The island, the fifth-largest in Scotland and the eighth-largest island of the British Isles, is the most westerly of the southern Hebridean islands and sits just 40km off the Giant’s Causeway in Northern Ireland
The island is known for its welcoming population(Image: Robin Bush via Getty Images)
“This is, after all, the isle where the legendary Lords of the Isles once presided over much of the Hebrides, a land whose rugged coast is ravaged with shipwrecks and whose hills burn deep with souls lost from abandoned communities,” writes The Terroir of Stories: Travel writer Robin McKelvie in COAST. “Islay is one great storybook that it’s deeply rewarding to dip into.”
The island, the fifth-largest in Scotland and the eighth-largest island of the British Isles, is the most westerly of the southern Hebridean islands and sits just 40km off the Giant’s Causeway in Northern Ireland. It stretches across 600 km/sq of land and is home to just 3,000 people, making it one of the most sparsely populated parts of the UK.
But, as Robin notes, it is far from empty.
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Hazel Rickett, from small-group tour operator Rabbie’s, which named Islay The Best UK Short Break Destination, explains: “Known as Scotland‘s whisky island, Islay offers far more than world-famous distilleries. Beautiful beaches, abundant wildlife, peaceful coastal walks and welcoming villages make it an ideal destination for anyone seeking a quieter escape.
“Visitors can sample locally produced whisky, spot seals, or enjoy the island’s rugged coastline and relaxed atmosphere. As with many of Scotland’s islands, it’s worth allowing a little extra time for the journey so you can fully enjoy everything Islay has to offer. It’s an excellent choice for those wanting to experience Scotland beyond its better-known destinations.”
If the island is known for one thing alone, then it’s whisky. Charles Maclean, a specialist writer on the topic, describes the unique warmth of the local people (known as Ileachs) in an essay for The Guardian. “Through my love of sailing and whisky I’ve visited every Scottish island and, for me, Islay is the most welcoming. There’s a French phrase, être bien dans sa peau: it means being at ease with oneself, and it’s something the people of Islay have,” he writes.
The island, as much of the West Coast of Scotland does, seems to stir the emotions of those who visit. Poet Jim Hogg visited and “saw the blue of Islay’s skies / Reflected in your island eyes… The waves of Islay’s windswept shores / The ghosts that wander Woodlands Road.”
The travel writer G.M.W. Wemyss similarly lent his pen to praise Islay’s beauty and to chronicle the experience of being exposed to the elements on the island’s challenging landscape. “Or awa’ upon Islay, in January, the wind was honed to a cutting edge across the queer flatness of Loch Gorm and the strand and fields ’round. The roe deer had taken shelter in good time and the brown trout had sought deeper waters. An auld ram alone huddled against the wind, that had swept clear the skies even of eagle, windcuffer, and goose. The scent of saltwater rode the wind over the freshwater loch, and the dry field-grasses rattled, and there was the memory of peat upon the air: a whisky wind in Islay. The River Leòig was forced back upon itself as the wind whipped the loch to whitecaps; only the cairn and the Standing Stones stood unyielding in the blast as of old.”
The best five things to do on Islay
1. Distillery tours
Islay’s peaty whiskies are world famous, and the south coast’s “Kildalton Three”, Laphroaig, Lagavulin and Ardbeg, sit within a few miles of each other. Tours reveal malting, stills and warehouses, usually ending with a dram. Book ahead in summer, and arrange a designated driver or taxi.
2. Machir Bay and Kilnaughton Bay Machir Bay, on the wild west coast, offers a vast sweep of golden sand, Atlantic rollers and dramatic sunsets, often almost empty. Kilnaughton Bay, near Port Ellen, is gentler and ideal for a stroll. Both suit beachcombing, photography and bracing coastal walks whatever the weather.
3. Wildlife watching Islay is a birdwatcher’s paradise. Tens of thousands of barnacle and white-fronted geese winter here, while golden eagles, choughs and corncrakes appear at other times. Seals lounge on rocky shores, and otters and deer are possible too. The RSPB reserves at Loch Gruinart are an excellent starting point.
4. Finlaggan Finlaggan was the power base of the Lords of the Isles, who ruled much of western Scotland in the Middle Ages. Ruins stand on small islands in a quiet loch, reached by a short walk. A visitor centre explains the clan’s history, making it both atmospheric and genuinely informative.
5. Port Charlotte Port Charlotte is Islay’s prettiest village, with whitewashed cottages facing Loch Indaal. It has a good museum, the Museum of Islay Life, plus welcoming pubs and restaurants serving local seafood. It’s an ideal base for relaxed evenings after a day exploring, with fine sunsets across the water.
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