Islay

Islay, nicknamed the Queen of the Hebrides, is definitely a jewel in her crown if not the Queen herself! With stretches of white beaches merging into turquoise waters, a myriad of colours in the moorlands and the machair where wild flowers abound, it's definitely an incredible island.

Lying off the Mull of Kintyre, it is the most southern island in the Inner Hebrides. Stretching 25 miles north to south and 20 miles east to west, it may be a relatively small island but it packs a large punch!

There are a few different ideas to explaining the definition of Islay. Some say it once mean't an island divided in two, referring to it's distinctive shape. Others say it was the law island, referring possibly to the days of the Lords of the Isles when they once ruled the westerns seas and islands using Islay as their base. Alternatively, it could have been named after a Danish princess called Iula who perished in the sands of Islay and was burried there.

Whatever it's origins, Islay now stands for amazing whisky (there are no less than 8 distilleries on this small island!), diverse wildlife, picturesque villages, beautiful beaches and a celtic heritage that equals if not betters many of it's contemporaries. It is an island that somehow manages to escape from the crowds of tourists. As soon as you step off the ferry you feel as though time has slowed down and you've arrived in a place where the hassles of reality are banished. It's time to take it easy and relax into the island way of life...!