one area. We get to know the region through its culture, history, and legends. You can join us with an auditory and visual adventure through podcasts and videos.

In 2025, we’re going to the Celtic nation of Galicia in Spain. We’re gonna learn about the history and legends behind the Celts there and experience some amazing Galician Celtic music.

Learn more about the invasion at http://celticinvasion.com/

#celticmusic #irishmusic #celticmusicpodcast

I WANT YOUR FEEDBACK

What are you doing today while listening to the podcast? I’d love to see a  picture of what you're doing while listening. Is there a new Celtic CD or Celtic band that you heard of or saw? Send a picture.

Email me at follow@bestcelticmusic.

Peter Wood emailed about Stubby Shillelaghs: "Hi Mark,

I wrote a few years ago about playing the show with my wife in the car on dates and on our wedding day, and now we are expecting our first child. We don't listen to the show together much anymore, but when we go to the Renaissance Faire we played it (just missed you again!) and I put it on when we went for a swim on a summer evening when she wanted music without getting interrupted by YouTube Music ads. Since this year's Renaissance festival she's asked a few times for Tartanic when she's been in the mood for "my" music.

Recently I was listening to a different podcast that plays novelty songs around a theme (Bitslap with KBC if you're curious), and the theme of the week was Drinking, so of course some Celtic - sounding music came up, and for part of a set I thought I was listening to your show!

Of the two songs in particular that got me confused, the first was the Vodka Song by Stubby Shillelaghs (https://youtu.be/h9YRbJSbPw0) which I'm unsure if it or the band have ever been played on your show.

It was followed by Sober on St. Patrick's Day, and at first I thought I might have heard it on your show, but then when it got going I realized it wouldn't have fit in on your family friendly show. Turns out it's by Psychostick. I know you've got ties to the FuMP collective so you're probably already aware of it.

The Vodka Song at least would be a fun one to play if you've got the permission."

Patrick Rieger emailed photos from Ohio Renaissance Festival: "Hi Marc,

My family and I, along with our friend Chenna from Nashville, spent Labor Day Weekend at the Ohio Renaissance Festival, three days of faire. Ohio is a big faire with plenty of celtic musicians, but even with three days we didn't see them all.

We did see Captain John Stout (aka Richard Brentar), Donal Hinely, The Harper and the Minstrel, The Toasted Clover, The Jackdaws, Bettina Baudville, Seán Nós, and The Lady Victoria.

I had never heard of a nose harmonica until I met Bettina Baudville; that is what she is playing in the photo.

Also I never heard celtic music played on a ukulele until I met The Toasted Clover.

Donal Hinely was featured on the Renaissance Festival Podcast years ago when you were still a host, but until this year I had not seen or heard him in person."

Despite three long days of working the faire, Victoria was able to join us for a quick dinner one night.

And before the weekend was done, the four of us already planned to go back next year."

  Check out this episode!

[julianworker]

Islay - Three Distilleries Way

The three distilleries way is a footpath that heads eastwards from Port Ellen to the Laphroaig, Lagavulin, and Ardbeg distilleries. A brand new distillery is being built between Laphroaig and Port Ellen and Diageo are intending to re-open the old Port Ellen distillery in the near future. The footpath doesn’t go to the Kildalton Cross. Instead, pedestrians have to risk walking along the road.

[maltrunners]

Kildalton 9 Year (2008) Meadowside Blending and Ardbeg That Boutique-y Whisky Company Batch #4

Review by: ZoidbergOnTheRocks Continuing my quest to finish reviewing all the Ardbeg I have available, today I wanted to take a little break from distillery bottlings, so here’s two young IBs. The first doesn’t actually say Ardbeg, but the “Kildalton” gives it away. The second is a nice batch of Ardbeg from That Boutique-y Whisky Company which I recall liking quite a lot on first tasting. We’ll…

[180abroad]

Islay--on the low hills near Kildalton, looking out toward the southeast coast of Islay. (July 21, 2018)

[grabmal]

Tomb von Neil Wilkie Über Flickr: A tomb inside Kildalton Chapel.

[diaryofanequinekid]

A Day in the Life of a Kildalton Student during Covid

Gwen Browne is a 20 year old Stud Management Student from Co. Carlow.

Like everyone this year, life had become a bit of a mess due to the pandemic. I  had plans early on in the year to travel and work abroad but Covid quickly put an end to those ideas. I decided it would be best to try and get an education and horses being my work and passion, Kildalton seemed the most obvious choice.

Due to the current circumstances first years now take two weeks of online classes at home and one week of practicals in Kildalton to ensure social distancing and all the rest.

A typical Thursday of online classes and work,

I wake at 7:15am and get ready for work- I’m very lucky as there’s a point to point yard five minutes from my house and I’ve been riding out there for quite a while. I arrive in at 7:50 and depending on what’s done- feed one of the small barns. When everything is fed we start riding out -this is usually around 8am. By this time the first lot has already been on the walker so we tack them up and head up to the gallops. If we are quick I usually get 2 lots in before heading back home to  get settled in for a morning of online classes. 

