Another 180° VR Islay video, the southern distilleries

Islay on Video

Looks like my hopes are getting fulfilled. After the Ardilistry Bay video in October and the Oa video in December I’ve just spotted another 180° VR Islay video from this channel. This time they are taking us to the three southern distilleries (Laphroaig, Lagavulin and Ardbeg) with a short stop in Port Ellen:

Scotland Islay Three Distilleries – Stunning Coastal Walk 8K 180 3D

Same as with the other videos it uses some kind of 180° panoramic technology, meaning you can to an extent change the direction you’re looking. Looks like this was filmed over two or more days, while Lagavulin and Ardbeg get some nice sunshine it’s overcast for Laphroaig and Port Ellen.

Some nice views from Dunyvaig Castle, anyone recognise the tall ship you can spot? Is it the Thalassa?

Replica Islay and Jura road signs at the Celtic House

Islay Businesses

With Christmas just around the corner I remembered I should write about an Islay present some of you might like, available at The Celtic House in Bowmore. I came across them during my visit in June and have one hanging on my wall at home. It’s a replica Islay road sign, in my case pointing to Port Charlotte:

Picture of a replica Port Charlotte road sign
Replica Port Charlotte road sign

I think they are really well done, they even have some rust spots even though they are not made of metal. I’ve put it next to my Gaelic map of Islay and Jura:

Picture of a replica Port Charlotte road sign next to a framed Gaelic Islay and Jura map
Replica Port Charlotte road sign next to Islay and Jura map

The ones currently in stock you’ll find under Islay and Jura Road Signs in the Celtic House shop. Further signs should become available again in spring 2025.

Of course you’ll also find plenty other Islay books and gifts, browse their online shop or drop into the store in Bowmore.

Some Islay distilleries from the air videos by a Japanese visitor

Islay on Video

Islay is a popular destination for Japanese tourists, in particular the famous whisky distilleries (some of course are Japanese owned). On the YouTube channel 空から世界を見てみたい (which according to Google Translate means “I want to see the world from the sky”) I’ve found a few short drone videos of said distilleries and more taken back in 2019:

LAPHROAIG distillery, Islay Island, Scotland

Quite misty and moody, similar conditions just down the road at Lagavulin and Dunyvaig:

LAGAVULIN distillery, Islay Island, Scotland

A bit brighter slightly further down the road:

ARDBEG distillery, Islay Island, Scotland

Much sunnier at the other end of the island, the new Bunnahabhain visitor centre still under construction then:

BUNNAHABHAIN distillery, Islay Island, Scotland

Back to the other end of the island again, no sign yet of the rebuilt Port Ellen distillery:

PORT ELLEN distillery, Islay Island, Scotland

To close a bit of Islay history:

Kildalton Cross, Islay Island, Scotland

I hope you enjoyed the videos and waved back at them.

A very fast bike ride on Islay

Islay on Video

The coastal path from Port Ellen to Ardbeg on the south coast of Islay, passing Laphroaig and Lagavulin on the way, is probably one of the best things since sliced bread. A while ago an Islay visitor filmed a timelapse video of cycling from Laphroaig to Ardbeg, allowing you to experience the ride in record time:

Islay: Scenic bike ride from Laphroaig to Ardbeg (time lapse)

I hope the video inspires you to cycle (or walk) the path yourself. And feel free to take your time. You’re on Islay time….

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.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) imagines Laphroaig distillery on Islay at Hogmanay

Islay Fun

Following on from yesterday’s AI Happy Islay New Year I played a bit more with Microsoft’s Copilot / DALL·E 3 from OpenAI. The prompt was fairly vague and not much really reminded me of Islay. So I thought, let’s try to be a bit more specific and ask it to “Create a picture of Laphroaig distillery on Islay with fireworks above during a clear night with the Milky Way above”. Assuming the AI has been trained on some pictures of the real thing it should be able to create something that at least remotely resembles the real thing. Well…..

I don’t know what the AI has been trained on, but I assume it doesn’t know an awful lot how Laphroaig really looks. Some of the representations of the Milky Way look a bit odd as well. Some of the distillery buildings it created look more like a factory with up to six chimneys (but lacking any pagodas). At least all the results place it at the shore, although the lighthouses some versions get are rather odd.

Somehow I had expected a bit more, but then again I heard you have to be very specific with the wording you use. I might read up on it and try again some other time.

