Islay Panorama - Lagavulin Bay

During our last Islay trip we were blessed with gorgeous sunny days which offered ideal opportunities to take some lovely pictures. On a Thursday early in October we headed for Lagavulin Bay. To access this lovely sheltered bay take the main road from Port Ellen to Ardbeg and after you pass the Lagavulin Distillery and the village of Lagavulin you will see a small track to your right. This track will take you to the bay where you can park your car. Directly in front of you are the ruins of Dunyvaig Castle, a former stronghold of the MacDonalds of Dunivaig. The castle itself was the centre of military and political activity in the 17th century. What remains of the castle is an outer courtyard and some of the upper and lower levels which are connected through a stair.

The walk to the castle is easy, just cross the fields in front of you. From the castle you have magnificent views over Lagavulin Bay and the distillery. Looking east from the castle over the Sound of Jura there's the Kintyre Peninsula and to the south the island of Texa. When you pay attention you will probably spot some seals here as well. This is another one of these beautiful places on Islay, ideal for a picnic and, like the Singing Sands, one of the finest places on Islay to sit and watch the world go by, specially on such a beautiful sunny day.

The panorama picture below was taken from the castle grounds and covers the whole bay, from the Sound of Jura on the left, Stormcats Boatbuilders left from centre, Lagavulin distillery in the middle and on the right some of the remains of Dunyvaig Castle. Clicking on the picture opens the full panorama in a new window. Please allow some time to load.

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