{"id":672975,"date":"2026-01-04T09:05:16","date_gmt":"2026-01-04T09:05:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/672975\/"},"modified":"2026-01-04T09:05:16","modified_gmt":"2026-01-04T09:05:16","slug":"planning-a-trip-to-islay-start-at-this-quirky-coastal-distillery","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/672975\/","title":{"rendered":"Planning A Trip To Islay? Start At This Quirky Coastal Distillery"},"content":{"rendered":"

Looking out across the smooth seas from the white sands of Islay<\/a>, it\u2019s astonishing to think that there\u2019s nothing but the vast Atlantic between here and Newfoundland. <\/p>\n

Today, the waves are but a whisper at the shore\u2019s edge, but seaweed strewn further up attests to wilder seas. The only sound is the chattering call of cormorants and, as I breathe in salty sea air, I catch a tang of peat smoke on the breeze. It\u2019s a distinct nod to the island\u2019s history as the self-styled \u201cwhisky capital of the world\u201d.<\/p>\n

Islay’s history<\/p>\n

Peat has played a significant part in shaping Islay\u2019s identity. Few islanders use it to heat their homes these days, but it still plays a critical role in the production of the island\u2019s most famous export \u2013 single-malt whiskies infused with that unmistakable smoky flavour.<\/p>\n

Despite its tiny population (just over 3,000 people actually live here), the island has an impressive ten distilleries dotted across its rugged coastline<\/a>. <\/p>\n

Now, one of them, the legendary Ardbeg, has added something new to Islay\u2019s story: a super-stylish refurbished hotel in Port Ellen, on the south of the island.<\/p>\n

\"exterior\"pinterest\"<\/a>Sim Canetty-Clarke<\/p>\n

The refurbished Ardbeg House has 12 stylish suites to stay in <\/p>\n

I find Ardbeg House<\/a> after a short jaunt down the coast, past whitewashed cottages and crofts. As I step inside, I am immediately struck by the eccentric interiors. Ardbeg is one of the quirkier distilleries \u2013 its whiskies have names such as Eureka, Wee Beastie and Heavy Vapours \u2013 and its new hotel plays to that slightly bonkers vibe. In the dining room, a giant octopus spreads its tentacles across the ceiling, metallic fronds of seaweed rise from the floor and a motorbike chassis transforms into a drinks trolley. It\u2019s all the work of the designer Russell Sage, creator of the celebrated Fife Arms in Braemar. Think a cool collaboration between Salvador Dal\u00ed and Marcel Duchamp, and you get a sense of the design vibe.<\/p>\n

Ardbeg House \u2013 a hotel that keeps it local<\/p>\n

Over a pre-dinner drink that evening, I discover that the hotel \u2013 which was acquired by the Glenmorangie Company, part of the LVMH Group, in 2022 \u2013 is not just for smart guests with deep pockets. The bar is full of locals. Before the work of the refurb began, the community were consulted about what they wanted and top of the list was to keep the hotel\u2019s bar open for islanders as well as guests.<\/p>\n

\"stylish\"pinterest\"<\/a>Sim Canetty Clarke<\/p>\n

Have a wee dram of whisky at the Islay Bar. There are 112 varieties to choose from…<\/p>\n

It turned out everyone was keen to get involved: a local quilting group made the wall hanging in the bar, the original signage was unearthed from a neighbour\u2019s garden and a distillery worker, who\u2019s a dab hand at welding, created a smoker from scrap metal using a reconditioned still. Today, it\u2019s restocked with 112 whiskies, 56 of which are Ardbeg creations.<\/p>\n

After a dinner of fat scallops and pan-fried Islay sea trout, I retreat to my room. There are 12 bedrooms at Ardbeg House, each one a \u201cstorytelling space\u201d. I\u2019m in Creation (others include Monster and Legend), a hymn to invention, where the bedside lights are made from old microscopes and the overhead lights are an \u201cexploded\u201d whisky barrel fitted with bulbs. Despite the slightly \u201ctrippy\u201d d\u00e9cor, I have an excellent night\u2019s sleep, which I have to attribute to the robust whisky chaser I had before turning in (miniatures are hidden in every room).<\/p>\n

\"sydney,\"pinterest\"<\/a>Hanna Lassen<\/p>\n

Ardbeg\u2019s menu showcases local, seasonal fare – including fat, juicy scallops<\/p>\n

