Nice drone video of Kilchoman beach, Islay

Islay on Video

Friday evening, time to sit back, pour a wee dram of Islay single malt whisky and enjoy an Islay beach video. Here’s one of Kilchoman beach in Machir Bay on the west coast of Islay I’ve just found:

Machir Bay Isle of Islay Scotland #scotland #machirbay #islay #beach #awesome

It’s only a short video, but you can just watch it several times on a loop while enjoying your whisky?

Islay’s Loch Gruinart and Killinallan (and Lagavulin) from a drone

Islay on Video

From planes to drones with a nice video mostly showing one of Islay’s nicest beaches from the air (you also get a few impressions of Lagavulin distillery). I’ve walked this beach many times, during the Islay walking week, on my own, with my sister Imke and with my late parents. The last one means it has some special memories for me, as it was my mother’s last and my father’s only Islay visit. The beach is around Killinallan Point, stretching out to Gortantaoid. While filmed on a mostly overcast day the views are still beautiful:

Islay, Scotland | Stunning Remote Beach, by Drone

If you decide to walk here look out for the tides, it’s much easier to walk at low tide as during high tide the water can come quite close to the dunes. For a circular walk you can walk on the track to Gortantaoid and return via the beach or vice versa.

Nice Islay March 2022 visit video

Islay on Video

John Munday and his best friend went to Islay in March 2022, staying at Easter Ellister Farmhouse. They mainly went for the whisky, but there were also visits to the beautiful beaches and some paddleboarding. Oh, and they were lucky enough to enjoy some amazing weather:

Islay March 2022

I hope you enjoyed the lovely views from the air and from the water, from the distilleries and from the beaches, all in glorious Islay sunshine. Nice work, John!

New Islay video: Breezy April evening at Saligo Bay

Islay on Video

It’s time for this week’s Islay video. This weekend we’re going to Saligo Bay again (and will again in a future video, as it’s so videogenic, if that’s a word). The occasion was a breezy April evening a few years back with waves rolling in from the Atlantic and algae foam being blown across the beach by the blustery wind. I hope you enjoy the walk and views along the beach:

Islay’s Saligo Bay on a breezy April evening

This was during high tide, so the water was coming up almost all the way to dunes, pushing in also by the strong winds. Managed to walk along the rocks at the foot of the dunes for some nice views in the beautiful mild evening light.

If you’d like to see more, I’ve just created an Islay’s Saligo Bay playlist with all my videos from this beach. Currently it contains 10 videos, I hope to add at least one more over the coming weeks. You can also subscribe to my YouTube channel (if you’re not already subscribed), then you can be alerted to new videos whenever I upload one.

To close, well, if you’re a regular reader you know the drill: While I can’t promise anything I hope to publish another video next weekend. It will probably be a drone video, either revisiting Port Charlotte (long in the pipeline…) or of Finlaggan. Fingers crossed and watch this space.

New Islay video: Saligo Bay sunset in 360°

Islay on Video

As mentioned last weekend I was hoping to edit another Saligo Bay Islay video this week. Luckily I managed to do just that and YouTube processed it quite quickly as well (previous 360° videos for some reason took a long time), as this weekend’s new Islay video is a 360° video of a June sunset at Saligo Bay. It’s a about 11 minutes of all round views of the sunset from three different locations, starting down on the beach and ending up on the top of the dunes. I hope you’ll enjoy the views and the light:

Saligo Bay sunset, Islay, in 360°

Similar to previous 360° videos you can spot me loitering around in the background, walking around, enjoying the sunset and taking pictures. If you happen to look into the right direction at the right time you’ll also see me appearing out of / disappearing into thin air a couple of times. Haven’t worked out a way yet to avoid that when cutting together multiple clips from the same location.

Again no promises, but I’m hoping to complete another video next week. Haven’t decided yet what it will be, but I’m currently considering three options: The wreck on Kilchoman beach, Port Charlotte from the air revisited or Lagavulin & Dunyvaig from the air. Fingers crossed I can get one of them done.

A video visit to Islay’s Singing Sands with BKR

Islay on Video

Where to start? BKR has filmed and published a good number of short Islay videos recently, some of which I’m planning to share here over the coming weeks, maybe even months. I’ve now decided to start with a beach video with a twist, as we not only get to see the beach, but also a glimpse of what is happening in the water just off it:

Singing Sands Adventure – Islay, Scotland

I hope you enjoyed this little walk and beach visit. I like his way of presenting, the enthusiasm he shows while talking about the places he discovers. As I said, I’m planning to share more videos by him, possibly a visit to a distillery or discovering an abandoned house.

Cleaning beaches at the other Islay

Islay on Video

As many will know there are two Islays (at least), the Islay in Scotland this blog is mostly about and then there’s another Islay in the Arequipa region in Peru. It looks like they’ve got a similar problem with litter and rubbish washing up on their beaches and people having to go on beach cleans to tidy it all up. While I don’t speak any Spanish I’m pretty sure that’s what a good part of this video is about:

HOMENAJE A ISLAY 2020.

Looks like they picked up at least two big sacks of rubbish, some good work there! I hope that you’ve enjoyed this view of the other Islay and learning that they share some of the same issues.

Islay beaches by drone video

Islay on Video

Let’s visit some Islay beaches from the air. Stuart Lewis visited Islay in 2018 and filmed a variety of beaches ranging from the Singing Sands over Kilchoman beach to the small beach at the pier in Port Charlotte from his drone. Take a look:

I hope you enjoyed this aerial tour of some of Islay’s beautiful sunny beaches. Which beach is your favourite?

Islay’s neighbour Colonsay with a drone, revisited

Colonsay Excursions

How about another visit to Islay’s neighbour Colonsay this Saturday evening? A few years ago I shared Jonas Igel’s Colonsay by drone video, tonight is the turn of Tom Englander’s version. Nice views of a sunny Kiloran Bay, but also a few other places:

Colonsay with a drone, by Tom Englander

I hope you enjoyed the views!

Islay beach and dune walk video

Islay on Video

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.