Our first class of the day is Stable and Yard Routine , at the moment we are going through feeding. I love this and I personally think its one of the most important areas to understand when training an elite horse. The last few classes have been going through different ways of working out how much feed a horse should get due to factors like work and temperament. This week we were put into groups to work out the correct feed for a horse of a particular weight, height, in a set amount of work. Finally something that we can use our maths from school for! 

Then a quick break where I grabbed something to eat and back to our second and final class of the day, Anatomy and Physiology. Thursdays are probably my favourite classes I find them the most interesting, useful and relevant to real life. In A and P we started on muscles, the types and how they work. Our lecturers, like us are only getting used to all this online stuff as well and do a good job keeping us focused and using different ways to replicate being in a classroom, such as doing break out rooms, groupwork etc..When we were learning about the skeleton we painted some of the bones onto the horses and also did a mural on the stable walls to make it easier to remember! 

  When online classes are finished I get ready to go again, I’m very lucky there is a good few local yards around me that I go to during the week and work around my online classes and then at the weekend I ride out in Jessica Harrington’s. The second yard of the day is a dual-purpose one about 15 minutes from home, I arrive just after 1 and we get started straight away. I’d usually ride out 3 or 4 lots here - the amount we do depends on the horse and their fitness. When we’re finished riding out I help out doing odd jobs and bringing horses in from the field getting them ready for the night. On my way home I pop into my own horse who’s a retired pointer enjoying an easy life, some days I bring him for a hack but the weather wasn’t great so I said I’d leave him with a few carrots instead! I get home around 6 most evenings usually after riding out 5 or 6 horses on a quiet day. 

The hardest thing about lockdown life is not being able to go out and socialise so I’m so grateful for my work as I’m doing what I love and getting to go out and meet people. I’d chill out for a bit when I get home and depending on assignments and classwork I’ll go do a bit of college work.

Gwen is  pictured here leading up Jungle Junction at Leopardstown 

[centerforcreativework]

A Drinking Man Arrives On Islay, Has A Pour Of Lagavulin, Watches Sea and Stone, Looks At A Thistle And Listens To Robert Fripp's "Abandonment To Divine Providence."

A Drinking Man Arrives On Islay, Has A Pour Of Lagavulin, Watches Sea and Stone, Looks At A Thistle And Listens To Robert Fripp’s “Abandonment To Divine Providence.”

Water, grass, thistle and stones.  Rocks.  Arriving on Islay means close quarters with quartzite, limestone, slate and shale with many cresting intrusions called sills of metamorphic rock abundant through the southeastern part the island known as Kildalton.  As Andrew Jefford writes (and I’ll return to his wonderful prose often from Peat Smoke And Spirit)

. . . the minerals that form most of…

[thecozycuttlefish]

I finished knitting a cabled cardigan. The pattern is Kildalton by Kate Davies. The yarn is Josef and Anni from Abundant Earth Fibers in the pepper colorway.

I prefer to knit top down sweaters and this pattern is bottom up, but it was so well written. I absolutely love how this sweater turned out.

Of course, I immediately cast on another sweater. It's lace weight, and I will probably have regrets later.

I also found out my dog's genetic makeup, so that's fun.

[thebowmorehouse]

Beautiful morning at #kildalton cross #Islay (at Kildalton Cross)

[spottinghistory]

Historic site of the week: Kildalton Cross

Historic site of the week: Kildalton Cross is a monolithic Celtic high cross in Islay, Scotland. It was carved probably in the second half of the 8th century AD, and is closely related to crosses of similar date on Iona. It is often considered the finest surviving Celtic cross in Scotland, and is certainly one of the most perfect monuments of its date to survive on western Europe.

[scotch]

A quick stop at the Kildalton High Cross

[180abroad]

Days 132-134: Whisky and Wonder (Bunnahabhain, Jura, and Caol Ila)

Our next two days on Islay proceeded at a slightly more relaxed paced. We'd already accomplished most of our big goals, and much of our time was spent cruising around the island in our rental car to see what we could see. And by the end, we managed to see the last three distilleries on our checklist, as well as two of Islay's most historic sights.

The first day was spent exploring the eastern coast of Islay and the neighboring island of Jura.

On the way up to Bunnahabhain, Islay's most remote distillery, we stopped at the site of the future Ardnahoe distillery, which is still under construction. There wasn't much to see of the distillery, but a walk along its outskirts lead to a spectacular view of Jura and the Sound of Islay.

After taking it all in, we trekked back to the car and continued on our way to Bunnahabhain.

Bunnahabhain ("BOO-nuh-HAH-ven") is so remote that it wasn't even accessible by land until 1960. For the first eighty years of its existence, the distillery could only be reached by boat, and it was basically a village unto itself.

The distillery takes pride in its maritime history, and it's whiskies are dominated by sea-salt rather than peat smoke. They had a tasting menu of specific flights, but we opted for sample bottles, which you could buy for any whisky they had on sale. If there weren't any sample bottles on the shelf, they would pour you one on the spot. We would have to wait until that night to taste them, but I won't make you wait for our notes.

