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Peat Cutting Ceremony Port Charlotte Distillery
Saturday, September 06 2008With the weather being rainy I thought I'd give it another go and create one more video. After the Bruichladdich Open Day video of this morning I am ready with the next Islay video, which is the First Turf Cutting Ceremony at the site of the new Port Charlotte Distillery. This special and historic event took place just before the open day on the 27th of May 2007. As you can see it was a glorious day and quite a few people showed up in Port Charlotte. In the video you will see the familiair faces of Jim McEwan and Duncan Mcgillivray and the less familiair faces, well at least for me, of Sir John MacTaggart and Lady Caroline MacTaggart. I hope you enjoy the video!
Tag: video bruichladdich event port charlotte distillery jim mcewan
Islay Pipe Band at Bruichladdich Open Day 2007
Saturday, September 06 2008I had created a few Islay Video's a while back which can be seen in the Islay video Media Album but I wasn't too pleased with the quality, specially playing them from the website was a bit slow. It requires a special type of web-hosting, something I don't have. That's one of the reasons why I created a new video today and posted it on youtube. They are specialised in doing this which makes life a bit easier for me! I have hours of video material so I will try to upload some more stuff in the next months.
The video I have created today is the beginning of the Bruichladdich Open Day at the Islay Festival of 2007. It started after the peat cutting ceremony at Port Charlotte from which I have some more video material as well, but more about that later. The video starts with some music from ELO, Mr. Blue Sky, referring to Jim McEwan's deal with the Man above to get sunny weather on their open day. After the introduction you can see, and hear, the Islay Pipe Band entering the Bruichladdich Distillery square where they play together with the Edmonton Pipe Band.
Tag: video bruichladdich pipe band festival
Islay Tope Fishing Festival 2008
Friday, September 05 2008
With a record turnout of boats and an army of enthusiastic anglers, some of whom came all the way from County Durham just for the occasion, the Stormcats Islay Tope Fishing Festival once again proved to be a hugely enjoyable and successful event for the third year running. The chosen battlegrounds this year, where contestants hooked up and cast their weapons, were Bowmore on Saturday 9th, and Port Ellen on Sunday 10th of August. After an initial two hour delay on the first day, due to strong winds and rain, the weather eventually cleared, the boats headed out to sea, and by the end of the day, six tope had been caught in as many hours, with the biggest weighing in at 46 lb. (see also the video below)
On Sunday the tope were surprisingly elusive, so much so that, in spite of the dedicated efforts of 29 boats, not one could be found. However, there were indeed other fish queuing up to take the bait, and catches from Port Ellen showed a greater variety of species than in Loch Indaal, including Squid, Gurnard, Sand and Conger Eel, Pollock, Mackerel, and even Starfish... which is still a fish is it not?! On Sunday evening, after weighing in and admiring the loot, there were burgers, hot soup, drams, and an exciting range of well earned prizes to look forward to. First prize for the Heaviest Tope went to 10 year old Millie Mitchell, the star of the show, who swept the board by winning five major prizes altogether. Paddy Macgranaghan won second prize for the Biggest Bag, and Anne Gredley took home the award for ‘Most Unusual Fish’, a stunning bright red and white Gurnard with blue tipped fins. Continue reading.....
The Beginning of the End for Calmac?
Thursday, September 04 2008
The BBC reports today about the inquiry into the state subsidised ferry company Caledonian MacBrayne in an article titled "Calls for end to ferry monopoly". The European Commission is currently investigating the way the company is being subsidised by the government, stating that this is against the rules of fair competition. A first call to break up Calmac's monopoly has been submitted. Could this be the beginning of the end for the ferry company? A quote from the BBC website:
CalMac, along with Northlink Ferries, is under EU investigation amid complaints that subsidies they received breached competition law. "Subsidy is increasing all the time, but that subsidy is being used to finance high operating costs, it's not coming through in reduced charges to the user," said Prof Baird. "It means the economies of the islands aren't really benefitting. Who's benefitting here is, to a large extent, the ferry operator, staff and management." Prof Baird has gone further, calling for the privatising or scrapping of CalMac - but how would the loss-making lifeline routes be safeguarded and fares protected? "That is overcome quite easily by the imposition of tariff ceilings on certain routes, if prices can be agreed with an operator," suggested the academic. "The increases in prices can be kept to certain levels below inflation, perhaps, like the Isle of Man does." He added: "In almost all other parts of the world, ferry services are provided by the private sector. They are reliable and there's little public concern about them continuing." The European Commission investigation is expected to last up to 18 months, but these early submissions may set Brussels on a course of demanding radical reform of Caledonian MacBrayne - for so long as much a part of the Highlands and Islands as rain and midgies.
