Of course, while we were in Jura, it was the beginning of the Islay festival: the Feis Ile, for which the distilleries on the island tend to do special bottlings. We were very keen to get our hands on one or two. Of course, when you’re the guest of one distillery, you have to use… Continue reading Feis Ile stopover
Category: Travel
Tour of Jura
We were really on Jura for the whisky, but the island itself was as much the star attraction. I thought you might like to see a few of the snaps we took on our tour around… Press play, then click the little ‘arrows’ button on the bottom right hand side to see the shots full-screen.
And that's what it's all about
I experienced my first ceilidh (pron. kaylee, apparently) last night. Not having been brought up in the kind of place that has ceilidhs on a regular basis (or indeed, any basis at all), it was something I’d heard of but had not experienced. I thought I had a fair idea what one might involve. I… Continue reading And that's what it's all about
Jura lodge
Thought we’d show you around the lodge…
The trip to Jura: The Crossing
We made it to Tayvallich in good time, and jumped aboard the boat that was to take us across from the mainland to Jura, bypassing Islay altogether. At first, it was a lovely ride – fresh air, and a swift skim across the top of mainly flat seas… But then we left the shelter of… Continue reading The trip to Jura: The Crossing
The trip to Jura: Loch Fyne
We met Jura brand manager Cara at the head office of Whyte and Mackay in Glagow bright and early this morning, before our driver, Scott, picked us up to take us to the ferry at Tayvallich, about a 3 hour drive through some magnificent scenery. The road was a bit windy, and Cara and I… Continue reading The trip to Jura: Loch Fyne
Jura adventure begins
We’re off to Jura this weekend to sample the three new ‘Paps of Jura’ expressions being launched by the Isle of Jura distillery. We get to meet some amazing people, sample some great whisky and generally have a fabulous weekend on the Hebridean island of Jura. It’s a train up to Glasgow from Birmingham, a… Continue reading Jura adventure begins
Dubai booty
I went to New Zealand a couple of weeks back, and of course I took the opportunity to scour the duty free shelves on my return journey. I wasn’t going to make the mistake of picking anything up before hitting Australia, as they tend to see you coming and make up rules that include confiscating… Continue reading Dubai booty
An Opportunistic Visit To Oban
I had the good fortune of having to accompany my wife, Collette, to Oban, the day after our very first Twhisky event, which we held to coincide with the 250th anniversary of Robert Burns birthday. Oban’s a beautiful town situated on the shoreline of the west coast of Scotland, and it’s known as “The Gateway… Continue reading An Opportunistic Visit To Oban
Midges and the failcloths
Stylish cycling headgear shown not to bother native insect life Months before leaving for Islay, Clutch warned me of the “wee biting beasties” of the Hebrides. He even went so far as to provide me with a special insect repellent cloth that when worn (or perhaps rubbed into the skin – I didn’t read the… Continue reading Midges and the failcloths