Stiuireadair: A sherried, unpeated whisky, this one was smooth with vanilla and salty notes, but no smoke. Adding a drop of water brought out delicious flavors of oak, vanilla spice, and caramel apple.

An Cladach: Another sherried, unpeated whisky, this one was creamy and spicy, but it also had a strong alcohol burn. Adding a drop of water brought out green apple and cinnamon notes with a salty after taste. It was nice, but we enjoyed the Stiuireadair better.

Toiteach A Dha: A peated whisky, this one was smoky and medicinal with a long-lingering finish. Adding a drop of water brought out more wood and tempered the medicinal notes, making it much more pleasant but still not a favorite.

Ceobanach: Another peated whisky, this one was salty and smoky with a long, warming aftertaste. Adding a drop of water brought out more peat smoke. It was pretty good, but I think Laphroaig Quarter Cask is a similar whisky that I enjoy more.

Our runaway surprise favorite was Stiuireadair with a drop of water. All of the Bunnahabhain whiskies we tried had an unusually strong salt flavor that we didn't experience at any other distilleries, and they all benefited greatly from adding a drop of water.

They also had a tray of complimentary whisky fudge. It was tasty, but it had a much stronger whisky flavor that I was expecting.

Overall, the place was very charming and atmospheric. When we asked for a restroom, we were told to just let ourselves into the main office building and head upstairs for the office bathroom. We'd love to come back someday and do a proper tour, but for now we had a ferry to catch.

We pulled into Port Askaig just as the ferry was pulling out, so we had about an hour to entertain ourselves before the next sailing. Besides Port Ellen, Port Askaig is the other village you can get dropped off at by the ferry from the mainland. It turns out that Port Askaig is little more than a port, a hotel, and a small convenience store, so we were all the happier about our choice to land and stay in Port Ellen.

Once we were aboard, the trip across the sound only took five minutes or so. We weren't asked to pay until we were underway, and it turned out that the ferrymen only took cash. We had just enough on hand, but we were a little concerned what might have happened if we hadn't.

Compared to Islay, Jura is even more desolate and rugged. It is a little over half the size of Islay, only about 200 people live there, mostly in the island's one village of Craighouse. A single one-track road runs along the southern and eastern coastline. Its official name is the A846, but the locals just call it "the road."

Jura's most famous resident was George Orwell, who spent much of his final years living anonymously in a small farmhouse, where he finished Nineteen Eighty-Four.

But our reason for coming was the whisky.

There was a solitary young woman running the shop when we went in. She seemed a little perplexed at first by our request to do a tasting without having booked a tour first, but she kindly offered us a complimentary taste of up to three whiskies each.

As we'd learned from our bartender at the Whisky Experience in Edinburgh, Jura is a distillery in transition. Until recently, they've been making fiery, Islands-style whiskies with Egyptian iconography in their logos and names like Prophecy and Superstition (which we'd tried in Edinburgh). Now, though, they're working to reinvent themselves as more serious distillery with a unique and distinctive profile.

Here are the Jura whiskies we tried:

Journey: This is Jura's take on a young and citrusy whisky. It wasn't bad, but definitely had the harsher alcohol burn of whisky that hasn't been aged enough yet.

12 Year Old: Lightly smoked and aged in a mix of sherry and bourbon casks, Jura 12 is tasty and well-balanced, but there are so many flavors that none really stood out in particular.

Seven Wood: This is one we tasted back in Edinburgh. As the name implies, it is a mixture of whiskies aged in seven different types of casks. The result is a sweet and spicy whisky that we dubbed "flaming cotton candy." This one was easily my favorite, but it was too sweet for Dad and Jessica.

Sound and Road: These two similar whiskies are part of Jura's "travel exclusive" collection, available only at the distillery and various duty-free travel shops. They were smoky and spicy with a distinctive sherry influence. Dad and Jessica liked them, but they had a bit of a funk that turned me off.

Prophecy: This whisky was smooth, smoky, and fantastic. Sadly, it's part of the distillery's old lineup and on its way out.

Superstition: This is another one that we tried back in Edinburgh. It was smoky like the Prophecy, but we found it much harsher and fierier.

Overall, if you like sweet Scotches, I'd definitely recommend trying the Seven Wood. Otherwise, this is a distillery to wait and see what happens as it reinvents itself in the coming years.

After a nice lunch at the local pub, we raced back to the ferry. There were plenty of ferries we could catch afterward, but I was eager to get to Finlagan, one of the most important historical sites on Islay, before the visitor center and museum closed.

But as it turned out, the place was closed for the day to host a wedding. The happy couple was getting their photos taken amidst the ruins when we arrived, so we decided to leave and come back the next day.

That gave us time to head down to the southeastern corner of Islay and visit Kildalton, home to the best-preserved medieval cross in all of Scotland. It doesn't seem to have as many pictographic elements as other Celtic crosses, but the ornamental motifs are impressively detailed and stand out from the plane of the cross in dramatic relief.

