Most people who have travelled to/from Islay via Port Askaig will at some point have noticed the ruins on Am Fraoch Eilean on the Jura side at the southern end of the Sound of Islay. This is Claig Castle, once a quite important castle on the west coast of Scotland. Someone from Cine Gate has flown a drone over it for a closer look:
Claig Castle by Cine Gate
It is probably around 500 years old, dating back to medieval times, and once was a Macdonald stronghold. Certainly an excellent position to control the area and any traffic passing through the Sound of Islay!
Even (or especially?) during winter a beach and dune walk on Islay can be very nice and refreshing for mind and body. Adam takes us on a walk on the Big Strand near The Machrie, I believe it was at the end of December. Enjoy the video:
Isle of Islay – Scotland (Cinematics) by Adam Velvick
I hope this inspires you to get out for a refreshing walk, ideally on an Islay beach, but other locations will do if followed by a dram of Islay malt.
Just a quick update on the Vote for Islay at FilmG 2019 entry from December: One of the three entries from Islay has been shortlisted for an award. The entry from Islay High School in the Youth category, ‘Am Bruadar’, has been picked in the FilmG Award For Gaelic – Learners category. Congratulations, and fingers crossed you will be announced as winners at the awards ceremony in Glasgow in February.
In addition, voting for the People’s Choice award is still open. You can vote once a day. Here are the entries from Islay again, so that you can vote for them:
It’s Saturday evening, a good time to watch a nice video from an Islay visit. Neil and Precarious Dave visited four distilleries, Bunnahabhain, Laphroaig, Lagavulin and Ardbeg. They had lots of fun, drank a lot of whisky (and some Guinness) and bought quite a few bottles. Enjoy the video:
15 minutes visiting Islay distilleries
I hope you enjoyed the video, I thought it was very nicely done.
It’s that time of year again, same as last year it’s time to vote for Islay’s entries at the FilmG competition. For this year I’m aware of three entries from Islay so far, from the High School, from Bowmore Primary and from the Islay Voices. Same as last year everyone can vote in the ‘People’s Choice Prize’, to do that all you need to do is to go to the page for the entry you want to vote for (linked below the videos) and click on the ‘Vote’ button. Simple as that.
Let’s start with the entry from Islay High School, titled ‘Am Bruadar’. In it a ‘Hipster couple camp at view of Rhinns lighthouse, fall asleep and dream past, present and future there. There’s a surprise in store for them both!’:
Next to the younger students from Bowmore Primary in their second competition entry (I believe their premiere at the competition was last year). For them ‘the children’s bad behaviour leads in the blink of an eye, to jump in time to a school in a hundred years, where wooden desks have been replaced with ipad tables and there is no need for a teacher as Alexa runs the class‘:
The voting is open until the end of January, the winners (including hopefully one from Islay) will be announced at the annual awards ceremony at The Old Fruitmarket in Glasgow on 08/Feb/2019. If you’re on Facebook also follow the CnaG Ìle group for more.
Winter has definitely arrived now, it’s cold, wet, windy and miserable today. To cheer us up here’s a video I found from a brighter nicer day, showing a day trip to Islay by RIB from Oban. Starting from Dunstaffnage they travelled to Port Ellen:
I hope you enjoyed the views from this trip, I found it quite interesting to see Port Ellen and other places from much lower down than the views usually seen from the ferry.
An interesting video I managed to find recently, mostly filmed during a walk from Loch Gruinart, past Gortantaoid out to Mala Bholsa in the north west of Islay. There are also some nice views of the Eas Lathan waterfall in Doodilmore River. In addition to impressions from the walk we also get to see a few glimpses of Machir Bay and from the ferry crossing. Enjoy:
Today saw a Ceremony to remember sinking of HMS Otranto on Islay at Kilchoman, the disaster happened 100 years ago today. Earlier this year another salute to the victims of the HMS Otranto took place in the water of Machir Bay as the Badlads Diving group visited what remains of the wreck to pay their tribute. Peter was so kind to get in touch to share the link to the video of the event:
A very nice tribute I think, very well done. The group has been visiting Islay for many years, I’ve shared a number of videos by them before.
As it turns out they were on Islay at the same time as me in June, I actually took pictures of them leaving and returning to Kilchiaran Bay, where they had set up base. Unfortunately I hadn’t realised at the time that it was them, otherwise I would have gone over to have a chat. Maybe another time.
Well, that went better than I thought. When I posted the video exploring Islay’s Lossit Bay I mentioned that I was hoping to share my first 360° Islay video over the coming weeks. After reviewing the 360° footage I have of Lossit Bay on Friday evening and editing it during the Saturday (followed by a long upload and processing over Saturday night) I’m now ready to share it just a week later.
Here are three minutes of 360° views of Lossit Bay on the west coast of Islay, filmed on a beautiful June evening:
Assuming you have a modern browser or are viewing it on a mobile device you should be able to move around in the video, looking into whatever direction you want. Out to sea, along the beach, over to the dunes, all as if you’re there and turning around. You can either move the view with your mouse (or finger on a mobile device) or by using the controls in the top left corner. If you’re watching it on a mobile device you should also be able to change the view by simply moving your mobile device around, left, right, up, down, whichever way you want.
The resolution/video quality isn’t as good as from my other cameras, but then this is early days, my first attempts with a fairly new technology. Over time the technology will improve and become more affordable (I only have a fairly low spec 360° camera which was on special offer, just right for me to learn and experiment with the technology), improving video quality over the coming years. I hope you’re still able to enjoy the video and the opportunity to look around.
I’m hoping to edit more 360° Islay videos over the coming weeks, Machir Bay, Bowmore, Port Charlotte and some of the distilleries are among the options. Bowmore will most likely get the nod first.
Almost three months ago I posted a short video June evening in Lossit Bay, promising there was more to come. I’ve already posted a few pictures in recent weeks, this week I’m planning a series of Lossit Bay pictures on my Islay pictures photoblog, starting with the original of the cover picture of the video. Talking of video, here is the very much extended 10x longer director’s cut of the footage I shot in Lossit Bay, I hope you enjoy it:
No music, just the sound of the waves breaking and the birds calling, in particular the noisy oystercatchers. It’s the way I like it. Just like it is when you’re there.
PS: Assuming I can work out how to edit and upload it I’m hoping to share a 360º video of Lossit Bay some time over the coming weeks. Fingers crossed…
Today saw a