Some Islay links for an October Sunday read

Islay Links

It’s a rather wet October Sunday morning where I’m writing this (and rather breezy on Islay), a good time to stay in for some Islay reading. So here are a variety of links to articles and more I’ve found. I hope you’ll find something interesting:

I hope you found something of interest, please leave your thoughts in the comments.

New Islay ferry delay

Islay News

Just last week I shared the news of the old Islay ferry MV Hebridean Isles upcoming retirement. To my understanding that can’t be pushed out, as its certificate expires in November. That could potentially create some issues as news emerged today that the replacement, the new Islay ferry MV Isle of Islay, is going to be delayed:

You can also read the Interim Update on MV Isle of Islay on the Scottish Parliament website.

Not the news anyone wanted to hear, hopefully Calmac can somehow work around this delay without significant impact to the lifeline ferry service.

Islay ferry MV Hebridean Isles to be retired

Islay News

An era is coming to an end. For many years the MV Hebridean Isles was one of the ferries on the Islay route, I’ve done many many crossings on her, don’t know how many. Initially it was together with the MV Isle of Arran (still in service, at times still on the Islay route), more recently with the MV Finlaggan. With the two new ferries coming into service later this year and next year this is now coming to an end.

Picture of the ferry MV Hebridean Isles in the Sound of Islay, a lighthouse in the distance
MV Hebridean Isles in the Sound of Islay

In November the MV Hebridean Isles will be retired after 38 years in service, as reported widely:

As someone who likes to be outside during a ferry crossing if possible I will certainly miss her. While I’m not sure about the exact layout of the two new ferries I believe they will be more like the MV Finlaggan in regards to outside spaces accessible to the public, much more limited than the older ferries.

Islay April Fools 2024

Islay Fun

OK, I assume most or even all of you have figured out that the Islay Space Port news was this year’s April Fools. After all April Fools has a long tradition on this blog. I didn’t spot any other ones on other websites or blogs (if I missed any Islay related one please let me know) but noticed a few on social media:

I hope you enjoyed this year’s efforts, if I missed any publicly accessible Islay related ones please let me know and I’ll aim to add them to the list here. Let’s what we can come up with next year.

Islay Space Port to open in 2024

Islay News

Some amazing news from Islay this morning: After some long and secret negotiations I can reveal that an Islay Space Port is expected to open in late 2024. Scotland has long been the prime location for the development of spaceports, now Islay is joining this effort to establish Scotland on the forefront of space exploration.

Picture of a Space Shuttle lifting off next to a whisky distillery
Artist’s impression of the Islay Space Port

This development will create many highly qualified jobs on Islay. It is expected that Islay High School will create some specialised courses leading to space engineering degrees at Glasgow University. I understand the space port will be located on the south coast of Islay (I believe between Lagavulin and Ardbeg) and some of the Islay distilleries will contribute to the specialised rocket fuel.

What do you think? Is this an exciting and positive development for Islay? Or is this too much and will put further strain on ferry capacities?

This Is Islay asks: What Makes Someone an Ileach?

Islay News

During my walk this morning I finally managed to catch up on some podcast listening, specifically the This is Islay podcast. In the latest episode it raises an interesting and to an extent controversial question: What Makes Someone an Ileach? For some it’s a very narrow definition, for them you have to be born and bred on Islay. Others draw the line far wider and make your connection and integration to the community their criteria.

This Is Islay: What Makes Someone An Ileach?

With most babies being born in Paisley these days instead of on Islay the narrow definition might become challenging in the future. In the podcast they also raise the question of siblings where one was lucky enough to be born on Islay while the other was born in Paisley even if they returned to Islay the next day. Otherwise they both have the same upbringing on Islay. Does that make the latter a lesser Ileach?

A topic that can probably be debated for hours, the podcast is planning to return to it in upcoming episodes.

On a slightly personal note there might be an even narrower definition which could be used: I was born and grew up in Bremen, Germany (although I haven’t lived there for over 30 years now and haven’t been for 7 years). I was very close to be a “Tagenbaren” (or “tagenbarer Bremer”), which is someone born and grown up in Bremen where not only both parents but also all grandparents were born in Bremen. I failed the criteria on account of one of my grandmothers.

Reopening of Islay’s Port Ellen distillery receives a lot of press coverage

Islay Whisky News & Links

As was to be expected the reopening of one of Islay’s (not) lost (any more) distilleries received quite a lot of media attention. After a lot of work Port Ellen distillery is back in business, looking quite fancy in parts. They are quite similar to an extent (at least partially based on a press release I’d assume), but here are a few press mentions:

Those are the main ones I came across, there were more….

Video of the launch of the MV Isle of Islay

Islay News

It doesn’t seem that long ago that I completed my first crossing to Islay on the MV Finlaggan, but then again that was back in June 2011, over a decade ago. Later this year and early next year Islay is scheduled to receive two new ferries, the MV Isle of Islay and the MV Loch Indaal, both being built in Turkey as of writing this. Earlier this week the MV Isle of Islay was launched and this morning I came across a short video from the launch by Scott Smith:

MV Isle of Islay launch at Cemre

Looking great, hope to see her in action later this year or early next year. The BBC also has a report with further video footage: Islay Turkish-built CalMac ferry successfully launched.

Islay ferry problems for Fèis Ìle make it on to the BBC website

Islay Whisky News & Links

The biggest (by far) event on Islay’s annual event calendar, Fèis Ìle, has a bit of a problem: Not enough ferries to get the many visitors expected for it to the island. So far working with Calmac hasn’t brought any additional sailings for the crucial period, so they’ve gone on a publicity blitz to hopefully get things moving.

There have been reports in several of the Scottish papers (most unfortunately behind paywalls, so can’t really link to them). Now even the BBC has picked it up and made it a fairly big report:

Islay whisky festival warning over ‘inexcusable’ ferry disruption

Hopefully this will help and get things moving.

A few Islay links for mid March 2024

Islay Links

While spring is hopefully on its way today is rather grey and dull where I am at the moment, a good time to catch up on some Islay reading. So here are a few Islay related links I came across recently:

That’s all I’ve got for now, I hope you found some of the links interesting. More to come some other time.