The ruined church is melancholically picturesque in its own right, with some interesting old grave markers depicting medieval knights.

A short walk from the church is another old cross, and climbing a short hill beyond that gave us a spectacular view of the coastline and the surrounding glen.

The second morning started with one of my favorite meals of the trip--honest-to-goodness breakfast burritos, made with "flour wraps," "soured cream topping," and "Mexican salsa" that we'd picked up in Bowmore the day before.

This would be our last day with my dad and, almost as importantly, our rental car.

Our first stop of the day was Caol Ila, the last of the distilleries we needed to visit. Like Bunnahabhain, Caol Ila is perched dramatically on the eastern coast, looking out toward Jura. The name Caol Ila actually comes from the Gaelic name for the Sound of Islay. It was foggier than the day before, and hills of Jura were hidden in clouds.

For this visit, we'd booked something special--a whisky and chocolate tasting! Dad and I had picked it partly to give Jessica something to be interested in, but we were also more than curious to see how it would go.

Moch: Caol Ila's version of a light, entry-level Islay scotch, this whisky was paired with a lemongrass chocolate. It was a good Scotch and the best pairing, but on its own it wasn't our favorite Scotch of the tasting.

Distiller's Edition: The distiller's edition was sherry finished with soft, fruity notes, and they paired it with an orange chocolate. It didn't have the best synergy, but it was our favorite of the Scotches we tried.

Distillery Exclusive: This whisky was deceptively smooth for being cask strength, but it still had a noticeable burn (for me, at least). It was paired with a strawberry chocolate, which was a fairly good pairing.

15 Year Old: This unpeated whisky was smooth and creamy, but very strong. We enjoyed it so much that I forgot to write down what chocolate we had with it.

It was a really interesting experience. The chocolate definitely brought out some flavors of the whiskies, but the only one with really great synergy was the Moch and lemongrass chocolate pairing.

Since my dad was driving, he had just a tiny sip of each whisky and saved the rest in a complimentary driver's tasting kit. A lot of distilleries seem to be offering these kits to designated drivers now, since Scotland passed a law to crack down hard on any drinking and driving.

After enjoying a quick picnic lunch in our car, we headed back to Finlaggan. It was raining this time, but we had the place mostly to ourselves. A modern wooden bridge leads across the swampy shores to the main island, where the Lords of the Isles once reigned. At its peak, the Lordship was held by a branch of the MacDonald clan and governed the Scottish isles, the west coast of mainland Scotland, and the northern tip of Ireland. It predates the Kingdom of Scotland and managed to maintain autonomy for hundreds of years amidst a shifting tide of foreign overlords.

The Lordship was eventually absorbed into the larger Kingdom of Scotland, and now the title "Lord of the Isles" is given along with "Prince of Wales" and "Earl of Chester" to the British heir apparent--currently Prince Charles, who has now held these titles for longer than anyone else in British history.  

But during the Middle Ages, the Lordship was lead from this small island in a small lake on Islay. The great hall and other buildings from that time are little more than ruined foundations. The ruined structure that still stands half intact is actually a farmhouse built long after the island lost is political prominence.

Beyond the main island is a second, smaller island. This is the council island where the medieval Lords of the Isles would meet with their vassals and advisors to discuss legal and diplomatic matters in open air.

As we stood on the shore and let the sense of place wash over us, I couldn't help but become fascinated by the brightly striated rocks jutting sharply up from the ground.

After Finlaggan, we crossed back over to the Rinns for a repeat visit of Kilchoman. That port-cask matured whisky had wormed its way into my head, and I needed to try it again and decide whether I might actually want to buy a bottle. Fortunately--I suppose--the second tasting sobered my infatuation a bit. It was still really good, but not so good that I couldn't contentedly resign myself to more readily available whiskies back home.

With half an afternoon left before our last day together ended, we drove up toward the northwest corner of Islay, one of the areas we hadn't really explored yet. We passed by Loch Gorm, the namesake of Jessica's favorite Kilchoman whisky, and ended up at Sanaigmore, the namesake of yet another Kilchoman whisky.

The drive was narrow and winding, and along the way we passed by a group of chatting farmers that certainly weren't used to seeing many tourists. But it was worth it.

Sanaigmore is as desolately beautiful a place as any we found on Islay. But it wasn't deserted--there were several large farms nearby, and Jessica was ecstatic to finally have a chance to see some Highland cows up close.

So ecstatic, in fact, that she sprinted uphill in the knee-high grass and promptly faceplanted after stepping in a hole.

All was good, though, and it was a perfect way to cap off our time together in Islay. Tomorrow, my dad would be catching a flight to the mainland and heading on his way home. The day after that, Jessica and I would catch a ferry and make our way deeper into the Highlands.

It wasn't quite over yet, though. We'd made reservations at the Sea Salt Bistro, one of Port Ellen's fine dining establishments. My dad and I got lamb while Jessica got a seafood medley. It was all local and spectacularly fresh.

That night, we tasted our Bunnahabhain whiskies and began to pack up. Jessica and I would have one more night before we left, but my dad would be leaving in the morning.

