Islay Whisky Festival

Well then, it’s been a while since I have written any updates; my activities took me away from internet and laptop in such a way that this is going to be a “double week” update however, before you all walk away in disgust, I’ll be running through the first week quickly as it was the second week, last week, that was the most interesting as I was on Islay for the whisky festival.

 

Custom security

The back gate of Thomas has never locked since I first got the vehicle and recently the catch broke as well on the truckman back so my plans to get a chain or something to secure it and stop people being able to casually access the truck bed became very important. After a few false starts (see my previous update) I settled on one of the dog tie out leads as the best solution and wouldn't you know, it worked. With a couple of winds around the handle and the application of some tie wraps to stop it falling off when the padlock is removed it was lockable around the tow bar and worked really well all last week at the festival and will certainly do for the journey home.

 

The downpour got them

About to order

Monday I had a lovely meal out with ex colleagues from an old work place. I got there slightly earlier than them and got myself a beer and therefore was able to laugh a lot when they walked in ten minutes later completely bedraggled after the downpour which started just after I arrived and stopped just as they walked in through the door. No matter, they were OK and a few beers quickly put smiles back on their faces. It really was a lovely evening and great to meet friends whom I don’t see as much as I should. We agreed that we should reconvene at the Old School at some point for curry and whisky so fingers crossed that can be arranged at some point soon.

 

Chewed up lino in the kitchen

I got home from work on Tuesday to a bit of a shock; the puppies eating the wallpaper was something I could cope with as I just needed to get some paint and it would all be good again however I discovered that one of them (probably Thelma on past experience) had gone and torn up a section of the lino and chewed it to bits. This is not good as it is a bigger thing for me to make good and meant that I could no longer leave them alone in the kitchen during the day.

 

New prison for the girls

Dreaming of freedom

I had planned on a visit to the shops anyway to get supplies for the festival which I hadn't been able to collect from Asda the night before so off I went to pets at home with the idea of finding something to allow them to maybe be kept safely and dry outside. The first thing I saw as I pulled up was a double height rabbit hutch that, after some umming and ahhing, I decided was perfect and so this was taken home, put up (which turned out to be pretty easy) and the girls were introduced to it. I've since lined the bottom section with cardboard and put their water and bed upstairs and now, two weeks later, I can report they are very happy in there. That first lunch I was very nervous of leaving them and pretty much ran home to make sure they hadn't torn their claws out digging. They were fine.

 

Not a very successful fix

With the destructive little girls safely housed I turned my attention to the floor and with some superglue, and slightly stuck fingers by the end, I made a very bad attempt at piecing it back together again. This really did not work and I am now trying to arrange for someone to come and replace the lino before I leave. What a pain.

 

Just heading off to Scotland

And so, rather suddenly, it was Thursday and I was about to leave for my holiday to the whisky festival. My initial plans had been to head off up to Glasgow to stop at my mate Shug's flat over night before heading to the ferry in the morning however I changed these as I was concerned about traffic and it turned out to be a good thing as I didn't finish work until about 6pm. It was then me running around madly trying to get everything done before getting into bed for a nap prior to my alarm going off at midnight so I could leave at 12.30am. When that alarm call came I really struggled to get going and it wasn't until nearer 1am that I finally sat in the car and headed into the night.

 

Panorama at Kennacraig

The journey went really well; I stopped at my favourite service station in the lakes with the aim of getting a backpack and a sealed cup but found that it was shut so pushed on, after a toasted panini and letting the girls have a toilet break, and eventually found the cup I wanted just after crossing into Scotland. I then found my mate’s flat easily and we didn't hang around there at all but just went straight back onto the road to reach the ferry. When we got there we were the third car in the queue and the weather was really bad; raining and windy and not pleasant at all. I had hot water in a flask though so I made both of us a brew and fed the girls in their cage.

