Winter on Islay

Some of us find wintertime depressing and long for spring and summer as soon as the leaves start falling from the trees. Others, me including, enjoy the windy and sometimes frosty days of winter and evenings spent around the fireplace with friends and a fine dram. There are not many people who travel to Islay in the winter months although their numbers are increasing, at least so I'm told, and these figures could soon improve even further. One of the goals of the new marketing group "Discover Islay" is to promote Islay as a prestigious winter holiday destination. There is no better way than word of mouth or a detailed travel report to find out how others experienced Islay during these cold and dark winter months. I found a very nicely written travel report by Chris Hall from his Hogmanay trip to Islay in 2003/4, when Chris and his friends were primarily on Islay for birdwatching and observing wildlife. The following snippets of his travel report will give you an idea of how a trip to Islay in the wintertime could be like:

The first day dawned bright and frosty, with a light dusting of fresh snow on the eastern summits. At Kildalton Chapel, with its impressive stone cross standing tall for more than twelve centuries, we spotted Fallow Deer in thick winter coats, followed by a group of pure Rock Doves, nicely composed on a gnarled old tree trunk in the style of a calendar painting. The forecast for New Year's Eve threatened incoming rain by midday. With a wind strengthening to gale force, we headed north, stopping briefly for a Merlin sheltering by the roadside. Crossing Gruinart Flats, there seemed to be geese everywhere, both White-fronts and Barnacles, in their thousands, a marvellous sight. As the rain began to lash horizontally, we decided to throw in the towel and return to the warmth of our hotel to prepare for the Hogmanay celebration. The seven course dinner, welcoming party atmosphere and traditional Scottish dancing made this a most enjoyable and memorable evening. After a late breakfast on New Year's Day we ventured out once more. The rain had ceased but the gale was still in force, creating a dramatic atmosphere for our walk along the cliffs of the Oa. As the sun began to break through the clouds, it illuminated a wild coastal scene with crashing surf, and cliff top waterfalls whipped upwards like smoke by the tempestuous wind. The second of January dawned golden and calm, in total contrast to the day before, and just what we wanted for scanning Loch Indaal. Incredibly almost our first sighting was one, then two and suddenly three Otters cavorting together in the bay! Meanwhile the birdlife was equally prolific and so we didn't know which way to look next. With such marvellous scenery, fantastic birds and 'daily' Otters, its no wonder we keep coming back to Islay and Jura.