Looking back, I feel so incredibly lucky to have spent a week on Islay getting to know it's wonderful people, fine whisky, and amazing landscapes. We would all love to return someday, preferably for even longer. It's impossible to rank all of the amazing experiences Jessica and I had in Europe, but for me, the two weeks we spent in Scotland with my dad could easily contend for the top spot.

Next Post: Farewell to Islay

Last Post: Kilchoman, Bruichladdich, and the Atlantic Coast

[boozedancing]

When Mrs. Satellite Engineer came up with Scotland as a Spring Break destination for us and the teenage daughters, my first thoughts went quickly to Islay. That idyllic island on the west coast is forever in my mind after three days there with the Single Cask Nation (SCN) boys and a few SCN members four years ago. But, alas, this was not to be a whisky trip. This was a family trip to Scotland with, maybe, a little whisky mixed in. Like a cocktail with a wee bit more spirit.

First passes through a proposed itinerary included Islay, but with limited time, it really made no sense with the big loop of driving that our route would take us on the mainland. A new, “better” itinerary sans Islay was constructed by my far better half. And upon presenting it to the daughters, it was met… with glum faces. “What about Islay?!”, they exclaimed. Or maybe whispered. I just know someone said it and was glum saying it. Could well have been me but there were no recording devices to prove it. Apparently I am listened to on rare occasion and my waxing poetic over that last few years about the little island sunk in – and paid off! Islay was back on the trip!

Day 1

After an overnight stay in a Glasgow airport hotel, we walked back to the airport the next morning and boarded a cozy Loganair flight to Islay. I was mentally prepared with low expectations for the flight to be cancelled for the inevitable bad weather that was surely to come, and not atypical of travel in this part of the world. Yet the Gods of the Hebrides looked down upon us with beautiful blue skies and frosty white clouds as we boarded that little 40-seat airplane. The eyes of Daughter #1 widened when she saw Ardbeg, Laphroaig, and Lagavulin a few thousand feet below nestled on the coast. It probably wasn’t the same feeling I had four years ago as my mates and I crossed the channel to Islay via ferry but Daughter #1 was clearly bright-eyed and excited. Seeing her glued to the window in anticipation got me pretty excited too.

A few minutes later we were disembarking the stairwell from the Saab 340B. It was a bit dizzying walking those twenty yards to the tiny terminal. Maybe I was just airsick. Who knows? We were on Islay! And it was a beautiful day!

Islay was a good starter track for my “wrong” side of the road driving practice that I needed. And as we pulled out of the airport “car hire” parking, I was quickly reminded to “STAY TO THE LEFT” by the friendly chorus sitting beside and behind me. Heading south on the A846 towards Port Ellen with fields of peat all around us, I almost pinched myself to wake up from this crazy dream. But that would have required deciding which hand to take off of the wheel safely for the pinching which would have ended in “TWO HANDS ON THE WHEEL!  STAY TO THE LEFT!” I didn’t need that. No pinching. But I really was on Islay again.

The Kildalton Cross

I tried not to play too much tour guide as we got into Port Ellen and passed the malting house. There was plenty to see without me pointing and gabbing. With little time on the island, we had some must-do’s.  First was to head up the eastern coast to the Kildalton High Cross. The quaintness of the island can’t be overstated. Hugging that coastline and driving through its hilly, uneven terrain with only a house here and there, and sheep everywhere else, the family got a crash course in Islay’s unique and varied beauty. Daughter #1 was amazed how the air didn’t have that salty, seaside smell that we’re accustomed to at home near the Pacific. Villages sit against the sea on one side and woodlands on the other. Islay has its mysteries, indeed.  The various signs with their bilingual street names only played on our heartstrings more.  Gaelic can do that to you, especially if you can’t pronounce it. Passing Ardbeg, Laphroaig, and Lagavulin northwards towards Kildalton warmed my heart. We would stop on the way back but it was good to see those friendly buildings again.  

Scotland’s historic spots are fascinating if only for their lack of… visitors. The Kildalton Cross and church grounds are at end of a paved road on a tiny hill. There’s a parking lot though we were the only ones parked on this Saturday morning. And there’s a chain-link fence around the property but it’s only purpose seemingly is to keep the sheep from wandering in. The scattered sheep droppings on the church property proved that either the sheep were really good at opening the gate or visitors were really bad at closing it. It would seem that the sheep love seeing an ancient Christian cross more than human tourists do. Our first bit of sightseeing took us back 700 years in time, and that was without my LA freeway driving skills helping much.

