Port Ellen Travel Video Guide

Port Ellen Travel Itinerary

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Laid out as a planned village in 1821 by Walter Frederick Campbell, and named after his wife, PORT ELLEN is the chief port on Islay, with the island's largest fishing fleet, and main CalMac ferry terminal. The neat whitewashed terraces of Frederick Crescent, which overlook the town's bay of golden sand, are pretty enough, but the strand to the north, up Charlotte Street, is dominated by the modern maltings, on the Bowmore road, whose powerful odours waft across the town. For accommodation in Port Ellen itself, the best place is Tighcargaman (tel 01496/302345; under GBP40), a pottery set back from the road to Bowmore, half a mile from the ferry, followed by the artistic Carraig Fhada B&B by the lighthouse (tel 01496/302114; under GBP40). However, you'd be better off heading up the A846 towards the airport, to the excellent Glenmachrie Farmhouse (tel 01496/302560, ; GBP60-70), a whitewashed, family-run guest house, which does superb home-cooking. Alternatively, there's an independent hostel at the stone-built Kintra Farm (tel 01496/302051), three miles northwest of Port Ellen, at the southern tip of Laggan Bay; the farm also does B&B (under GBP40; April-Sept), has an adjoining campsite , and serves food and drink at the Granary (late May to Aug evenings only).

From Port Ellen, a dead-end road heads off east along the coastline, passing three distilleries in as many miles. First comes Laphroaig , which, as every bottle tells you, is Gaelic for "the beautiful hollow by the broad bay", and, true enough, the whitewashed distillery is indeed in a gorgeous setting by the sea. A mile down the road lies Lagavulin distillery, beyond which stands Dunyvaig Castle ( Dun Naomhaig ), a romantic ruin on a promontory looking out to the tiny isle of Texa. Another mile further on is Ardbeg distillery, whose Old Kiln Cafe is the best place to grab a bite to eat in the area. In common with all Islay's distilleries, the above

three offer guided tours. There are a few B&Bs along the rapidly deteriorating road - Tigh-na-Suil (tel 01496/302483; GBP40-50) has a lovely secluded position. A mile beyond this, slightly off the road, the simple thirteenth-century Kildalton Chapel boasts a wonderful eighth-century Celtic ringed cross made from the local "bluestone", which is a rich blue-grey. The quality of the scenes matches any to be found on the crosses carved by the monks in Iona.

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