Islay Trip 2012

[JohnM]

Anyone going this year?

The dates – Saturday 20th October to Tuesday 23rd October.
The cost - €872 or £680.
This includes the following –
Coach travel & ferry crossings, accommodation 3 nights, dinners 3 nights, VIP whisky tastings at 10 distilleries, lunches x 4 (due to travel this might be sandwiches or ferry food on a few occasions), 1 x breakfast (its make your own at Bowmore cottages). Most rooms at the hotel & cottages are twin so if you require single occupancy, there is a surcharge of €30 per night. There are only 4 double rooms in the cottages, available to first 4 couples.
This doesn’t include –
Flights/ferry from Ireland to Scotland, wine with dinner or bar bills, travel insurance. Travel insurance would be recommended as a cancelled ferry or flight would involve extra costs.
How to book – Places are available on a first come first served basis. To confirm a place, I’ll need a non-refundable deposit (unless I resell the place) of €500 or £400. The balance will be due by the 1st October.
The itinerary below is approximate and might vary due to a number of circumstances
For the sake of costings the trip starts at Glasgow airport with the coach collecting us at 8.30am. However, I realise for the majority of people the trip starts in Dublin.
If you want to fly on the Saturday from Glasgow you can get the Aer Lingus EI3220 which departs Dublin at 6.50am and arrives in Glasgow at 8am. From looking at the website the current flights are around €160 return. If you are happy to fly Ryanair on the Friday & stay in Glasgow on the Friday night flights are running at less than €40 return with no taxes (charges to be added). You can also travel by train & ferry. If you’d like any more information on these options or accommodation in or near Glasgow please let me know.
Saturday 20th October
Glasgow airport
http://www.glasgowairport.com/
Depart 8.30am by coach, hopefully not this one - http://englishrussia.com/images/liaz_bus/1.jpg
I’m told it’s a Mercedes Cimo 35 seater with air conditioning, tinted windows, CD & DVD
Drive time Glasgow airport – Glengoyne distillery 28 minutes
Glengoyne Distillery Tasting 9.15am-10.45am
http://www.glengoyne.com/
Drive time Glengoyne Distillery to Auchentoshan Distillery 25 minutes
Auchentoshan Distillery Tasting 11.25am-1pm
http://www.auchentoshan.com/
Drive time Auchentoshan Distillery to Gourock ferry terminal 31 minutes
Due to rushing for ferry, I expect lunch will be sandwiches & a glass of wine on the bus.
Western Ferries Gourock – Dunoon
http://www.western-ferries.co.uk/
Ferries every 15 minutes, ferry journey 20 minutes, no prebooking.
Arrive at terminal 1.30pm, approx. ferry 1.45pm-2.05pm
Drive time to Portavadie ferry terminal 54 minutes (stunning scenery if weather clear).
Calmac Ferries, Portavadie-Tarbert
http://www.calmac.co.uk/
Ferries every hour, 3.45pm-4.10pm
Drive time to Kennacraig ferry terminal 9 minutes
http://www.calmac.co.uk/
Calmac Ferries, Kennacraig – Port Ellen
Ferry 6pm-8pm
As dinner will be late, I’ll include a meal on board. A full bar on board this ferry with great Islay beers!
Drive time to Port Askaig 34 minutes.
Islay / Jura ferry Port Askaig – Feolin
http://www.islayinfo.com/jura-ferry.html
Last ferry which we’re booked on doesn’t officially leave until 9.30pm landing at 9.40pm. However, Andy from the Jura hotels hopes to bribe them to leave at 8.40pm landing at 8.50pm.
Jura Hotel – Dinner, bed & breakfast.
http://www.jurahotel.co.uk/
We’ll have a 2 course meal on arrival. I’m told the bar has plenty of drams!
Sunday 21st October
Jura Hotel Breakfast 8am-10am (possibly later)
The hotel can organise a morning walk if so desired.
Isle of Jura Distillery tasting 1pm-2.45pm (brunch or lunch at either 12.30pm or sandwiches on the bus)
http://www.isleofjura.com/agecheck.aspx
Islay / Jura ferry, Feolin – Port Askaig
http://www.islayinfo.com/jura-ferry.html
Ferry 3.25pm-3.35pm
Drive time Port Askaig – Laphroaig Distillery 37 minutes
Laphroaig Distillery tasting 4.15pm-5.30pm (still to be confirmed)
http://www.laphroaig.com/
Drive time to Bowmore Cottages 20 minutes
Bowmore Cottages check-in 6pm
http://cottages.bowmore.co.uk/
Drive time to Port Charlotte Hotel 17 minutes
Depart Bowmore Cottages 7.30pm
Port Charlotte Hotel – 3 Course dinner 8pm, live music later possibly
http://www.portcharlottehotel.co.uk/
Monday 22nd October
Make your own breakfast in the Bowmore Cottages.
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Roll-and- ... 3669056164
Exact route & timing of distilleries to be confirmed but the plan is approx.
Bruichladdich Distillery 9am-10.30am
http://www.bruichladdich.com/
Kilchoman Distillery 10.45am-11.45am
http://kilchomandistillery.com/
Ardbeg Distillery 12.15pm-1.15pm
http://www.ardbeg.com/ardbeg/
Lagavulin Distillery 1.30pm-2.30pm
http://www.islayinfo.com/islay_lagavuli ... llery.html
http://www.discovering-distilleries.com/lagavulin/
Bowmore Distillery 3pm-5pm
http://www.bowmore.com/
A few hours to recover!
Harbour Inn – 3 course dinner 8pm
http://www.harbour-inn.com/
Tuesday 23rd October
Make your own breakfast in the Bowmore Cottages.
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Roll-and- ... 3669056164
Coach departs 8.40am
Drive time to Port Ellen 20 minutes
Calmac Ferry, Port Ellen – Kennacraig
http://www.calmac.co.uk/
Ferry 9.45am-11.45am
Drive time Kennacraig to Campbeltown 61 minutes
Springbank Distillery tasting 1-2pm
http://www.springbankwhisky.com/
Lunch tbc
Drive time to Tarbert ferry terminal 50 minutes
Calmac Ferries, Portavadie-Tarbert
http://www.calmac.co.uk/
Ferries every hour, 4.15pm-4.40pm
Drive time to Dunoon ferry terminal 54 minutes
Western Ferries Gourock – Dunoon
http://www.western-ferries.co.uk/
Ferries every 15 minutes, ferry journey 20 minutes, no prebooking.
Arrive at terminal 5.35pm, approx. ferry 6pm-6.20pm
Drive time to Glasgow Airport 30 minutes
Arrive Glasgow Airport 6.50pm
http://www.glasgowairport.com/
Aer Lingus EI3229 departs 9pm, lands Dublin 10.05pm

[IrishWhiskeyChaser]

Would love to go but circumstances will not allow. All I can say is this is a great trip and well worth the effort if people are half interested and looking for something to sway them, so I highly recommend it. Highly enjoyable and everyone gets along swimmingly. Just watch out for any pubs with a half yard it maybe introduced into the proceedings on a whim