Islay ??? Any Info

[wilts-bushcraft]

HI ALL IM OFF TO ISLAY THIS FALL AND I WOULD LIKE ANY INFO AS TO WHAT TO SEE AND WHERE TO GO ON THE ISLAND AND IF THERE ARE ANY BnBS THAT ARE WORTH A VISIT ON MY LAST NIGHT ALSO WHAT IS BRIDGEND LIKE FOR SHOPS FOR A RESUPPLY OF FOOD ON MY JOURNEY ANY INFO POSITIVE OR NEGATIVE IS GREATLY RECIVED ,,,, ALSO WHAT ONE ITEM SHOULD I TAKE (MIDGE NET AND SUCH LIKE )

 

[stuart f]

Hi Wilts,places to see are numerous but a good place to go is Ardnave,it is a wildlife reserve and the scenery is stunning. Bridgend has a Spar shop so you will be ok for supplies. A place you could go for your last night is the Lochindaal hotel Port Charlotte, you,ll have a good laugh. If you do decide to stay there say hello to Ian for me he's the owner. Also check out http://www.islaybirding.co.uk/ as Jeremy is a member here,if you email him i'm sure he would give you some more pointers about places to go.

Hope this helps.

Ps you could go over to Jura also.

 

[scanker]

Distilleries. All of them! Caol Ila would be top of my list. Yum.

When's Fall? I'm fairly sure the midges disappear after about the middle of September. You'll probably be less bothered with a good sea breeze keeping them at bay anyway.

 

[gregorach]

Distilleries. All of them! Caol Ila would be top of my list. Yum.

Yes indeedy! If I were going to Islay (and I do intend to one day) that would be the principle reason.

 

[Dougster]

I was looking at a job there recently, and it looks idyllic. However what put me off was mainly the house prices!! That and just how remote it was.

As for a visit, yum yum indeed, and I think a month may be needed, what with the necessary lie ins and sights to see......one day.

 

[ecoman]

we have been on jeremy's bushcraft course a few years ago now and hiked around the northern perimeter of the island, it was great... but i dont know if you could just go off and do it alone. there were loads of caves you could camp in all along the raised beaches, but its about a 25-30 mile hike from the edge of civilisation around to the bruichladdie distillary.
i would highly recommend this trip, but it probably would be a good idea to ask jeremy about access to this area of the island (its not his, but he would know)
have fun
m

 

[falcon]

I had a week on Texa with Bearclaw and Jeremy (see link in previous post ) and would heartily recommend the Scottish experience and hospitality....

 

[EdS]

Scanker beat me to it.

 

[w00dsmoke]

A few years ago I spent a couple of weeks on the North West Coast of Islay roughing it in the caves. This is north of Kilchoman church (A great place to see choughs by the way) and West of Loch Gruinart. Access is freely available in Scotland-read the Scottish ACcess Code for advice.

Anyway the caves smell of goats and are full of dead ones! The views awesome, the red deer are plentyful and the foraging good on the coast.

Go for it!

 

[wilts-bushcraft]

cool keep it coming !!!!!!!! :You_Rock_ :You_Rock_

 

[Aliasnimo]

I'm going on the islay journeyman course this june and I was wondering if there is any point in taking any more serious woodcutting tools than a folding saw? Also if anyone has been on this course, do the instructor(s) supply you with cooking equipment to carry with you or does everyone cook communally?

 

[leon-1]

I'm going on the islay journeyman course this june and I was wondering if there is any point in taking any more serious woodcutting tools than a folding saw? Also if anyone has been on this course, do the instructor(s) supply you with cooking equipment to carry with you or does everyone cook communally?

I did the pre-cursor to this course, Jeremy provided Swedish Army mess kits then, but to be sure that things haven't changed it would be best to e-mail Jeremy. Cooking was done as individuals and communally when we did it. I took an axe with me and it got used once, but to be honest you could probably get away without taking one.

HI ALL IM OFF TO ISLAY THIS FALL AND I WOULD LIKE ANY INFO AS TO WHAT TO SEE AND WHERE TO GO ON THE ISLAND AND IF THERE ARE ANY BnBS THAT ARE WORTH A VISIT ON MY LAST NIGHT ALSO WHAT IS BRIDGEND LIKE FOR SHOPS FOR A RESUPPLY OF FOOD ON MY JOURNEY ANY INFO POSITIVE OR NEGATIVE IS GREATLY RECIVED ,,,, ALSO WHAT ONE ITEM SHOULD I TAKE (MIDGE NET AND SUCH LIKE )

It's a lovely place well worth visiting and as has been previously mentioned for any information or guiding around the Island you could do a lot worse than getting in touch with Jeremy at Islay Birding, he is a thouroughly good bloke.

 

[chrish]

Islay's lovely, but if you want remote, nip across the Sound of Isla to Jura (pop 184 and a distillery to boot). The west coast around Loch Tarbert