Ardbeg

The drive back down the hill looked like a scene from Lord of the Rings. You pick which one; I get them confused. Go with the one that has the Shire. Coming back through the tree-shaded “neighborhoods”, we were greeted with hens and roosters alongside the road, and even a group of peafowl showing off their mating ritual with plumes a-pluming. I really only wanted to stop into Ardbeg and hit the Old Kiln Cafe for lunch. But much to our surprise, the distillery was closed, though operational. Apparently, the weeks leading up to Easter are “low season” at many distilleries. Nonetheless, we parked. Teen Daughter #2 and I ventured through the property between the buildings  with those luscious whisky-making smells in the air. Never seeing a soul the entire time, we made our way to the little green space behind the distillery overlooking the sea. This was a view of Ardbeg that I missed on my last visit, and with the place closed, it was a quiet, peaceful moment viewing that iconic warehouse. Wind briskly blew off the sea wreaking havoc with the daughter’s mane of hair and also rippled the rainwater atop the nearby standing barrels. Who knows if there is actually the whisky in them or not? They could well be “dummy” barrels for the dummy tourists who make the trek to this distant land. But it didn’t matter; it was pretty cool to us with no one else around.

Islay Woolen Mill Company

Laphroaig was closed also and we just passed on by Lagavulin. With a 2:00 pm tour of Bruichladdich a few hours away, we were going to check off “distillery visit” soon enough. Chris Hallstrom formerly of Scotch Whisky Auctions had told me that a neat little stop was the Islay Woolen Mill Company. A bit past Bridgend proper which is a few miles past Bowmore tucked away in a picturesque notch along the River Scorn lies a tiny ancient factory producing some of the best woolen goods found in Scotland. It’s more of a house with a shop inside and a mill in the back. Owner Gordon Covell welcomed us and had his factory manager give us a tour of the facility that probably hasn’t changed much since it first opened in 1883. It was a short but fascinating look at an art and craft from 200 years ago with its Victorian Era looms rattling away. Their beautiful work has been proudly used in movies like Braveheart, and the shop was easy pickings for this group looking for scarves. The “Laphroaig” pattern scarf is now happily in my possession. The short walk to the car need a look over the bridge above the Scorn. This really felt Shire-y.

Peatzeria

The troops needed lunch before heading to Port Charlotte so we ventured back to the booming metropolis of Bowmore. Peatzeria (get it?) is a fun little restaurant  with a great logo and tagline (“A Slice Of Islay”) and a better menu. A friendly colorful two-story space with a patio overlooking the sea, Peatzeria’s decor is brightly modern and the menu has many twists on local favorites. We sat upstairs next to two young moms as their toddlers happily chowed down cheese pizza, colored on menus, and walked about in socks. It was our kind of place. And they had Irn-Bru on the menu. It was also our first taste of what must be Scotland’s National Soup: Potato Leak which popped up at almost every place we ate all week.

When we made our way downstair we visited with Chef Paul while takeaway ice cream was being served up. He told us about the restaurant’s origins and that business was booming. Paul’s sister-in-law, Caroline, is a Bowmore girl and it was her idea of starting a modern pizzeria on Islay. Her sister, Sharon, and Paul run the place bringing their backgrounds in hospitality and cooking. Now they have THE pizza place on the island that seems a great spot for sunset dinners, family outings and even kids birthday parties. And, yes, there’s various Islay whiskies on the menu (for the adults).

Happily stuffed we headed back towards Bridgend but now took the A847 westward along Loch Indaal. The endless low tide of Islay was off to the left exposing the bay’s many crags and rocks. The waters barely moved. Somewhat desolate, the road to the other lobe of Islay feels like it is taking you very far from the towns of Bowmore and Port Ellen. Homes dot the landscape but are again vastly outnumbered by sheep and even sailboats. Other cars on the road were a rare sight on this day. Pulling into the village of Bruichladdich, distant Port Ellen across the loch felt hundreds of miles away but in reality it’s no more than 20 minutes, especially with my LA lead foot.

Bruichladdich

A few minutes late, we joined the tour as it left the Bruichladdich visitor shop. A few Germans and a few Brits made up the group as we followed tour guide, Frazier, across the parking lot to the first stop, the grist mill. Frazier gave a detailed history of Bruichladdich leading to describing what the role the Porteus grist mill played in all of this. Next was the the open top mash tun which is a unique feature of Bruichladdich’s. It was interesting seeing it completely empty on a day when the distillery was not mashing. The cogs and mechanism looked positively archaic while the vessel seemed so much bigger without any water and grain in it. Was it a big empty metal swimming pool with a sleeping robot inside ready to crush its next prey, or maybe a birthplace for a Marvel superhero or a Transformer waiting to transform. Too much?  I’m a bit nauseous myself.

The Oregon pine wash backs were next, fermenting away their carb-heavy soup. Frazier let us put our noses in each as they were all in different states in the process. And, of course, there was a tasting of the warm, oatmeal-y “beer” that was the result of the fermentation, siphoned out of one of the wash backs. Off to the Still Room where we all felt a tad bit smaller in the that forest of copper works that stretched high to the ceiling. The stills felt bigger to me on this visit and I think that sense was heightened with the daughters looking dwarfed against them. The girls are grown up but seemed less so in this room. The noiselessness gave the stills a peaceful elegant beauty as they waited for their next run in a few days. A walk in the chilly air for a quick visit to one of the warehouses was next. Casks of Octomore plus sherry and ex-bourbon barrels surrounded us while our noses filled with that dank oaky aging spirit smell. I couldn’t breath it in enough. I could see the eyes of the girls and the Mrs. Satellite Engineer widen as we walked by the endless rows of barrels. I could only imagine what they were thinking.

