Excerpts from issue 52/26 4 October 2025
A Skerryvore dram
Celtic rock band, Skerryvore, will celebrate their 20th anniversary with the launch of Skerryvore XX, a limited-edition single malt whisky created in partnership with Ardnahoe Distillery.
Formed in 2005 on the Isle of Tiree, Skerryvore have spent the last two decades touring the world and building a reputation for their unique blend of folk, trad, rock and pop. They began this anniversary year with a performance in front of 7,000 fans at Floors Castle before embarking on a tour across the UK, EU and USA.
The band became Ardnahoe's global ambassadors last year and worked closely with the distillery to craft this commemorative bottling. Each band member selected a cask, resulting in a small batch vatting of eight casks in total.
The Skerryvore XX whisky - a five-year-old single malt - will launch at 10am on 9 October. Only 2,000 bottles are available, via Ardnahoe's online shop and at the distillery.
In partnership with Ardnahoe, the band has also been hosting a series of whisky sessions during their current US tour, combining stories, songs and whisky tastings. The band's anniversary tour continues in the UK in November and December with dates across the UK and Europe. Drummer Fraser West said, "Our music has developed over the years to encapsulate so many styles, yet sound uniquely like Skerryvore. This whisky does the same and is a great representation of the band."
The band's bassist Jodie Bremaneson added, "It has been an amazing experience getting to be so hands-on alongside Ardnahoe to create our own 20th Anniversary celebration bottle. We started by spending an enjoyable afternoon tasting over 30 different casks, learning so much from the Ardnahoe team as to how the distillation and maturing process influences the flavour profiles of the various whiskies that we sampled. Each band member then had the opportunity to choose the cask that spoke to their own taste and personality the most, and these eight casks came together to create our own unique whisky.
"A few months on, we visited the bottling hall to see the very first bottles filled, and even had the thrill of switching on the production line ourselves. This project has been so much more than simply putting our name on a label, and we hope those personal touches shine through when people raise a glass of Skerryvore XX."
David Livingstone, Distillery Manager at Ardnahoe Distillery, added, "It was a real pleasure welcoming the band and involving them directly in the whisky-making process. Each member chose a favourite cask, and together these selections have created a whisky that truly reflects Skerryvore's unique character and spirit."
Photo: Rona McMillan
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Bryony to manage Ardbeg Distillery
Bryony McNiven will become Ardbeg's new distillery manager from 1 January 2026, the first woman in the modern age to take command of the stills. An Islay native and the daughter of an Ardbeg stillman, Bryony follows in the footsteps of two legendary sisters who led the distillery nearly 200 years ago. Established in 1815, by 1853, the distillery was being run by sisters Margaret and Flora Macdougall, widely believed to be Scotland's first female distillers. For Bryony, Ardbeg is not just a whisky, but a way of life. She grew up down the road from the distillery, where her father, Ruaraidh MacIntyre, was a mainstay of the production team for 35 years before retiring. So before she began studying chemistry at Glasgow University, it seemed only natural that Bryony should take a summer job at Ardbeg. That evolved into a stint as an Ardbeg brand ambassador in Sweden, before six years in Ardbeg's Whisky Creation Team in Edinburgh, alongside Director of Whisky Creation, Dr Bill Lumsden and Master Blender, Gillian Macdonald.
Bryony returned to Islay in 2018 as Ardbeg's Visitor Centre Planner, where she has been responsible for organising tours and sharing drams with guests. When applications for the role of distillery manager came flooding in, Bryony was the standout choice.
Ardbeg President and CEO Caspar MacRae said, "I can't think of anyone better than Bryony to take on the role of Ardbeg Distillery Manager. Not only is Bryony an extraordinarily talented whisky expert and a passionate Ardbeggian, but she knows our brand better than almost anyone on the planet. I look forward to working closely with Bryony as we forge a fabulously smoky future for Ardbeg!"
Bryony, who takes over in the new year from outgoing distillery manager Colin Gordon, said, "Ardbeg has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. I'm thrilled to be taking the reins at a distillery which means so much to me and my family. Not only have I got some incredible female role models behind me in Flora and Margaret Macdougall, but I also have a fabulous team to work with. We are already hatching smoky schemes to bring even more exceptional Ardbegs to our fans. Watch this space..."
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In this week's issue:
Islay Jazz festival, Jura Music Festival, Ferries again, The council's next move, Bryony to manage Ardbeg Distillery, Bowling closes for the winter, Schools' wind band concert, Visitor Levy on hold, Hope Spot at Small Isles, Mark and Helga retire at Islay Studios, A Walk on the Wild Side, Islay Mòd results, Skerryvore's dram, Is the council serving us well?, Hospital escorts, Book review: Finlaggan by David Caldwell, Beef Herd competition results, Sue Miller's art exhibition, Ceilidh at ICCI
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Book review
Following a brief report on the publication of 'The Archaeology of Finlaggan, Islay', in our last issue, the Ileach was sent a review copy direct from publishers, The Society of Antiquaries of Scotland. It's a very large book that makes for rewarding reading.
The highlighted part of the book's release, was the apparent discovery of a fortified castle that existed on the smaller of the two islands in Loch Finlaggan, dating from the 12th or 13th centuries.
According to Dr Caldwell, "The Finlaggan tower, estimated to have been about 19 by 19 metres overall (about 21m square including a plinth), would have been of a handsome size compared with other better documented and preserved examples..."
However, in the following section, Dr Caldwell admits that, when the castle came to a definite end towards the 15th century, though reduced to ground level, due to its construction over a ruined dun, "It is conceivable that the tower was never completed."
Those who have visited the site on Islay will be aware that Eilean na Comhairle hardly offers the most stable of locations on which to build something of the stature to which Dr Caldwell alludes, a factor that may have played a part in its eventual destruction.
Following the dismantling of the tower, excavations at Finlaggan reputedly reveal that its replacement, albeit on Eilean Mòr, took the form of a palace, as opposed to a castle, differentiated by a lack of fortifications.
"Perhaps Finlaggan, specifically its great hall, was consciously intended to look welcoming and accessible. The mark of a great man like the lord of the Isles was the ability and desire to entertain."
It is uncanny just how much the educated historian and/or archaeologist can derive from curated excavation, despite, in this case, the remains originating from almost 800 years ago.
It was somewhat of a revelation to learn, however, in chapter 15, that the term 'Centre of the Isles' in relation to the lordship, is a relatively recent construct, the responsibility for which, Dr Caldwell admits, is largely that of the author.
"...there are no contemporary medieval documents which specifically identify it as a place of any importance. [...] The possibility (also) has to be considered that much of the supposed tradition of councils and inaugurations was invented in later medieval times to enhance the prestige of the lords of the Isles."
The book's extensive narrative is accompanied by clearly notated illustrations, but there's little doubt that reading and digesting the wealth of information contained within its pages, will take considerably longer than afforded to write this review.
Dr. Caldwell has amassed an impressive body of evidence to support his contention that Finlaggan is, indeed 'Centre of the Isles', and, with the co-operation and support of the Finlaggan Trust, has aided and abetted the process of raising the profile of both Finlaggan and Islay in the process.
The site has come a long way since Eilean Mòr could only be reached by means of clambering into a rowing boat and pulling it across the shallow waters by means of a chain attached to a rope. For those interested and intrigued by a major part of Islay's past, this is indispensible reading.
bp
Copies are available from the Celtic House, Bowmore, price £40.
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