Christmas Day Islay Single Malt Whisky 2022 (and a new Islay video)

Islay on Video

This post left me with a decision to make, which category to pick? Same as the two previous posts it mentions an Islay whisky, in addition it also features a new Islay video (even though you need to read all the way to the end to find it). In the end I decided to go with the Islay video option. So what have I been up to on Christmas Day?

Picture of a bottle and a dram of Laphroaig Càirdeas 2022 Warehouse 1 Islay single malt whisky
Laphroaig Càirdeas 2022 Warehouse 1 Islay single malt whisky

Well, less than I had originally planned. I stayed up later last night than I had originally planned, leading to me sleeping in this morning. When I finally got up it rained quite heavily, so in the end I decided to skip my walk today and just take it easy at home. I relaxed, ate a lot of chocolate, Lebkuchen and food like that. Also some Chipolata sausages and rolls baked yesterday. And tea. And hot chocolate.

For my tea I has some nice beef steaks with garlic butter as planned. With them I enjoyed a bottle of the Innis & Gunn Laphroaig Islay whisky cask real ale (something I thought I had blogged about already, but it seems I haven’t). Followed by some chocolate cheesecake.

Then of course there’s today’s Islay whisky. I decided to go with the distillery I was tending towards when thinking about it last night and picked the Laphroaig Càirdeas 2022 Warehouse 1 as my Christmas Day Islay single malt. As regular readers might remember Laphroaig was my first love and remains one of my go to Islay whiskies. It doesn’t disappoint and for me it’s a great choice as my Christmas Day dram.

But there’s still a new Islay video to come. The footage as such is a bit older, from November 2015 to be precise, but at the same time it also reminded me of my most recent Islay visit in November 2022. While I had sunny spell there was also plenty rain and wind, which this video is about:

November Rain and Wind on Kilchoman Beach, Isle of Islay

I recommend to watch it in full screen on a larger display/monitor, you’ll get to see much more of the rain coming down on the beach. In the second part of the video you get to see the beach on the move, I hope the footage gives a feel of a windy day on Kilchoman beach.

That’s all for today. Not sure yet what I’ll do tomorrow, but if the weather is nice I’m hoping to get out somewhere in West Berkshire or north Hampshire. There will probably also be a Boxing Day Islay single malt whisky (after the fish I’ve got on the menu for tea tomorrow).

Paddleboarding and whisky on Islay and Jura – Videos and more

Islay on Video

During my after work internet surfing I came across an interesting video, which then led to another video and also a blog post with more background. So I thought I might as well share it with you as well. As the title says, it’s about paddleboarding, a very popular sport these days, and as in this case it took place on Islay there was also some whisky involved. Let’s start with the second video I found, Meaghan and Neal’s adventures on Islay and Jura:

SUP Safari Scotland Ep 2 Islay and Jura

The other video (the one I came across first) just focuses on Claggain Bay and their paddleboarding there:

Paddleboarding in Claggain Bay – Islay

And as promised, there’s more: There are also two posts on their blog/website, SUP Chick, titled Paddleboarding in Claggain Bay – Islay and SUP Safari Scotland – Isle of Islay & Jura Stand up Paddleboarding.

I hope you enjoyed the videos and blog posts, maybe you’ll go on your own paddleboarding adventure on Islay and Jura?

Scottish Strawberries and Laphroaig Islay single malt whisky

Islay Whisky News & Links

From what I’ve heard it’s been a lovely sunny day on Islay today while it’s been mostly cloudy with quite a lot of rain in West Berkshire where I am. Still, I managed to get in a 10 miles exercise walk along the Kennet and Avon Canal in 2 hours, 28 minutes and 55 seconds. As a reward I’m treating myself to an Islay and Scotland treat tonight:

Picture of some Scottish strawberries and a glass and bottle of Laphroaig Islay single malt whisky
Scottish Strawberries and Laphroaig Islay single malt whisky

One of my Islay standards, the good old trusted Laphroaig 10 yo. Together with some Scottish strawberries (from Angus if I remember correctly). What’s your treat tonight?

Very nice Islay scenery video

Islay on Video

It’s time for another nice Islay video, I think. This time created by Naoki Otsuki from Japan (and Canada). The video takes us around Islay, showing various kinds of scenery. It’s a bit different than many other videos, looking closer at the finer details and sometimes taking a different perspective. I very much enjoyed it, I hope you will as well:

Naoki spent five days on Islay, check out the video description on YouTube for the details of what they did while on Islay.