Excerpts from issue 46/11 16 March 2019
In this issue: CalMac makes more headlines, Air Discount Scheme extended, Mary MacKay in one direction, New faces in Islay catering, Ardnahoe aims for April opening, Kirsty and the Book Festival, Port Ellen's Playing Fileds, IHS rugby
Ardnahoe-pening in April
With work having started at Ardnahoe in May 2017, it has taken just under two years to get everything up and running in this modern distillery, where everything apart from a second hand mill, is brand spanking and we mean brand and spanking new.
We caught up with Paul Graham, visitor centre operations manager with just a few weeks to go until the full opening, in early April 2019. Paul said "We have just one challenge ahead of us and that's the BT Open Reach to connect us to the world"
The production rooms and equipment are up and running and the modern visitor centre bar, cafe and shop are all fully kitted out and ready to go
The 'Islay Journey' whisky in classy green packaging, is on the shelves made from barrel slats that the staff have helped to design for the tour room.
Complementing the green colour scheme are Ardnahoe branded lilac cycle tops as designed by a local cyclist, ready for the routes of Islay and beyond. The walls are adorned with some beautiful pictures, wall mountings of barrels and stag heads.
At the business end of the distillery the two huge stills are in an appropriately huge room, with the 'front' wall completely glazed. Which, on a sunny day, as it was on our visit, is going to increase the already hot temperature to desert proportions.
But, your eyes take the lead sensory role here, with possibly one of the best views on Islay looking through the huge glass frontage. With the Paps of Jura on the right, and a view straight ahead up the Sound of Islay to Colonsay this open view from an island high point, certainly is breathtaking.
With a capacity and annual production set to be just ahead of Kilchoman, making it the second smallest on Islay, the experience of the distillery tour however, will make it second to none.
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Highlander success continues for Dunlossit
A successful weekend was had at Oban's 128th Pedigree Highland Cattle Show and Sale, where cattle from the Ceannacroic fold of Highland cattle were expertly showed by Dunlossit Estate's Alan Hogg. Alan has just celebrated receiving a long service award for twenty five years on the Estate.
Alexander of Ceannacroic who won Champion Yearling Bull at Oban, was sold at the sale for 1100gns and is now enjoying life on the rich grass plains of Belgium.
This young bull's success makes a total of six Champions for the Ceannacroic fold, a remarkable achievement since the herd was only formed in 1999. This, as well as having eight Reserve Champions, cements Ceannacroic's place in The Highland Cattle Society's one hundred and thirty four year history.
Successes, including Champion at The Royal Welsh Show, the Cheltenham Champion and the Male Champion at the Great Yorkshire Show in 2014, are only a few of the achievements that Dunlossit's Highlanders, who are born and bred on the estate, have secured over the years.
Ceannacroic has been showing and selling high quality Highland cattle for the past fourteen years, with the animals averaging 978gns at the sales.
Alan would be the first to admit that he receives a great deal of help from his wife, Jeannie, who delights in helping him ready the beasts for the shows. For one thing, she is a great deal more proficient with a hair brush and a hairdryer than he is!
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Kirsty's new chapter
Kirsty Izat has been appointed as the the coordinator of this year's Islay Book Festival in an appointment she described as "an amazing opportunity."
Portnahaven based Kirsty, was chosen ahead of some strong competition to be named as the new part-time post holder, and she will work closely with the festival committee to deliver the event on August 29 - September 1.
As previously reported in the Ileach, this year's event will be headlined by international bestseller Ian Rankin. Also appearing will be cookery writer and novelist Sue Lawrence, Mortal Engines author Philip Reeve, and high profile historian Tom Devine.
"We've been run entirely by volunteers up to now, but the festival has grown to a point where we needed to bring someone on board as our organisational linchpin" committee chair Isla Rosser Owen told the Ileach.
"With our schools programme and events across Islay and Jura, the festival takes a lot of organising, so we were delighted to find someone local with the right combination of skills, contacts and enthusiasm."
Kirsty is a Legal Studies graduate who worked as a paralegal on the mainland before coming home to Islay along with husband Graham in 2012.
In recent years she has been renovating the family house in Portnahaven and looking after daughters Jessica, 9, and Madeleine, 5. She is currently the secretary of Port Charlotte Primary School's parent council.
Kirsty commented "The last few years have been very child-focused and I was looking for the right opportunity. When I saw the book festival advert in the Ileach, I just thought, that's perfect, it combines my organisational side, my creative side and my love of books. For something like this to come up on Islay is amazing."
Last year's Islay Book Festival was the biggest yet, with more than eight hundred and thirty attendees, hearing from nineteen authors at eleven venues, and eight of the writers visiting the island's schools.
The committee is currently seeking sponsors for this year's event and multi-annual funding to make the festival sustainable over the longer term.
Anyone or any business interested, can get in touch with Kirsty on hello@islaybookfestival.co.uk. Individuals can support the festival through the Just Giving link on www.islaybookfestival.co.uk
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NEXT ISSUE ON SALE, Saturday 30 March 2019
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Islay Diary 2019
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- Saturday 16 March
- Book Festival, AGM, Islay House
- Islay Pipe Band, Quiz Night, Bowmore Hotel
- Islay Kick Boxing, Columba Hall, Port Ellen
- Sunday 17 March
- Scottish Country Dancing, ICCI
- Tuesday 19 March
- Chit-Chat Strollers, Persabus
- Islay Kick Boxing, Columba Hall, Port Ellen
- Wednesday 20 March
- Baptist Church Walk
- Thursday 21 March
- Badminton, IHS
- Saturday 23 March
- Photo Display, St. Kiaran's Church
- Islay Kick Boxing, Columba Hall, Port Ellen
- Kilmeny Ceilidh Club Meeting, Ballygrant Hall
- Sunday 24 March
- Scottish Country Dancing, ICCI
- Islay Quilters Crochet Workshop
- Tuesday 26 March
- Chit-Chat Strollers, Ardbeg
- Islay Kick Boxing, Columba Hall, Port Ellen
- Thursday 28 March
- Badminton IHS
- Friday 29 March
- Wear Your Hat Day, Bowmore Co-op
- Saturday 30 March
- Wear Your Hat Day, Lochindaal, PC
- Finlaggan Centre Opening
- Open Ploughing Match
- Islay Kick Boxing, Columba Hall, Port Ellen
- Sunday 31 March
- Scottish Country Dancing, ICCI
- Thursday 25 April
- Badminton IHS
- Thursday 2 May
- Badminton IHS
- Thursday 9 May
- Badminton IHS
- Thursday 16 May
- Badminton IHS
