If you want to enjoy the magic of the Queen of the Hebrides, and tour world-renowned whisky distilleries, then you should make the special journey to visit Islay. The journey will need special planning, but it will be worth it. Read on for details of how to plan your journey to the beautiful Isle of Islay in the Inner Hebrides, Scotland.
Where is the Isle of Islay?
The Scottish Hebrides comprises two groups of islands – the Outer Hebrides and the Inner Hebrides off the west coast of the mainland.
The Isle of Islay is part of the Inner Hebrides and the 5th largest Scottish Island. It is roughly 40 km (25 miles) long from north to south, and 24 km (15 miles) wide. Islay is the southernmost island of the Inner Hebrides with the Isle of Jura, its sister island, lying to the north. They fall under the country of Argyll.
Note – the correct pronunciation for Islay is ‘Eye-la’ which comes from the Scottish Gaelic language.
Getting to the Isle of Islay
The journey to Islay itself feels quite special, as you must make a special effort to get to there – you are never ‘just passing’. You can either fly to Islay or arrive by ferry as follows:
Flights
There are flights to Islay with Logan Air from Glasgow, which take 45 minutes and offer epic views from the plane.
Calmac Ferries
Most people visit Islay using the Caledonian MacBrayne (Calmac) car ferry, so they can use their own vehicles whilst on the island. The crossing takes just over 2 hours from Kennacraig on the mainland at Kintyre. There are two crossing routes from Kennacraig:
- Arrives into Port Askaig (north Islay)
- Arrives into Port Ellen (south Islay)
You can also travel on a Calmac ferry from Oban to Islay.
IMPORTANT – You should book your ferry crossings in advance to get the crossing times that you want. Usually, the summer timetable will be released in January with a 4–6-month window for bookings.
Don’t leave it to chance, check the Calmac website for booking details!
TIP – subscribe on the Calmac website to receive notification of timetable releases. If you have a dog you need to book it on, so select the pet in passenger lounge option so they can come into the ferry interior with you. They have designated pet friendly areas on-board.
Car Hire
If you’re not taking your own car when you visit Islay, I would advise prebooking a rental car through Islay Car Hire for your island stay. Public transport links are rather hit and miss, and the buses don’t run on a Sunday. You can manage without a car, but you may lose time waiting for taxis or buses to arrive, not necessarily at times to suit you 0 an issue if you have activities or whisky tours booked.
Our journey to Islay from North Yorkshire
We drove from North Yorkshire towards Glasgow, stopping at Mainsgill Farm on the A66 to pick up some old-fashioned sandwiches wrapped in cellophane, and to say hello to the camels in the field (yes, I had to look twice)!
We passed Glasgow this time and drove along the banks of Loch Lomond (22 miles long), which should have been scenic but sadly was too misty to see anything. We stopped overnight at Loch Fyne Hotel & Spa which worked well, as it was only one hour’s drive to the Kennacraig ferry terminal the following morning.
Loch Fyne Hotel & Spa offered Scottish snacks in the room (Tunnocks biscuits are always a winner!), a Spa with outdoor jacuzzi and sauna barrel, tartan carpets and great seafood options in the hotel restaurant overlooking the loch.
On arrival at Kennacraig ferry terminal, we parked up in lane and waited for the ferry to start loading at 12.30pm ready for 1.00pm departure. The 2-hour ferry crossing was very pleasant with wonderful views along the way. We wondered why so many people headed straight to the cafeteria as opposed to watching the views but found out later the ship does a cracking cooked breakfast.
So, on our return journey, we headed straight to the breakfast queue to see what we were missing, and it was very good indeed – breakfast with a view from the floating restaurant windows!
When to visit Islay?
The good news about Islay is that it benefits from the Gulf Stream passing by which ensures that temperatures don’t dip too low throughout the year.
If you want to visit when its warmer but avoid the midges, then April to June is a good window to visit Islay.
There is a world-famous Whisky Festival (Fèis Ìle) held on Islay during May, usually the last 10 days of the month, which celebrates all things whisky. During the festival there is a full programme of events such as whisky tastings, distillery tours, folk dancing and live music. I have not been yet but understand that it’s a fun time to be on the island. Unsurprisingly, the island books up for festival time and so if you will need to plan ahead, identify your accommodation, and book early!
For information about touring the 9 whisky distilleries on Islay, read my blog A guide to exploring the whisky distilleries on Islay – one of the 7 wonders of the whisky world!
Where to stay when you visit Islay?
There are 3,000 inhabitants on the Isle of Islay, but the number of people on the island during Whisky Festival time can increase to 15,000 people from all over the world, which is a lot of extra people to accommodate.
With no large hotels on the island, you will need to book rooms in small hotels, guest houses, B&Bs and self-catering accommodation. Alternatively, there is camping at Port Mor campsite, or a Youth Hostel in Port Charlotte.
Port Charlotte Hotel – is a lovely hotel on the western peninsula, just north of Bowmore. It has a fantastic bar and restaurant, serving lots of fresh fish and oysters each night. If you’re lucky you might be able to experience one of the folk music nights at the hotel. We had a very enjoyable stay there on our first visit to Islay.
Self-catering rentals and B&Bs – we also once stayed in a fabulous rental on Kilnaughton Bay opposite Port Ellen on the southwest of the island, however this is currently no longer available to rent – shame, because it was a corker!
For accommodation options on the island have a look at:
- www.islayinfo.com
- www.islayjura.com
So, the main advice when deciding to visit Islay is to book your transport and accommodation early to make sure that you get the bookings that you want. It is a special journey to visit Islay but you will be delighted by what’s in store for you when you arrive!
Now that you have your travel and accommodation booked, now it’s time to plan your itinerary for your time on Islay. To help with this, read my blog How best to visit Islay and sample island life in the Inner Hebrides, Scotland.
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