When I would tell people that we were traveling to the Isle of Islay for our Honeymoon, everyone always asked me the same thing - “do you like Scotch?”. I always answered that my fiance, now husband, loves Scotch but I prefer wine. Responses were varied but usually along the same line of “oh, so what will you do?”.

We picked Islay for our honeymoon because we were getting married in Edinburgh and we wanted to stay in Scotland for the rest of our trip. Picking Islay felt like a natural choice for us as it paired my love of the UK and Jon’s love of Scotch. I was looking forward to visiting Islay and had done research on the different villages as well as all of the distilleries but wasn’t expecting too much from this small Isle off the West Coast of Scotland. There are currently nine Whiskey distilleries on Islay including heavy hitters like Ardbeg, Lagavulin and Laphroaig. When I imagined Islay, I pictured it as a Whiskey lover’s paradise and expected to find a charming Island that was catered to those who love Scotch. I ended up falling in love with this place that is so much more than the spirit that has put it on the map.

We got our first glimpse of Islay whilst on board our ferry, The Finlaggan. In typical Scottish fashion, it was raining but through the mist we could see tall, rolling, green hills. Upon deboarding at Port Askaig, we were greeted by our Guide for the week, Dougie MacTaggart. Dougie and his wife, Jacs, run a Private Taxi and Tour Guide service on Islay and I had arranged for Dougie to show us around during our stay. We had corresponded quite a few times over email and right away Dougie was warm and welcoming. On the drive Dougie started to tell us about the history of the Island and pointed out local villages and Peat fields.

We arrived at our Hotel, The Machrie, which has a Golf Course on site and is a mere 10 minute walk to the Beach with beautiful views of Laggan Bay. The Machrie has the charm of a small hotel on a remote Scottish Isle as well as amenities fit for luxury travel. The rooms are comfortable and bright, and there is a Spa and a Bar and Restaurant with endless Scotch options and a menu that highlights the local offerings on Islay. We spent quite a few nights at the Bar enjoying the views of the Golf Course and the surrounding bay while Jon tried different Scotches. The Bar and Restaurant staff are extremely knowledgeable and rather than give you a menu with a list of Scotches, they’ll ask you a few questions and recommend something for you to try. They were pretty spot on each time.

On our first full day on Islay, our guide, Dougie, picked us up bright and early for a day of sight-seeing. I wanted to get to know the history of Islay and was surprised to learn that this Isle has been at the center of Celtic history for hundreds of years. Because of its positioning in between mainland Scotland and the Northern Coast of Ireland, Islay played an important role in the History of the Clans and was the Seat of the ‘Lord of the Isles’. We were able to see many parts of Islay’s history including the Kildalton Cross, Loch Finlaggan, which is where the Donald Clan ruled from, and the Kilbride Standing Stone. There are dozens of Standing Stones left on Islay and about as many theories as to their purpose. And while historical sites like Loch Finlaggan and Kildalton Cross have been preserved by the local government, the Standing Stones are dotted around the island and are protected by the residents themselves. The Kilbride Standing Stone is located in the middle of a working farm and yet instead of removing it, the Farmer who owns the land has chosen to leave it as is and allows the public to visit it for free. When we arrived at Kilbride Standing Stone, Dougie was excited to share that he had chosen this Stone to show us because of my association to it: Kilbride in Gaelic means Church of St. Brigid and my last name, McBride, means Son of St. Brigid. While neither Dougie nor I have any proof that my ancestors were ever on Islay, it was magical to imagine for a brief moment that there could be some overlap. There was also a second more romantic reason for visiting the Kilbride Standing Stone. Legend has it that if an engaged couple stands on either side of the stone and can entwine their arms around it, that they are a good match and should be married. Jon and I put it to the test and while I’m not superstitious, as we wrapped our arms around the stone and held hands, it felt like it was meant to be.

We also had the opportunity to visit more recent additions to the Island: the Port Ellen Lighthouse and the RSPB Loch Gruinart Nature Walk. The Port Ellen Lighthouse was built in 1832 by the Laird of Islay in memory of his wife, Lady Ellinor and has been in use since. The Lighthouse stands out against the backdrop of Laggan Bay and the village of Port Ellen - also aptly named for Lady Ellinor. Our last stop of the day was to the RSPB Loch Gruinart Nature Walk which is intended to protect local habitats as well as provide opportunities for wildlife viewing and bird watching. Walking through the preserve was at once both peaceful and exciting as we were able to see the Island in a whole new light and enjoy the serenity of the Loch.

