Traveling again: Off to the Isle of Islay

Months ago, my family and I decided that we would arrive in Scotland about a week before the program began in order to explore Scotland a wee bit. We settled on a trip to the Isle of Islay (pronounced “eye-la”), one of the southern Hebrides Islands. Islay is famous for its Scotch, with 8 distilleries on the island, and for its birds, with at least 250 species being sighted on the island.

Djanko and a clock in Glasgow

In order to get to Islay, we utilized three types of transportation: bus, train, and ferry. Of course, the route was not a short one. We took the bus from Dalkeith to Waverley Station. Then we walked to Waverley Station to take a train to Glasgow. We arrived at the Glasgow Queen Street Station and then walked to the Buchanan Street Bus Station. Although there were a few kiosk maps along the way, we got turned around. The maps on the kiosks were oriented in different directions. Unlike most of the maps that we regularly view, these were not always oriented with the north at the top of the map. As you can guess, there were some grumblings, but someone noticed our confusion and pointed us in the right direction.

sculpture in the Glasgow Buchanan Street Bus Station

 

We then took the bus from Glasgow to Tarbert. The bus driver asked us which Tarbert because there are two Tarberts and a Tarbet. The name Tarbert comes from the Gaelic word tairbert, which means a narrow strip of land between two bodies of water. The Tarbert that I wanted was Tarbert Loch Fyne, the town of Tarbert along the body of water called Loch Fyne. Just a clarification, loch means both lake and an inlet of the sea. Loch Fyne is an inlet. 

The three hour bus ride along the west side of Loch Lomond (the largest lake in Britain’s mainland) and through the southern Highlands was gorgeous. On a few mountaintops I saw snow – not that I have missed snow yet. The road was winding, curvy, and all things that those who are prone to car sickness dread. Thank goodness for Dramamine! 

Djanko, Seryahna, & Tarbert Castle

Ahhh…at last we arrived in Tarbert. Tarbert lies on the east coast of the peninsula of Kintyre on an inlet of Loch Fyne. Idyllic fishing village is one description that came to mind. We stopped into the bed and breakfast that we had booked and then walked around. After an early dinner at a local café, we walked along the harbor and saw a sign for Tarbert Castle. We climbed many steps, went through a gate, and walked on the top of the hill to a ruin of a castle. There are still two walls standing, and then there are the remains of outer walls, cisterns, and other features of the castle. Seryahna and Djanko loved running around and exploring the ancient ruins. The castle itself has a history dating back to the 7^th century as a fort. There is more known about the castle in the 1200s and 1300s. Robert the Bruce, the King of Scots who secured independence for Scotland from England in the early 1300s, repaired and expanded the existing castle in 1325 (“Tarbert Loch Fyne Royal Castle,” 2014). Evidence of more recent residents, sheep, littered the ground. The views of the harbor from the castle are fabulous. 

View of Tarbert's harbor from the castle

For more information, you can read about the Tarbert Castle at http://www.tarbertcastle.info/

http://www.tarbertlochfyne.com/history/tarbertroyalcastle.php

The town itself is a fishing village, although the fishing, particularly herring, has declined. Tourism currently plays a role in its economy. Its idyllic harbor and proximity to the southern Hebrides Islands make it an increasingly popular destination.

Tarbert's harbor

The ferry to Islay does not leave from Tarbert. It leaves from Kennacraig, a few miles down the road. We hired a taxi to take us in the morning for the 9:45 ferry to Port Ellen, the town on the south end of the island. Our taxi driver, David, arrived at 9:00am, sharply dressed, and ready to take us to the ferry. When we got to the ferry, one of the employees hurried out to say that there was no 9:45 ferry to Port Ellen because one of the ferries was being repaired. The next ferry was at 1:00pm to Port Askaig, on the northeast section of the island. Well, David the cab driver (and owner) felt quite badly because he had not thought about that when I called about a cab. He felt that he knew and should have remembered to tell us. To pass our time, David offered to take us to the village of Skipness where he gets his morning paper and to show us Skipness Castle, another ruin of a castle but one that was more intact than Tarbert’s. The village store did not have his paper because the bus driver brought the wrong one. Hmmm??? David explained that the papers come by bus from Glasgow, and sometimes the incorrect papers get delivered. Life on the peninsula. 

Village of Skipness

view from Skipness village

Skipness Castle is equally picturesque as the one in Tarbert. It was built in the 12^th century (“Skipness Castle,” 2007-2014), and its 4 walls (no roof) stand on an emerald lawn looking across the Sound of Bute towards Arran Island. Again, Seryahna and Djanko loved running around castle and across the grounds. The castle would be great for hide and seek. One of the spots that would have been a good hiding spot until you read the plaque; the latrine chute.

David and Skipness Castle

Ruins of the chapel at Skipness Castle

View from Skipness Castle

the latrine chute

For more on the Skipness Castle: http://www.skipness.info/castle.php

David was quite knowledgeable about the history of the area, so he was able to tell us about the castle and Tarbert. He also talked about the little school in the village of Skipness that had a total of 4 children attending it this year. One year there was only one child.  

Because we still had a couple of hours to wait, David dropped us off in Tarbert again and agreed to pick us up for the 1:00 ferry. Of course we had to visit the Tarbert Castle again and take a walk along the trail that leads to it. David had told us that the foot path led from Tarbert to Skipness, a distance of 9.5 miles. As you may guess, we did not walk that far. David picked us up around noon and dropped us off at the ferry terminal. 

The ferry MV Finlaggan is a newer ferry built in Poland. David, the cab driver and impromptu tour guide, had lamented about how the ship-building industry has left Glasgow and now the newer ferries are no longer built in Scotland. Being a newer ferry, it was quite fancy, and we enjoyed the two hour ferry ride to Port Askaig.

Gaelic translations were everywhere!

Once in Port Askaig, we took a bus to the quaint village of Port Charlotte. Some of the public buses on the Isle of Islay are also used as school buses. Our bus went into Bowmore and filled the bus with schoolchildren. When picking up adults along the route, there was standing room (or sitting on lap room) only. 

We made it to Port Charlotte and found our hotel, which is a family run hotel, restaurant, and pub. The Lochindaal Hotel has been in the family for five generations. Talk about local. After a day of travel, we settled in for a few days on Islay.