My wife and I are expecting a baby boy VERY soon. I have a desire to be debt free by the time he arrives (he’s scheduled to land on the 19th April…) as I feel that it’s one of the more responsible actions I’m likely to take in my adult life, and seeing as I’m… Continue reading The Things You Do For Love…
Tag: islay
Midges and the failcloths
Stylish cycling headgear shown not to bother native insect life Months before leaving for Islay, Clutch warned me of the “wee biting beasties” of the Hebrides. He even went so far as to provide me with a special insect repellent cloth that when worn (or perhaps rubbed into the skin – I didn’t read the… Continue reading Midges and the failcloths
Singing sands
One of my ‘things to do before I die’ has always been to visit one of the few beaches in the world that purport to have singing sands. It’s a type of beach with special sand composition from specific rock (don’t ask me which) that when conditions are right, apparently produce tones when walked across… Continue reading Singing sands
Jazzfail
One of the main reasons Clutch and I went to Islay when we did, was to make the most of the Islay Jazz Festival. Clutch is a musician and composer, and while jazz isn’t his usual idiom, he’s been known to dabble. I moonlight as a jazz radio broadcaster from time to time. So aside… Continue reading Jazzfail
Locals
By and large the locals we encountered on our travels about Islay were all fine characters. Some individuals in particular stuck in our minds though. They were mostly to be found in The Ardview Inn, which is an establishment located on the shorefront of Port Ellen. It had been recommended to us by Ashley, the… Continue reading Locals
Postcard: sea legs
Clutch braves the elements
Postcard: the story so far
Fresh sea air and exercise at Ardbeg We visited the Ardbeg and Laphroaig distilleries today, and did the tours. We also sampled a few drams along the way. By our count, 14: Ardbeg – Blasda Ardbeg – Rennaissance Ardbeg – Corryvreckan Ardbeg – Still Young Ardbeg – Uigedail Laphroaig – 10 year old cask strength… Continue reading Postcard: the story so far
Whisky Country: Part 1
I travelled northwards on Monday night, with the intention of becoming a surprise guest at my Dad’s 60th birthday, and expanding my knowledge of all things malt. Obviously the best approach to this would be to sample as many as I could, and thanks to my father’s generosity and extensive collection, I managed to do… Continue reading Whisky Country: Part 1