Islay off the west coast of Scotland with mcleanscotland best tour company in Scotland we are told

The Isle of Islay is the southernmost island of the Inner Southern Hebrides of Scotland and lies in Argyll and Bute. The Isle of Jura, Kintyre peninsula and Northern Ireland are Islay's neighbours. Islay is pronounced as Eye-la. The earliest known reference to the Isle of Islay comes in Adomnan's, Vita Columbae, a biography of the Irish Saint, Columba or Colum Cille in about 720 AD. St Columba visited the Isle of Islay on his way north, prior to founding the famous monastery on the Isle of Iona, off the south-west tip of the Isle of Mull.

With around 3200 people, and has an impressive 130 miles of coastline. Islay is famous for its malt whisky's and has eight working distilleries making the malt whisky industry one of the most important sources of income for the island. Famous names like Bruichladdich, Bowmore, Laphroaig, Lagavulin, Caol Ila, Bunnahabhain and Ardbeg are the established brands and well known all over the world. With excellent beaches and scenery and golf, there is much more than whisky here!

Evidence has been found to prove that the Isle of Islay was inhabited by very early settlers who came in Mesolothic around 7500BC as fishermen and hunters. In later Neolithic and early Bronze Age times many standing and carved stones were raised. The Cultoon stone circle dates back to this time. Islay was once the main seat of power in the west of Scotland and became known as the home of the Lords of the Isles. The remains of their settlements are still visible at Finlaggan which is a very important archaeological site. The Kildalton High Cross is the last unbroken ringed Celtic cross existing in Scotland, dates to around 800AD. Other high crosses can be found at Kilnave and Kilchoman, and carved grave slabs can be seen at Kilchoman, Kilnaughton, Keills, Bridgend, Finlaggan and Nereabolls.

Whisky festival on Islay, we can assist in your trip with car rental, ferries, accommodation and if you need it, a driver guide!  Our 4 day specialist whisky tour takes you to the “Queen of the Isles” and the Whisky Coast. Stay overnight at a distillery, aye; we can arrange this.

The airport, with its scheduled air link to Glasgow www.hial.co.uk/islay-airport.html

www.calmac.co.uk Ferry services to Islay from the mainland.

Spring time is not just for birds and Otters but for Red Deer too, for this is the time of year when the males will begin casting their antlers. Jura is one of Scotland's best kept secrets. A beautiful island with some 200 people and 6000 deer. It is said that there is a pair of otters for every three miles of coastline.