Our guide led us back to the visitors center where many dollars were spent on valinches and other “necessities”.  It was a group effort as I poured one of the “bottle your own”, a 12 year old Port Charlotte finished in a Hermitage Blanc cask, and the girls did the rest of the work of labeling. Future distillery guides in the making. Their first distillery tour was in the books and, I dare say, they are better human beings for it. Good parenting is what we’re all about.

Port Charlotte

Heading farther down the road, a few minutes later we found ourselves in Port Charlotte. Having spent three days there before, it felt like a long lost friend’s kind inviting embrace. Not much had changed in four years which made me very happy. There are still no traffic lights. Progress is overrated.  

We pulled up to the Lochindaal Hotel on the main drag in downtown Port Charlotte. On my prior visit, my mates and I befriended Sarah MacLellan who was tending bar in the pub there. Her parents own the hotel so it was an easy choice for our one night on Islay. Sarah’s mom, Katie, and I e-mailed and she was excited about our visit. We stayed behind the pub in two beautiful joined rooms aptly named the Peat House. Sarah’s father, Iain, and her sister, Helena, welcomed us as if we were coming into their home which we kind of were, at least their second home since they live in the village of Bruichladdich. After a quick unpacking and a few hours of sunlight left, I had one place for us to see.

Portnahaven

Farther south down the road from Port Charlotte is the village of Portnahaven. It literally feels like the end of world as it points off to Northern Ireland. But before getting there we (thankfully) found a herd of Highland cows alongside the road. This was very high on the list of things to see because they are big, shaggy, and cute by all of my family’s accounts. After a brief visit and chat with the coos, we made our way to Portnahaven parking along the bay. This small craggy bay is lined with white cottages overlooking the seals who call it their home too. Several were laying on the rocks in the sun and could care less of our visit.  Not exactly the welcoming committee but at least they were quiet. We parked a short walk from the An Tigh Seinnse pub, the local watering hole not much bigger than a postage stamp. Before entering we met a couple from Glasgow on holiday. They were driving around Islay in a rented RV with their dog Mac. Mac was the friendliest of canines and the first of many who we would meet on our trip.  Dog-loving folks that we are, we became fast friends with Mac, and his owners too. After a last few ear rubs (for Mac), we found our way into the pub where we were warmly greeted by the owner and a few locals. The Ileach are the friendliest of folk who will engage you at the drop of a hat or a tip of a dram. With no hats to drop, we went for the latter and had a wonderful time visiting with the local pub-goers. It would have been very easy to spend the rest of the day in this warm little pub.

With the sun close to being behind the hill and shadows growing toward the loch, we headed back towards Port Charlotte. We made a stop in the village of Nerabus to see its ruins of a chapel and carved grave slabs all dating to the 14th and 15th centuries most likely. The ruins are in the middle of a field requiring a small walk through a cemetery looking towards the water. Again, this ancient spot didn’t seem like a well-visited one except by four-legged wooly locals. But it was a good look back into the Hebrides history.

Port Charlotte

After a bit of rest back at the hotel, it was dinner time. The lovely Port Charlotte Hotel was a stone’s throw from our hotel and seemed a place for a nice dinner. But it was booked up(!) on this Saturday night due to live music starting later in the evening. I remembered another place a short walk up the loch side of the road and luckily it was open. Yan’s Kitchen is a modern bistro looking out to the bay serving up locally sourced seafood, meats, and vegetables. Locally sourced which sounds like a buzzword term to every millennial in Snapchat distance of Portland is the real deal in Scotland as we grew to learn. Listings of where all the menu ingredients came from were commonplace from the fish to the whisky. Yan’s only had Islay whisky to accompany their dishes. Fresh and local weren’t buzzwords here. Our delish dinner included scallops, beef, a large board of local meats, smoked salmon and cheeses, plus pasta. Go big or go home!

The girls were ready to turn in upon our return to the Lochindaal. It was a long couple of days after the long flight from Los Angeles two days earlier. The streets were eerily quiet which made the moonlit sky and its stars top billing for the slightly chilly walk back. The parents said goodnight to the girls then headed back three or four steps into the pub where a lively crowd enjoyed the evening. It was nightcap time.

The pub at the Lochindaal Hotel is actually two pubs, not so-Siamese twins connected at the bar, each with its own entrance. One side is more traditional with a pool table while the other is more of a restaurant where meals for hotel guests and locals are served. The restaurant has a seaside theme that reminded us of home. The bartenders weave between the two sides of the bar easily. Pub side. Restaurant side.  Both are small, friendly and cozy. Our kind of pub. We sat on the busier restaurant side at the bar chatting with locals while a group celebrated a birthday at a table. The whisky list was printed out and taped to the wall. It was a long list that was heavy on the Islays with distillery and independent bottlings. It did not disappoint. My kind of place.  

