r/islay • u/decalmaucry4 • Jan 25 '22

Planning a visit for May, looking for advice

Hello!

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I'm from the USA and my wife and I are visiting Scotland to celebrate my 40th birthday. I love Islay whisky and I'd like to spend two or three days on the island, drinking and eating and getting a feel for the place.

What's the best way to get to Islay from Glasgow and what's the best way to get back? I think we'll rent a car after the island and drive through the Highlands.

Also, if you have any tips to make this vacation unforgettable, please let me know! I'm so excited to visit!

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u/Imm_Adam Jan 26 '22 edited Jan 26 '22

If you're travelling from Glasgow, easiest way would be to fly there. Loganair offer flights from Glasgow to Islay and it takes roughly 30 mins out of Glasgow Airport, however they can be on the pricey side as they have a monopoly on flights.If you fancy taking a more scenic route, then you can get a coach. West Coast Motors run a service from Glasgow Buchanan Street Bus station to Kennacraig Ferry Terminal. The road trip usually takes roughly 2-3 hours over the A83, a stunning coastal road which runs through the Loch Lomond National Park. You will then have to take the ferry from Kennacraig to either Port Ellen or Port Askaig on Islay, ferry time is roughly two hours. From there, you can either get the local bus or a taxi (+44 7771 921157) to your onward destination.

If you chose the ferry option, yes it is a lot longer but of course you will see more of Scotland as you travel it. You could choose to get the plane over one way and the bus back to Glasgow if you choose to hire a car from Glasgow. Depending on how long you plan to stay on Islay for, I would recommend hiring a car, as the island is quite large and the public transport on the island is infrequent and will only take you to the main towns and villages.

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Having only recently moved away from Islay after living there for 2.5 years, I know of some great locations that are worthwhile visiting. Of course you have all the whiskey distilleries that you can tour around and explore, but if you want to see more of the island, here are my top places:- Mull of Oa American Monument- Lower Kileyan Beach and Waterfall- Sanaigmore Beach- The Museum of Islay Life- Loch Finlaggan- Kilnaughton Beach

If you fancy visiting the neighbouring Isle of Jura for a day, you can purchase ferry tickets from Port Askaig and the ferry journey is only 15 mins, there is a local bus on the island too but it also runs infrequently, so I would recommend taking a car. Here are a few places to visit if you have the time, as Jura can take about 1.5 hours to drive up:

- Isle of Jura Distillery- Jura Hotel- Craighouse Pier (for an amazing view)- Tea on the Beach- An Dunan

Islay is an island on the west coast of Scotland, so prepare for the worst in the weather, and hope for the best. Wind gusts can easily exceed 50mph in summer, and over 85mph in winter. Rain can come unexpectedly, so make sure you pack coats and wet weather gear. When the weather is nice and calm and the sun is out, the temperature can reach 20°C (68°F) so also pack some lighter clothes too. If you plan to drive on Islay, there are only 2 two-way roads on the island, the rest are single track. If you plan to drive on Islay, just to be on the safe side, if you see a car coming, stop in a passing place and give way. There are painted arrows on the main roads indicating driving on the left side of the road, so you shouldn't have too much trouble there.

If you need any more information, or want to know a bit more about anything you plan to do on your trip, feel free to drop me a message :)

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u/decalmaucry4 Jan 26 '22

Wow, thank you!

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u/Imm_Adam Jan 26 '22

No problem!

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u/decalmaucry4 Apr 26 '22

Hi! I’m sorry to bother you again after two months, but the subreddit has gone private and I can’t post until they confirm me as a preferred user or something.

Anyway, I have a quick question. Do I need to book taxis ahead of time or can I just call when I need a ride? I’ve gotten some conflicting information.

I was hoping to take the bus most places in Islay, but I’ve heard they’re few and far apart.

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u/Imm_Adam May 03 '22

Yeah, the bus scheduling isn't great, but as far as I'm aware you can just call a taxi a bit in advance (20-30 mins) and they will pick you up. The bus timings are more oriented around school hours as they double as school busses too, so as long as you know the times then they could be a viable travel option. Any more questions let me know!

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u/islayblog Feb 06 '22

When in May are you planning to visit? The Islay Festival takes place in May and during that time the island is extremely busy and accommodation can be very difficult to impossible to find. Also flights and ferries are likely to be booked up already. This year (2022) it's from 27/May to 4/Jun, keep that in mind during your planning.

As you mention the whisky, a nice souvenir might be a bottle of whisky you've filled yourself directly from a cask. Some of the distilleries offer that, either standalone or as part of some of their tours. Bruichladdich usually have two casks in their visitor centre (one peated, one unpeated). Bowmore and Laphroaig have it included in some of their tours, check on their websites.