Tag: Calmac

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.

The Great Islay Whisky Bubble?

Islay Whisky News & LinksIt’s been rumoured for a while, now it’s official: Yet another whisky distillery is being planned to be built on Islay. Assuming it obtains all the necessary permissions it will be built just outside of Port Ellen. Including this latest project there will be 12 distilleries on Islay in operation, under construction or are planned (and I wouldn’t be surprised if that list isn’t the last word. Port Charlotte seems to be gone off the radar, but never say never):

  1. Ardbeg
  2. Lagavulin
  3. Laphroaig
  4. To be named new distillery by Elixir Distillers outside of Port Ellen, rumoured to be ‘Farkin Distillery’
  5. Port Ellen (to be rebuilt and reopened by Diageo)
  6. Bowmore
  7. Gartbreck (planned)
  8. Bruichladdich
  9. Kilchoman
  10. Caol Ila
  11. Ardnahoe (under construction)
  12. Bunnahabhain

That’s a lot of distilleries.

Many say that’s good. More Islay whisky to enjoy and there’s still growing demand around the world. More jobs. More distilleries to visit. More visitors to Islay. Islay becoming an ‘industrial powerhouse’.

I’m not so convinced.

To start with there’s the problem of the infrastructure. Same as everywhere else in the UK (I live in the south east of England and it’s bad even here, potholes even on major roads not repaired for ages) the roads on Islay are crumbling, at least in part because of the heavy distillery lorries for which they were never designed pounding them. I don’t see that improving any time soon, the council simply hasn’t got the money with the ongoing austerity and funding cuts. Then the ferry situation (remember that a lot of the whisky is ferried off the island in tankers for maturation or bottling, and if matured and bottled on Islay the bottles have to be ‘imported’ and the filled bottles transported off), again I don’t see that improving any time soon. Even if new ferries are funded for Calmac it will take many years until they are all fully in service, not to forget that the ones in service will be aging and starting to break down as well.

But more importantly: I see a monoculture. I see a potential bubble.

In my eyes more distilleries mean more dependency on whisky (and gin). More distilleries don’t make Islay an industrial powerhouse, it makes Islay a powerhouse for just one thing, whisky. And if whisky (and in particular peaty whisky) ever runs into trouble it will hit Islay badly.

I remember my first visits to Islay 20 years ago. Ardbeg was only just reopening. Bruichladdich was still closed, I remember driving past the locked gates. I remember reading about workers being laid off when Bruichladdich closed. Port Ellen had been closed over a decade ago. Sure, at the moment whisky and in particular Islay whisky is booming, sales and demand are soaring. But fashions change, consumer preferences change, who is to say that Islay single malts won’t fall out of favour at some point sooner or later? I remember the dot com bubble. I remember the housing bubble. I remember reading the only way is up. Until the bubbles burst.

And I’m concerned that Islay could be badly hit then, as it doesn’t have an awful lot else to fall back on. It’s not an ‘industrial powerhouse’ where people can move to alternatives. I have to openly admit I don’t know how this could be achieved, but I feel it would be better for Islay to diversify, to have other options. May be renewable energy is an option that could be pursued. There was a lot of hype about tidal energy the last few years, but that seems to have gone rather quiet unless I have missed something. May be the roll out of fibre broadband internet could be restarted (from what I’ve heard it seems to have faltered?), opening up opportunities for people to properly ‘telecommute’ from Islay?

Those are just my thoughts when hearing of yet another distillery on Islay. I’m sure many will disagree, I think some might think along similar lines as me. Feel free to leave your thoughts in the comments.

Leon Murphy’s Islay from the air pictures

Islay PicturesI’ve mentioned Leon before, sharing some of his Islay videos filmed with his drone (Wreck of the Wyre Majestic, MV Finlaggan arriving in Port Ellen). He has also shared some nice still pictures on his Instagram account, some of my favourites here:

I hope you like them, for more including other Islay pictures from the ground check Leon’s Instagram account.

Islay’s Bowmore distillery in 1983 (and more)

Islay on VideoJust found three old Islay (or at least Islay related) videos tonight I thought worth sharing. The first one is of Bowmore distillery in 1983 (not sure why it says Port Charlotte in the title/description, as Bowmore distillery is of course in … Bowmore):

The second video shows a ferry in West Loch Tarbert, I assume it’s the Islay ferry. I’m not entirely sure, but I think it’s the MV Iona (later also known as Pentalina B when she was sold on):

Before getting to West Loch Tarbert a popular stop is the village of Tarbert. It seems to have not changed that much since 1983:

I hope you found these short clips interesting, I find them fascinating for the views back in time.

Two old Islay videos (1973 and 1983)

They were filmed 10 years apart, but both are a bit older, showing Islay 33 and 43 years ago respectively. The first one seems to be some old TV footage filmed in 1983, showing Port Charlotte and a few other places on Islay in a short clip:

Going back a further decade to 1973 we can watch some fascinating old footage with some long gone history, starting with the MV Arran ferry (not to be confused with the MV Isle of Arran, which was much later) leaving from the old West Loch Tarbert pier:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qeZ03caJMfw&ab_channel=DaveSpencer32

The rest of the film shows a variety of familiar places, some in a way now gone: The Oa with the American Monument I believe before it became an RSPB reserve (not sure which year that happened?). Port Askaig long before it was redeveloped to what it is today. Ardbeg distillery with smoking pagodas. A brief glimpse of what I think is Western Ferries’ MV Sound of Jura. An excursion to Jura with of course plenty of deer.

The filmer seems to have also had some interest in birdwatching. I think there were a number of Whooper Swans (the quality of the footage isn’t great, making it difficult to see) and there’s some footage of the Barnacle Geese as well.