Irish Interest in Islay
Thursday, September 04 2008
Being on the other side of the north channel, it's likely that there will be some interest from Islay's neighbours, the Irish, for the island. There have always been strong links between Ireland and Islay, sometimes dating back for hundreds or even thousands of years. Since the Ballycastle to Campbeltown ferry has been cancelled, the number of Irish visitors may have been down, but the interest is still there. A couple of weeks ago I was contacted by someone from an Irish magazine called nós*, which is a new contemporary Irish language magazine for the modern age. So far only four editions have been published and all of them are available online from their website. The reason for contacting me was to ask permission to use a few of my pictures and of course I agreed as you can see in the picture. They used a panorama picture of Portnahaven, probably because it's closest to Ireland, and a picture of Bunnahabhain on the second page. The article is about Irish Gaelic speakers coming to Islay to learn Scottish Gaelic. The two are very similar and after a short while it's quite easy for Gaelic speakers from both countries to speak to each other. Continue reading....
New Islay Videos - Beinn Bheigier - Jura Ferry
Wednesday, September 03 2008AwesomeBritain, a user on youtube, has posted a few interesting new Islay Videos in the last weeks. The first one is from a walk he made to Beinn Bheigier, the highest hill on Islay, Glas Bheinn and McArthur's Head. Interesting to see the lighthouse from the other side. Around the same time I was with Arra just below the lighthouse when we sailed the Sound of Islay in his speedboat. The sound in the video isn't great due to the strong winds but the views make up for that.
Another video he posted is a relatively short one from the Jura Ferry, Eilean Dhiura. It was quite a concidence that I found it today, since I also finished the Jura Ferry page today on the Islayinfo website.
Tag: video beinn bheigier jura ferry youtube
Islay Book Festival - 6th/7th September
Wednesday, September 03 2008
The Islay Book Festival, formerly known as Port Ellen Book Festival, will be held this weekend, Saturday 6 and Sunday 7 September, in the Port Ellen Primary School. The event is sponsored by the Mactaggart Family, Schroder Foundation and the Ardbeg and Laphroaig Distilleries. The following information was published in the Ileach:
Ali Smith is not only one of Scotland’s most celebrated and accomplished authors, but she also provided the original impetus for the Islay Book Festival. It is therefore appropriate that Ms Smith, who has won the Whitbread Novel of the Year and been shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize twice, should be one of the star guests this year. It was a suggestion from Ms Smith three years ago which led to the first Islay Book Festival and she will be on the island for this year’s event on 6 and 7 September, to read from her novels. Her recent book, Girl Meets Boy, was the Diva magazine Book of the Year and she will explain how she has achieved so much success in such a short time. Also appearing will be historical novelist Janet Paisley. She will concentrate on her latest work, 'White Rose Rebel', a stirring tale - based on the lives of real characters - from the Jacobite rebellion. More information is available on the Islay Book Festival Website.
Tag: book festival port ellen
Islay Winter ferry service confirmed to 2011
Tuesday, September 02 2008
Last winter Caledonian MacBrayne introduced a second ferry dedicated to freight preference traffic in order to meet unprecedented levels of demand and increased production levels from the Islay whisky industry. This proved to be successful. Following discussions once again this year with the distillers and the local community CalMac have agreed to continue with the second vessel this coming winter 2008/09, and to remove the freight restriction. This along with the decision to match the winter timetable as closely as possible to that which applies in the summer, means that the whole island will benefit from the changes which CalMac intend to apply until the new ship arrives in 2011. At that stage CalMac will review the service.
Story published with kind permission of the Ileach
Tag: ferry transport travel winter
Beautiful Kimberley Where are You
Tuesday, September 02 2008Kimberley. I hope you read this blog. We met in Dunoon. You live with your sister on Islay and was with Rose. We talked about photography, politics and meditation. I gave you a card with blue sky, a crystal and prayer flags. I meant what I said. You are beautiful. You have a pure heart. I post this just to let you know I am thinking of you. Please contact me. With prayers for your happiness and health. Much Love. Robert of London.
Becky's new Islay Greeting Cards Website
Monday, September 01 2008
It's only a couple of days ago that I announced a new Islay website and today I found three more recently started websites. The first one, which I will discuss today, belongs to Becky Williamson who works at the Natural History Trust and is known on this blog through the magnificent coastline walk she finished this year. Becky also takes pictures and she is really good at it, in fact she is so good that she uses them for her beautiful greetings cards from Islay which she sells through her website, and in the summer season at the Made on Islay Markets in Port Ellen and Bruichladdich. A wee quote:
My name is Becky Williamson. I moved to Islay from the city in August 2004 and have never looked back. Island life suits me; the scenery is amazing, the air is healthy, the pace of life is ideal and it’s a safe environment for the kids. I enjoy walking, bird-watching and, of course, photography. There are ample photo opportunities here so Islay scenes are featured on a lot of my cards.
Her website is called Solus-is-Sith which means "Peace and Light". A well chosen name because peace and beautiful light are exactly what her pictures reflect! The cards in her online shop come in various sizes with different (Islay) themes. She also sells a calendar from which a good part is passed on to a charity, the Marine Conservation Society, and a whole range of bookmarks for as little as £1.00. If you are looking for a print from any of her pictures you are welcome at her other website at www.beckydrewpictures.co.uk, and you should take a moment to have a look at the pictures from the Outer Hebrides too, they are magnificent!
Tag: photography websites landscapes