A stay at Ardbeg House includes a tour of its distillery, and the following morning I\u2019m off to the nearby site. I learn about the drying of the malted barley over peat fires \u2013 the stage that introduces a smoky overtone \u2013 and stop by the washback room, a place gloriously redolent of Christmas pudding and ripe plums, where fermentation takes place. I peer through a hatch into a vast vat where a mixture boils and roils like something alive and pass a huge copper still, two storeys high with a maze of pipework \u2013 like Charlie and the Chocolate Factory for grown-ups.<\/p>\n

BOOK NOW<\/a><\/p>\n

Exploring Islay: from wild swimming to sunset walks<\/p>\n

The distillery is right on the coast<\/a> \u2013 on a clear day, you can see over the sea to Ireland<\/a> on your right and the Mull of Kintyre on your left. A boat trip with Sea Island Adventures helps you to really appreciate the view. The skipper points out grey seals basking on the rocks and a stag resting majestically on a beach after swimming across to a small island. As we come abreast of a marker buoy, the skipper hauls up a lobster pot and empties the catch on deck \u2013 crabs and crayfish scuttling in all directions. He takes out a knife and opens a scallop shell before slicing it up and offering it round. I\u2019ll try anything once and I\u2019m glad I did \u2013 especially when the skipper douses a second scallop in whisky for a sort of instant ceviche.<\/p>\n

\"dunyvaig\"pinterest\"<\/a>UniversalImagesGroup<\/p>\n

Dunyvaig Castle on the south side of Islay<\/p>\n

The sky is cloudless. The sea is calm. But on Islay it\u2019s not unusual to experience all four seasons in a day. Bryony McNiven is Ardbeg\u2019s visitor centre manager and an Ileach, a born-and-bred islander. She loves to go out on the water \u2013 regularly spotting dolphins and even minke whales<\/a> \u2013 but she is happy to immerse herself in the chilly waters, too. \u201cI love wild swimming,\u201d she says. \u201cKilnaughton Bay, just a short stroll from Port Ellen and overlooked by Carraig Fhada Lighthouse, is a sheltered spot with relatively calm waters. The Atlantic is cold all year round, but with the right gear and a bit of nerve, it\u2019s a refreshing, invigorating way to start or end the day.\u201d<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re more of a landlubber, Anna MacFarlane, another Ileach, extols the joys of the local walks: \u201cOne of my favourite things to do is soak up a Hebridean amber sunset. With around seven miles of wild, windswept white sandy beaches along the island\u2019s west coast, the Big Strand is the perfect place to experience it. The shore is ideal for a long coastal walk \u2013 the kind that\u2019s sure to blow away the cobwebs.\u201d<\/p>\n

Back at the hotel, the staff can help you experience the island in many different ways. I go to an early morning yoga session (a good way to work up an appetite for breakfast \u2013 Scott\u2019s Porage oats, of course) on the beach between the lighthouse and remains of a ruined chapel. They can also arrange walking tours, book bikes for you or sort out car hire for travel further afield. A must-see is Kildalton Chapel with its 8th-century carved cross and Dunyvaig Castle, once the seat of the Lords of the Isles who ruled the Hebridean waves for centuries. Birdwatchers should head for the RSPB reserve at Gruinart, where migrating geese from Greenland spend the winter. At The Oa Nature Reserve, you might even see a mighty golden eagle. <\/p>\n

Flying to and from Islay \u2013 a whistlestop 30-minute journey from Glasgow \u2013 allows the perfect overview of the island \u2013 a patchwork of sandy shorelines, moorlands, peat bogs and scattered woodlands. I may not have known a lot about whisky before I landed, but I\u2019ll leave with an appreciation of the huge effort that goes into that wee dram after dinner. Sl\u00e0inte!<\/p>\n

For more details go to ardbeghouse.com<\/a>. B&B from \u00a3230 per night. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Looking out across the smooth seas from the white sands of Islay, it\u2019s astonishing to think that there\u2019s…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":672976,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5009],"tags":[748,4884,204778,712,16,24358,15,15469],"class_list":{"0":"post-672975","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-scotland","8":"tag-britain","9":"tag-great-britain","10":"tag-islay","11":"tag-scotland","12":"tag-uk","13":"tag-uk-travel","14":"tag-united-kingdom","15":"tag-whisky"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/115836035371416169","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/672975","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=672975"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/672975\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/672976"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=672975"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=672975"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=672975"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}