Four years before when Lee Zaro and I popped in after dinner with the boys, we met Sarah working behind bar on a quiet weeknight, and decided we never wanted to leave. We met probably same group of locals enjoying the pub on this visit. One was the art director of Bruichladdich at the time. A regular at the pub, he was happy to talk whisky, bottle and tin design, and play pool. I don’t recall if he was a born and bred Ileach but he definitely had the sensibilities of the island. Of course, on an island this small, stories of meeting Islay’s distilleries “elite” folk just about anywhere are commonplace. But I’d venture to guess that they are like most anyone else lucky enough to live here. Happy and nice.

Islay Day 1 was over.

Day 2

The day didn’t start off so sunny though it was sunny out. I woke early and ventured out to walk the Port Charlotte streets this Sunday morning. Quiet with only the occasional car passing through, the walk down to the pier reminded me of the my prior visit when my compatriot, Mr. Zaro, and I donned swim trunks and jumped off the slippery concrete pier into the loch because… well, just because. There would be none of that today.

Walking through those serene streets and the whitewash uniformed buildings was a peaceful way to get a little exercise before breakfast. But that all ended when I got back to the hotel and found a flat tire on the rental. An Islay pothole (easily the best in the world) surely got us the day before. Back in the pub, Owner Iain was drinking coffee, watching the news. He offered up tea for me as well as to call the car hire about the tire. Everyone knows everyone on an island this small.

Iain and I with his crewmate George kibbitzed about this and that: whisky, Brexit, Islay life, America, sports, kids, whatever. Just shootin’ the poop in a pub on a Sunday morn on Islay. The rest of the gang made it to the pub for breakfast of eggs, cereal, meats and toast. All prepared beautifully by George.

With the tire fixed, it was time to see what else we could see before heading to the airport with our remaining few hours on the island. We decided to head “behind us” to see if Kilchoman was open. By all accounts it was but after traversing the worst road we’d driven there so far, alas, it was closed. We drove up onto the property and it was good it see again and the ongoing expansion. It was a very different view of Islay from the hill that Kilchoman sat on looking northwest.

Caol Ila

We now decided to leisurely just drive the island on the backside of it and head towards Port Askaig on the Jura side of Islay to the east. The girls quickly fell asleep missing the even more desolate and sparse surroundings out here. Nearing Port Askaig we saw the sign for Caol Ila(!), a distillery I hadn’t been to but makers of whisky that I adore. A bit of an odd jaunt up a hill and then snaking down towards the Sound of Islay, we were both taken by the beautiful location of the distillery along the water. A small waterfall was flowing at the back end of the parking lot coming from the hill that we drove down from.  My, was this picturesque. And OPEN!

We parked, left the girls sleeping, and ventured around the property. A few folks came out of visitors center so that’s where we headed, with no time for a tour. So we shopped. We’re good at that. A distillery cat welcomed us from its perch atop a picnic bench on the patio, and the young woman behind the counter inside was nice and helpful, probably a bit surprised to see visitors on a Sunday morning. A few tastes and a few purchases later, we headed off to the airport. Caol Ila was in the books!

Islay Airport

Iain told me to leave plenty of time to get through Security. I thought he was kidding. He wasn’t. The security measures at Islay’s airport were inversely proportionate to its size. The tiny room past luggage drop-off required a thorough prepping of carry-ons before their trip through the x-ray machine. Then there was a proper pat-down after you walked through the metal detector followed by a more than cursory search of those carry-ons post x-ray. It was rather amazing but made sense since who knows where travelers were actually coming from on their way off the island. Travelers beware.

A relaxing wait in the airport’s waiting area allowed for some contemplation of the quick but memorable visit to the island. We boarded onto Loganair’s Spirit of Edinburgh walking across the tarmac as we did the day before. Our quick trip to Islay was over. Heavy sigh. We came, we explored, we lived. The whole family (less the son in college who already had his spring break) connected with the island in that short time, I think. Connecting with it seemed so easy since it wants to connect with you. The people, the villages, the island life, the solitude, the sea, the peat, the coos, and the whisky. They are all tied together and easily let you become part of them. I only hope it will be less than four years before we can connect again.

Our man @AaronMKrouse takes the family to @isleofislay for #SpringBreak! #Travel #Whisky When Mrs. Satellite Engineer came up with Scotland as a Spring Break destination for us and the teenage daughters, my first thoughts went quickly to…

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Goodbye To Two Thousand And Eighteen With Three Single Malt Scotch Bottles From The Southern Coast Of Islay As The Sky Burns Over Nacka And I Listen To Vic Chesnutt And Elf Power.

Goodbye To Two Thousand And Eighteen With Three Single Malt Scotch Bottles From The Southern Coast Of Islay As The Sky Burns Over Nacka And I Listen To Vic Chesnutt And Elf Power.

The sunset burns the sky.  Such mysteries occur all the time.  I might think the world’s on fire, a revealing and ending through flames silhouetting branches, trunks and needles; but no, sadly apocalypse will have to wait for another year.  Still, world-altering changes have taken place, at least for the family.  I moved with Gabriela and Demian from a bend on the Gulf Coast to an island in the S…