Experiencing the Swiss way of life with my legs, an iPhone, and a 360° camera.
I have a good story about Laphroaig and a bad story. I’ll begin with the good story. I’m a Friend of Laphroaig dating back to about 2004. Back in those days I was new to Scotch. I went to my local retailer and said, “I’m looking for a Scotch, I don’t know what I want…
Driving to Port Ellen from Port Charlette, we thought we would take the main road around the inner bay, through Bowmore and past the airport. Instead we took the more direct high road which bypassed everything but provided a beautiful view. Port Ellen is a working town. The islanders have fun rivalries between themselves and…
The Kilchoman Distillery is one of a few distilleries that manages the entire process from ‘barley to bottle’. In fact, that’s the name of their main tour. After introducing ourselves to Emma the sister of Sarah from Bruichladdich, we began calling taxis for our return trip 2 hours later. Pro Tip; book your taxi rides…
We woke at a normal time and enjoyed a relaxed Scottish Breakfast. We had time to hike a mile along the coast from Port Charlette to the Bruichladdich Distillery and we arrived a bit early to confirm our spots on the warehouse tour. Pro tip: not all tours have strict limits for attendance. The Bruichladdich…
I thought haggis was somewhat of a joke like liver and onions. I was wrong. Haggis is on almost every menu including the full Scottish Breakfast. The core of the Scottish breakfast is protein and I assume this was the biggest meal of the day, back in the day. Sausage, Haggis and Black Pudding are…
After Bunnahabhain, we taxied to the Lockindaal Hotel in Port Charlette. All the roads on Islay are single lane with pull-outs located every so often for passing. I did not get comfortable with the left-hand side driving and we continually found ourselves looking the wrong way when crossing the street. There is no way I’d…
I started drinking Single Malts in the early 2000’s and I have always had a place in my heart for the Bunnahabhain Distillery. I thought Bunnahabhain was an underdog vs. the other known distilleries. Bunnahabhain’s older age statements hold up against the best of the others. My thinking is that Bunnahabhain is a bit of…
After our flight from Glasgow, we drove for the Sound of Islay and a view of Jura and the Papas Mountains. Coal Ila was closed for construction. Therefore, Ardnahoe made the cut as our first Distillery. The parking area and approach road to Ardnahoe is pretty good. We took a taxi from the airport and…
I learned a few things about the Glasgow Airport while passing through on my way to distillery tours. A must read for the first time Scotland traveler. LoganAir is the local-regional airline. I emphasize the short distance aspect because most of their fleet are propeller planes seating under 20 people. Most destinations have a morning…