Our 2nd day on Islay was the day my husband was looking forward to most: Scotch tasting. Jon’s favorite distillery of all is Ardbeg so that was an absolute must on our list. When researching the area local to Ardbeg, I learned about the Three Distilleries Path which is a walking path that connects Ardbeg, Lagavulin and Laphroaig with the village of Port Ellen. Since we didn’t have a car, this seemed like the best way to make a day out of visiting multiple distilleries.

We started our day at the top of the path at Ardbeg. Set against the Sea, Ardbeg is a picturesque complex complete with a food truck, picnic tables and charming decor. It’s inviting and the perfect backdrop for sitting outside with a dram on a sunny day. Unfortunately during the time of our visit, Ardbeg was not in production so we weren’t able to take a full tour of the distillery, however, we were still able to book an interactive tasting with one of their knowledgeable guides, Ron. Ron walked us through a tasting of Ardbeg’s 6 core whiskey offerings, explaining the history behind each release, tasting notes as well as fun anecdotes. Ron was warm and friendly and made the tasting extremely enjoyable, especially for someone who doesn’t love Scotch. He quickly caught on that Scotch is not my favorite and recommended options that I might find more welcoming. Because my husband loves Ardbeg, adding an additional flight to his tasting was recommended to us. He chose the ‘Old and Wise’ flight and was able to taste a 23 year old, 25 year old and Single Cask. We had only checked one distillery off of the list but my husband’s day was already made.

Flight complete, we started off on the Three Distilleries Path to head to our next destination: Lagavulin. The Path was opened a few years ago in order to allow pedestrians and cyclists to safely traverse the 3 miles between the distilleries and Port Ellen. Bordered by the Sea on one side and lush, green hills full of sheep on the other, the walk felt like something out of a Jane Austen novel. With only the occasional car passing by, we were able to stop and take pictures and take in the everyday beauty of the island. We were lucky to have a warm and sunny day and we were even able to catch a distant glimpse of Northern Ireland which is 20 miles from the Southern tip of Islay.

We entered the village of Lagavulin and came upon the distillery not long after. Lagavulin has a sprawling compound which includes a visitor center, lounge, bar and the working distillery. While we didn’t have a tour or tasting booked at Lagavulin we were still excited to check it out. The Visitor Center staff were quick to greet us and offer free tastings of 1 or 2 bottles. My husband opted to try an ‘Offerman Edition’ which was developed in partnership with Nick Offerman. We made a few gift shop purchases and then walked around and checked out the lounge area as well as the dock on the bay. Our Islay guide, Dougie, had shared with us that the ruins of another ancient castle could be found at Lagavulin: Dunyvaig Castle. Sitting on Lagavulin Bay, the ruins are a hidden gem for anyone who visits the distillery.

After a short walk, we made it to our final stop, Laphroaig. Set back away from the path, we could smell the peat fires going before we could see the distillery. Our tour of Laphroaig started with a history of this famed distillery and then we headed to the production floors where we learned about their process, got to see barley being smoked by the peat fires and Jon was delighted when he got to add more peat to the fire. Laphroaig is one of the only distilleries left on the island that burns its own peat so it was lucky that we visited on a day when they had peat fires going and we could witness this process. Of course, no tour of Laphroaig would be complete without a tasting and surprisingly, I found a Scotch I enjoyed - The Laphroaig Select which had a lighter, fruitier taste was the perfect choice for a novice Scotch drinker.

We followed the end of the Three Distilleries Path to the village of Port Ellen where we sat at a picnic table drinking copious amounts of water. Sitting outside in the sun, looking out on the bay, was the perfect way to end our marathon day of Scotch tastings.

Our last day on Islay was spent enjoying the amenities at our hotel and relaxing after a Scotch filled day. We worked on our golf swings at the most scenic driving range surrounded by heather and sheep. We took a walk through the golf course and visited the beach; the water was freezing but the sun, again, made it a perfect day for a walk along the water. We enjoyed afternoon tea with a view of the beach and drank champagne and munched on sandwiches and sausage rolls. At dinner, sitting at the restaurant in our hotel overlooking the golf course and the Bay, with another Scotch in my husband’s hand, I thought about how woven Scotch and these distilleries are to everyday life on Islay and yet how there is so much more to such an unassuming island. The 9 distilleries headquartered on Islay, as well as the tourism they bring in, provide employment and well-being to a majority of the residents on the Island. And while Scotch may be the driving reason to visit Islay, there is also history, beautiful beaches, quaint villages and pubs and it was fascinating to learn so much about this small Isle. We were on Islay for 4 days and I feel we barely scratched the surface of the secrets of Islay.

The next day boarding the ferry to head back to mainland Scotland, I knew we’d be back to visit this beautiful island. I still prefer wine, but I believe Islay is for everyone.

Islay: For whiskey and non-whiskey lovers

The Taj Mahal