 

Number one and number two

Shortly after, as I was watching them eat, a car pulled up that I was waiting for. This was Bart who I had met the last time I was at the festival and the whole reason for the rush to the port was to make sure he was behind me in the queue. After a man hug and a lot of laughter, and the obligatory photograph to prove I beat him there, we hid in the hut at the port until loading time. There was much hilarity as the loaders took Bart’s queue before mine and I was left fuming as he drove past waving onto the boat.

 

Boat breakfast

Heavily overcast on the way over

Fortunately Shug was a foot passenger and he jumped the queue to get a table and breakfast in for both of us so we didn't have to queue. After this it was to the relaxation deck to doze for a bit however it was rather hot in there so I ended up going on deck in the showers and wind to blow the cobwebs away. As we got closer to the island more and more people came outside and eventually there was quite a party atmosphere with everyone getting very excited about going back to Islay.

 

Cheese and Bacon Burger for lunch

Once again we were delayed getting off the boat as we were in a bad position in the hold however we made it off before the puppies had an accident and pulled up in a layby in Port Ellen to allow them out. This would be their first ever experience of a beach and of course I forgot to bring my camera to capture it. They loved it, of course, and ran around lots. We met another dog walker who gave some advice about a location to walk them off the lead which I noted down to try later in the week. After this we headed to Bowmore to drop Shug at his mate’s flat where he would be staying all week and then we went for lunch at a pub in town which was OK, but the burgers were frozen and not fresh which is always a shame.

And we have arrived

The barman gave us what he claimed was a hot tip that Bunnahbhain were already selling their festival bottlings and so we jumped in Thomas and headed around the island to see what we could find. Of course, on getting there, we were informed that actually it was only workers on the island who had been given a chance to get their bottles early and the barman would be getting in trouble for letting the secret out. It wasn't a problem, we had a nice drive and I picked up a couple of very lovely bottles of drinking whisky to start the week of buying rolling.

 

Keen to get to the beach

After this I dropped Shug off and went looking for somewhere to spend the night as I was feeling the effects of almost no sleep and a lot of driving. The first open day of the week was Lagavulin however I had decided to forego being first there so I could go and get a good numbering of the tenth anniversary bottling from Kilchoman which was also going on sale on the Saturday. For this reason I headed over toward Kilchoman and then past over to Machir Bay. I had some vague idea about camping there but there was no signal on my phone so I decided to just walk the puppies and then keep looking for a spot with signal. It was a blustery day but absolutely lovely and the girls were super excited to get out and they were really good on the leads as well.

 

Shipwreck at Machir Bay

We headed down onto the beach and found that the shipwreck was much more exposed than it had been two years ago. I took the girls off their leads (there was no one else on the beach at all) and let them run around while I strolled down to check it out. When we got close they also got interested and this picture, which I think we are going to print out for the wall in the school, is one of my favourites from the entire trip.

 

Bivvy in the lee of Thomas

After finishing our walk (and chasing the girls around for a bit at the end as they didn't want to go back on their leads) I made my way back along the road looking for a camping spot with signal. After a couple of false starts, one of which involved finding a great spot on a hill which was just too far from the car to be suitable, I ended up back down by the loch near Bruichladdich where there is a parking place right next to the bay. I pitched the bivvy and settled myself down for the night with a brew and feeding the puppies while I ate a quiche for my own dinner.

 

Beachcombing

Before turning in for the night I took a short turn on the little stone beach by there, looking at the shells and sea life that had washed up, while the girls ran around sniffing everything. They still didn't go anywhere near the water lapping close by but they were loving it. I turned in quite early, snug as a bug in my little bivvy, and slept through without being disturbed until about 6.30 when the girls fussed be to let out of their bed in the car. I packed everything up and had a brew at the campsite while the bivvy dried out a bit hung over the car door then I was off and over to Kilchoman to wait for their shop to open.

