Islay Malt Whisky Across the Islands

| February 5, 2020
Islay malt whisky is what initially draws a lot of the visitors to our island home. Over the years the distilleries have flourished, and have risen from moth balled buildings, as production has been re-introduced, then increased, encompassing new warehouses and visitor centres, restaurants and shops. New distilleries have been built, a whole range of [...]

Taste Islay and Jura

| September 22, 2019
It has been a week of climbing hills, giggling dogs, sunshine and smiles washed down with delicious produce from the Taste Islay and Jura food festival. If you passed the pottery yesterday and it was closed it was because I was AWOL in Bowmore Square enjoying the celebrations and feast of flavours that the Taste [...]

Beauty Treatments on the Farm

| April 29, 2019
This morning’s breakfast guests have travelled many miles over the oceans to reach our Islay shores. Arriving to experience all that a whisky adventure has to offer, Islay took preference.  Lying on sun drenched beaches in hotter climes closer to their home did not appeal. The wild and beautiful landscape of Scotland was calling. As [...]

Ardnahoe Distillery

| April 14, 2019
For the past few days there has been a bitterly cold wind blowing across the land. According to the Happy Farmer it’s a ‘snell’ wind, one that doesn’t go around you, but bites right through you. On the farm the whisky journey continues as today the tractor is trundling up and down the field, ploughing [...]

Persabus: the Gateway to the North Islay Distilleries

| November 21, 2018
The Happy Farmer has been ‘heuching and cheuching’. We’ve been away for a short break of mainland living. Shops, restaurants, trains, mountains, museums, galleries, Christmas lights, fireworks and rugby. It was lovely to get away and lovely to return home. When you step off the plane the crisp cold air envelopes you. You can breathe [...]

Whisky Times…

| October 1, 2018
Times are changing. The houses that were once home for the workers at Bunnahabhain Distillery have nearly all been demolished. Building work has begun. Bunnahabhain was a thriving village when the Happy Farmer was a young boy. It had a school, a village hall, post office and shop. It was once home to some twenty [...]

Changing Seasons

| September 3, 2018
In the Happy Farmer’s words ‘it’s great to see the sun hanging out again’. The panorama from the farmhouse is changing. The summer colours are merging into an autumn landscape. The barley in the front field has ripened to a rich, golden colour. The Paps are swathed in purple and gold as the greenness of [...]