Who makes 'Ileach' Whisky?

This has become a favourite subject of e-mails received. 'Ileach' whisky has nothing whatsoever to do with the Ileach Newspaper and I can't think of a tactful way to say more without getting myself or the Ileach Newspaper into trouble. Suffice it to say that the contents of a bottle of 'Ileach whisky' do indeed come from Islay but there is not a specific distillery responsible for their production.

Where the heck is Islay?

Islay is the most southerly of the Inner Hebrides, around 20 miles north of Northern Ireland and a few miles off the west coast of Scotland. Bowmore is on roughly the same latitude as Glasgow. You can get here by either car ferry from Kennacraig (south of Tarbert) or by air from Glasgow Airport.

How do I pronounce Islay so that I don't sound like a tourist?

Islay is pronounced 'Eye-lah' and not Izlay. The latter pronunciation is darned annoying but, if you can master the proper version, you'll do alright until you have to say Bunnahabhain or Bruichladdich. (Nobody said this stuff was easy)

How big an island is it?

It's roughly 25 miles north to south and around 19 miles east to west, though almost split in the middle by two sea lochs - Loch Indaal from the south and Loch Gruinart from the north. The most westerly half of the island is generally referred to as 'the Rhinns'.

What's the population?

Depends on who you speak to and who's statistics you believe, but generally reckoned to be around 3,200 and falling slightly.

What's the weather like?

Actually it's not too bad most of the time. The major comment always seems to be about the wind but, since there's nothing between us and Canada, the Atlantic has to put the draught somewhere. It's not half as cold as most would think, though doubtless that's due to the Gulf Stream. Consequently, we don't get too much snow but we do get our fair share of rain. At least in the summer, when it's blazingly hot (?) there is almost always a cooling breeze. There are places round here where palm trees grow. Not too many parts of Scotland can boast that.

Does everybody speak Gaelic?

No. Around 33% of the population can, apparently, speak Gaelic to some degree but English is universal. (Stupid question really but somebody did ask it and, no we don't wear kilts all the time either.)

What do people do on Islay?

Much the same as they do elsewhere I should imagine but, if you mean for employment then there's the ubiquitous distilleries, fishing, agriculture, tourism and creating websites like this one (well at least that's what I do)

How do you pronounce "Ileach"?

The word refers to someone who was born and bred on Islay as well as being the name of the local newspaper, and the whisky we're always asked about (see top of page) and is pronounced 'eelach'. Any other variation on this pronunciation will probably be laughed at. In response to further enquiries on this particular topic, the 'ch' is pronounced as in Scottish 'loch' and most definitely not as in 'church'

Why are there so many distilleries on the island?

There are now eight malt whisky distilleries on Islay:- Ardbeg, Lagavulin, Laphroaig, Bowmore, Caol Ila, Bunnahabhain and Bruichladdich and a new farm distillery atKilchoman. While water is a major constituent of whisky, the reason that there are so many distilleries on the island (and there used to be more) is the abundance of peat, used to smoke the malted barley and give Islay malts their distinctive flavour relative to malts from other parts of the country. If you'd like to know more about the annual Islay Whisky Festival, have a look at www.feisile.org, or, to buy some, click here

What's all this I hear about geese?

Islay is used by Greenland whitefronts, greylags and barnacle geese as an overwintering ground. During the month of October, thousands of these geese arrive on the island and stay until around May of the following year, consuming prodigious amounts of grass from the fields of the island's farms and crofts. Naturally this has resulted in a degree of acrimony from the farmers and crofters whose animals are now somewhat bereft of the grass they would generally require to survive. Since the geese are a protected species, there has been an agreement in place where Scottish Natural Heritage estimate the amount of geese on farm and croft land, then pay the farmers and crofters an annual sum to offset the cost of bringing in food for their livestock and allowing the geese to munch unhindered. This has resulted in the population of geese rising quite rapidly from around 26,000 to 52,000 in the past ten years. It has, however, lenghthened the tourist season by way of an influx of birdwatchers over the winter months.

Could I buy a book to find out more about Islay?

Generally acknowledged to be the best book on the subject of Islay is 'Islay-Biography of an Island' by Margaret Storrie and published by The Oa Press. You can order a copy from Roy's Celtic House.

There are a few other good, illustrated books available on Islay and we would suggest that you check out the above link for a list of others

How could I trace any of my family that came from Islay?

Islay has its very own Family History Society with premises in Highfield, High Street, Bowmore. The Society's website is at www.islayfamilyhistory.org.uk They are just as happy to receive information as they are to pass it out so feel free to contact them either way. There is an excellent e-mail list that deals solely with Islay Ancestry. Joining this is simply a case of sending an e-mail to SCT-ISLAY-D-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'subscribe' (without the quotes) in the body of the message. The list is admined by Ted Larson The homepage is at http://homepages.rootsweb.com/~steve/islay/data.htm You can also There is also a reasonably informative page on this very subject on the Islay and Jura Marketing Group website

Is there public transport on Islay?

Surprising how often this question is asked. Yes Islay does have a public transport system but perhaps not as comprehensive as mainland areas of Scotland. There is a regular coach service running between Port Ellen and Port Askaig and to Portnahaven, stopping at all points in between including Bowmore and Bridgend. The buses meet all inward and outward ferries. Some of the outer areas are served by the Post Office PostBus service but there are areas that are only accessible by private transport. If we can ever make head or tail of the timetable, we may publish it on this very site. Bear in mind, the frequency of service might be somewhat less than inner city bus services. If you need to know more about specific services, e-mail us, or download the local timetable from