 

First to Kilchoman

Obviously I was stupidly early and there was no sign of anyone, not even staff members, when I turned up and settled myself to read on the whisky barrel furniture in their courtyard. It was nice and sheltered down there, thankfully the gate had been open so I could drive down to the car park and I wasn't having to sit on the lane to wait, and I sat there with the girls running around, supping my brew from my cup, and reading my kindle. After a while a few people turned up for the distillery and I had some nice chats with them, then two others arrived to queue for the bottles but when the shop opened at 9.45am that was it, there was no one else waiting at all. We got fifteen minutes to go through the bottles that were out on display to find a good number and I managed to get number 1000 (for some reason they had not put early numbers on the shelf which is a bit of a shame) and then I was at the checkout at exactly 10am when they can legally sell the alcohol and off away down the road.

 

Quite a lot of people

One other reason for having gone to Kilchoman first before Lagavulin was I was booked onto a tour at 11am and figured I wouldn't be able to get my festival bottle from Lagavulin, get over to Kilchoman for the tenth anniversary release, and then back in time for the tasting and this proved to be a good call as I struggled as it was to get back in time. I did stop in Bowmore to try and collect Shug who had gone there to pick up a bottle of THEIR cheaper festival bottle but we missed each other sadly. Then, on the way down the main road I saw a chap hitchhiking and decided to give him a lift. He turned out to be an old excise man from the island and we had a good chat while we drove along until I dropped him at his car. When I reached Lagavulin the place was heaving and I got parked up and ran down to where I was meeting the guys for the tour.

After a little while milling around we were gathered together and marched into the tasting following a couple of pipers; it was a very grand way to be welcomed to the festival and brought my hopes right up about the coming hour. Sadly this hope was not carried through as rather than being an interesting tasting of lots of different types of whisky it turned out to be a “focus group” type event (for which they charged each entrant £30!) where they asked questions like “what person is Lagavulin to you?” and other marketing nonsense. The band playing while we were drinking (and munching on what were admittedly very good vol au vents) were excellent however which was good. I ended up sitting in a chair at the back waiting for each round of drinks and being quite bored for most of it and I left before the very end to go and get the puppies who had been kept in the car the whole time.

 

Bart finds his true vocation

As I was returning with the relieved puppies I met up with some other people who I remembered from the year before last and chatted for a bit then I joined the queue for bottles, something I really don’t do very often. The girls got a lot of attention which was what I would suffer / enjoy for the rest of the week, and Bart and the gang joined the queue a bit behind me (they had gone for breakfast before queuing I think) so were able to look after the girls while I entered the shop and picked up my bottles. Normally Lagavulin does not sell out on the festival week however this year by Wednesday or maybe Thursday it was completely gone.

 

Cooking up some noodles

With my bottle purchased I went back and rescued Bart so he could go and get his own and while I was sitting there I spotted Steve and Anna, more friends I had made two years ago, and spent a lovely few minutes catching up with them before waving goodbye and heading towards the rumoured “seven mile beach” to run the puppies ragged. The weather was lovely at Lagavulin, so nice I had gone and put my sandals back on, however as I left the clouds came in again and by the time I was done bouncing and bumping over the terrible road behind the airport it was howling winds and scattered showers once more. I declined to drive on the mud towards the beach and parked up there, making sure that Thomas was pointed into the prevailing wind so I could cook my noodles on the back ledge, and let the girls have a good run while limited on their tie out things.

 

This actually went better than expected

After a chilly lunch (and an amused conversation with a local on a dirtbike who had been able to actually get to the beach) I packed up and headed over to Bowmore where I let the girls out on the little stretch of sand there before heading up to see Shug and let the puppies meet the two lovely dogs in the flat. This went predictably enough with Thelma running away a LOT, Louise being a bit more interested, and me ending up picking them both up and holding them to prevent any further psychological damage from being chased by big dogs.

