Top Things to do in Islay
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What to do and see in Islay, Scotland: The Best Things to do
The Isle of Islay spans 240 square miles, with an impressive 130 miles of coastline. The island is famous for its malt whiskies, and there are eight distilleries on the island. To be sure, many people visit the Isle to tour distilleries and "appreciate" whisky, but the wildlife and scenery are also a big draw. Bird-watching is particularly popular through the year. Just don't try to squeeze it in after a distillery tour or two. Looking through binoculars has been known to make some people woozy, especially after whisky.
Restaurants in Islay
1. Laphroaig Distillery
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 1,093 reviews
For nearly 200 years a small team of dedicated islanders have worked here to create what is considered to be the most distinctive single malt in the world. Of course over time the people change, but our traditional methods, the ancient skills and absolute dedication to quality always remains. We would be proud if you make the journey to visit our home and you will be assured of the warmest of welcomes when you do.
Reviewed By nature-travel-12 - Leeds, United Kingdom
We had a great distillery tour! Very interesting. Lovely friendly and welcoming staff. A great range of choices in the gift shop! Extensive museum. Cosy ‘cafe’ area! A free small bottle for us as we arrived as ‘friends of laphroig’, another free ‘welcome whisky’ in the cafe before the tour, and 3 tasters after, all for the total price of £10! Amazing. We also enjoyed heading out to the field to place our ‘plot’ flag. All in all a great experience and we’d really recommend it!
2. Bruichladdich Distillery
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 991 reviews
We are an innovative Islay distillery producing unpeated Bruichladdich, heavily peated Port Charlotte and super-heavily peated Octomore single malt whiskies. We use a wide range of barley types, including organic and bere, grown on a variety of terroirs including Islay. We also distill The Botanist gin. Mary at the Laddieshop will be glad to organise a tour of our distillery for you and the distilling team will happily answer any questions you may have.
Reviewed By frankt918 - Elmshorn, Germany
Our fourth visit to Bruichladdich confirmed our opinion that this is the best whisky experience on Islay. The friendly, knowledgeable, and (above all) personally engaged Bruichladdich people made our warehouse tour a warming, worthwhile highlight of this year’s Islay vacation. It’s fascinating to see and hear how this distillery has progressed and developed over the years, without losing the ‘family flavor ‘ that makes the visit so much more meaningful. Most of the expressions for sale in the shop are available for tasting, which makes it a bit easier to decide which of the fascinating bottles to purchase (not always an easy decision). We were so pleased with the Valinch 47 that we returned the next day and bought some more bottles! We’ve visited all of the Islay distilleries in the past few years, and we think that Bruichladdich is still the most enjoyable (mainly because of the personal engagement of the good people who work there)!
3. Machir Beach
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 50 reviews
Reviewed By 294mariay - Chester, United Kingdom
Beautiful beach - we were lucky enough to have a calm and sunny day and spent hours wandering around the rock pools and along the sand. Easy to access and decent parking with a bin. No toilets. Not suitable for swimming with appropriate warning signs to remind you .. however there are rock pools and shallower sections where you can at least get your feet wet. Don’t leave Islay without seeing this.
4. Three Distilleries Pathway
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 30 reviews
Reviewed By 0Pete_23 - Dartford, United Kingdom
Port Ellen to the Ardbeg Distillery a distance of about 6 miles in total there and back. Great views as you walk along the tarmac pathway mostly safely separated from the main road. The added bonus three distilleries on the way, or six if you stop on the way back as well……….
5. Ardbeg Distillery
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 929 reviews
Reviewed By FandCNotts
Went on the tour of the distillery and tasting. Being in the off season February I feel we got an extra personal service. Emma our tour guide was really knowledgeable and passionate about the place and the product, the tour was the most informative and interesting out of all the ones I went on. The whiskey is off course top notch, we got to try whatever we liked. The setting of the distillery is breath taking. Loved the Old Kiln restaurant so much went back twice. The pies were so tasty! There is also a path so if the weather allows you can take in the views and have a beautiful walk between Ardbeg, Laphroig and Lavgavulin distilleries. I love everything about Ardbeg and hope to be back one day!
6. Bunnahabhain Distillery
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 496 reviews
Reviewed By Intensivewine
What a great tour - we visited a lot of distillers and this was our last on the island. Fantastic stories and kept giving us new info. Best sherry drams on the island - generous and fantastic range!
7. Bowmore Distillery
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 690 reviews
Islay is a world-class destination in its own right, but for the Scotch whisky lover it is without rival. For those of you lucky enough to visit our wonderful island, a tour of the Bowmore Distillery is a must. It’s here, in Islay’s capital, that we’ve been making Bowmore Scotch whisky for almost two and half centuries. Rich in heritage and awash in expertise, our tours will give you a privileged insight into life behind the distillery gates, and you’ll see for yourself why so many people keep coming back to Bowmore.
Reviewed By nbm408
We took the Secret Vaults Tour at Bowmore and weren't disappointed. Kim was our tour guide. Her passion and knowledge of the distillery, its heritage, and processes were evident. She appeared to love her job and the company where she worked. We saw entire distilling process from start to finish. However, the malting floor was closed, but we did see a video that explained it. The highlight of the tour was walking around in the Number One Vault and tasting whiskey straight from a cask!!!! Highly recommended... make sure you get Kim as your guide!
8. Kilnave Cross
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 15 reviews
Reviewed By 205RichardB - London, United Kingdom
Kilnave is a pretty little chapel, set on the shore of Loch Gruinart, as you head along the road to Ardnave. Well worth the two minute walk down the track from the road (accessed via a gate opposite a discrete pull in with no sign for it), it’s a pretty distinctive place with a magical view. Free as well, with fresh sea air built in to boot. A pleasant ten minute diversion from the Barnacle Geese!
9. American Monument
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 59 reviews
Reviewed By johnboyPeterborough
The walk from the car park to the monument is around a mile and although the day was a bit wet and very windy it was a good bracing walk The views back across the land and out to sea are superb particularly the raw and wild beauty of the Mull of Oa The monument itself which commemorates the several hundred lives lost from 2 troop ships in 1918 is very impressive. It was built by the American Red Cross and honouring their military is something the Americans seem to do particularly well
10. Dunyvaig Castle
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 13 reviews
Reviewed By 985harryk - Leven, United Kingdom
I used to live on Islay and would often walk my dogs around the castle. I would regularly see otters around the castle and even crossing my path when walking.
