Here's a few suggestions for things to see and do in Mid-Argyll, Kintyre & Islay:
Wildlife
Islay is the migratory home to thousands of Barnacle and
White Fronted geese, which can be viewed at the acclaimed
RSPB nature reserve at Loch Gruinart. Keep your eyes peeled
for sightings of seals and deer in Kintyre.
Golf
Machrie Golf Course on Islay and the world famous Machrihanish
Golf Club are just two of the challenging links courses
the area has to offer.
Fishing
Excellent trout and salmon filled rivers & lochs can
be found on Islay and Kintyre.
Sailing
The Crinan Canal, built by Thomas Telford at the start
of the 19th Century, is a great place to view the colourful
spectacle of yachts taking this popular shortcut between
Loch Fyne and the Hebridean islands. A spectacle not to be missed is the West Highland Yachting Week (July/August) when the boats arrive in Tarbert.
Horse-riding
Where better to experience riding of all disciplines than
in the beautiful Mid Argyll & Kintyre countryside,
with centres at Ardrishaig, Tarbert, Inveraray and Glenbarr.
Mid-Argyll, Kintyre & Islay Jura from Islay Whisky Distillery
Breathtaking bays and beaches
encircling green and fertile pastures; peat-rich moorland
adding a unique flavour to the island’s famed whiskies.
This is
Islay, an island steeped in history. Its near neighbour, Jura, has
contrasting imposing mountains, while little Colonsay has remained
unchanged over the years - a peaceful retreat.
The great Clan Donald chose well when they made the Isle of Islay
the centrepiece of their vast Lordship of the Isles, once virtually
a satellite seabased kingdom, beyond the rule of mainland monarchs.
Near Port Askaig, at Loch Finlaggan, is the administrative centre
of the Lordship, Eilean na Comhairle, the Council Isle.
A visitor centre on the loch’s shores relates the story of
the Lords. Dunivaig Castle, near Lagavulin, is a ruined medieval
fortress on top of an earlier MacDonald stronghold.
Nature’s
Bounty
Islay has always been blessed with nature’s bounty - rich
farmlands which each autumn witness clouds of geese arriving
to winter on the mild pastures.
Loch Gruinart in the north is the island’s main reserve,
with Barnacle and White Fronted Geese flying in from Greenland.
Peat is still cut from the mosslands which cover much of the
interior, giving the unique flavour to the ‘Islay malts’
- world-famous whiskies such as: Ardbeg, Bowmore, Lagavulin, Caol Ila, Laphroaig, Bruichladdich, Bunnahabhain, Port Ellen and Jura Distillery just across the water.
Most are still in production and welcome visitors to watch the
production process and, even better, sample their delights.
Bowmore Round Church
Islay has a number of villages which
are obviously west coast island in appearance - terraces of small,
single-storey houses lining the foreshore. Port Ellen, Port Charlotte,
Port Askaig - names which not only hint at their shoreside locations,
but also the reason for their existence.
Bowmore, Islay’s main town, has a unique, round church, said
to have been designed to ensure that evil spirits had no corner
in which to hide.
The history of Islay is fascinating, and is well explained in Port
Charlotte’s Museum of Islay Life. Relics of a bygone age abound,
with stone circles, carved stones and crosses (most notably the
intricate Kildalton Cross on the south east shore), fine forts and
castles and evidence of Bronze Age settlements.
Jura from Islay
Wild and Unspoiled
Across the narrow Sound of Islay is a very different island
- Jura.
Mountainous, sparsely populated and left to nature, Jura is
a haven for wildlife enthusiasts, rich in red deer and birds
of prey, hunting over the ‘Paps of Jura’, which
dominate the island landscape.
From these peaks, hillwalkers can enjoy spectacular views
of the surrounding islands.
The island’s
lochs and burns are excellent for trout fishing, and sea angling
is popular off the coast.
The infamous Corryvreckan Whirlpool between the northern tip
of Jura and the Isle of Scarba can be a spectacular sight -
and sound.
Ruined castles at Clag and Glengarisdale, Iron Age forts, standing
stones and keills are testimony to the island’s past. More
recently, its distillery at Craighouse has produced the wares
to keep out the winter chill.
The little island of Colonsay is a gem of a Highland retreat
- low lying, quiet and peaceful, where the visitor can relax
and enjoy nature. Again history is evidence at the 18th Century
Colonsay House and Gardens.
At low tide, take a walk to neighbouring Oronsay to visit the
14th Century Augustinian priory, as well as much earlier standing
stones and even mesolithic.