 

Munching away in the almost dry tent

I hung out with them for a bit and then decided that it was time to go over to Bruichladdich to pitch the new tent I’d bought (the weather was terrible and I was concerned my bivvy would not really be enough that night) and get ready for the next day. I managed to pitch it really quickly which was good, and did pick a cracking location for it, and then went inside to feed the girls and get myself a good night sleep. Unfortunately the weather (and the quality of the tent) had other plans and after about half an hour of being soaked by rain falling through the tent I decided to give up and go back to the flat. Shug replied immediately saying it was OK and so I grabbed my bits out of the tent and legged it, leaving it standing by the side of the road.

 

The tent in the morning

I spent a very comfortable night in the flat, though the girls decided that their bed wasn't as comfortable as mine and cuddled up to me during the night which was actually really nice, and when I was up and away the next morning I found my hat had been put on a heater and was lovely and warm, having been soaked when I arrived the night before. I got back to my hoped for camping spot to a small amount of sunshine and a lot of amusement as I saw that the tent had basically collapsed overnight. It was completely broken and useless. It’s a good thing I didn't try and last the night in this; that would not have been a very pleasant experience at all.

 

German fella and wedged umbrella

I took my place at the front of the queue, with my seat, a bed for the girls, their food and water, and my kindle and sat to wait to be let in. Not long after I was joined by a German chap who didn't speak much English at all but who would become another regular acquaintance through the week. He set himself down, tucked his brolly into a gap in the fence, and was perfectly able to survive the weather which kept throwing itself at me. For myself the puppies proved admirable hot water bottles as they snuggled themselves inside my coat. It was a cheerful enough queue which built through the morning and many of the people I met there were those I would continue to greet throughout the week; this very queue was where I met Steve and Anna two years ago as it happens.

 

Skerryvore on stage at Bruichladdich

The girls were doing very well and had a fun walk or two on the beach during the queuing process but before we entered I packed everything up and took it all back to the car, including them for a sleep. There was a bit of a delay before the traditional parade of people who had been to the early masterclass as the police shut the road one way but not the other and this just caused a queue of cars to block the road right in front of the distillery, but eventually that got sorted out, they all got let in, and then (after some frustration as security didn't stop people from jumping the queue) we were allowed into the shop. It was crowded but I got my bottles quickly, returned them to the car and got the puppies, and was back in for the party.

Bruichladdich is traditionally the best party of the week and it always has good weather however while the party was brilliant the weather stayed changeable and the sun stayed away. I had a few drams, taking advantage of the fact that I was going to be camping right outside (in the same place as my attempt the night before,  but this time in the bivvy which I put up during the day) and also I tried a few Islay Ales which were very nice indeed. The bands were good but there was one performer who particularly stood out; a frail lady who played only two songs but they were beautiful. I bumped into her at a pub later in the week and was able to thank her for her performance and she remembered meeting the puppies as well; they really were the stars of the week.

 

Sheltering from the elements

At the end of the party myself and Shug got the puppies and started walking up the road towards the campsite and a “car bonnet whisky tasting” organised by Bart. It was a fair old walk but the company provided by Steven and Anna who were also walking that way helped us almost forget the driving rain and freezing winds. The girls were less than impressed and ended up being carried most of the way tucked inside our coats. When we got to the campsite we found no sight nor sound of Bart and the boys and had a bit of a depressed meal sat outside the café there. Just as we were about to head back to my tent, two miles back the way we had come, I spotted them and found they had been sheltering inside in a changing room. Oh well, Bart was kind enough to share some of his dram which was an excellent Bowmore, and we all walked back (dropping them off at the pub on the way past) to the car through slightly better weather which was a relief.

 

Panorama near Bruichladdich

When we got back to the tent I brewed up for us both as were both gasping for a brew and then we set in Thomas for a little while as we were waiting for Shug's friends to come collect him to take him back to their apartment in Bowmore. I was feeling pretty sober by this point, having had a four mile walk and no alcohol for hours, but by the time I suggested I just run him home they were already pretty close and shortly afterwards turned up. Once he was gone I settled myself into the bivvy and fell asleep almost straight away.

And there I am going to leave this update as it is getting very long and I don’t want to bore you. I’ll pick up the morning after in the next post I do.