Islay Trip Day Two

Back Blipped 23rd July 2017


Continuing the Dr Who theme... here's an interior shot of the new girlie TARDIS. Well, apparently news that this alien master of time and space is becoming a mistress has awakened the ice armchair warriors of the interwebz. 

I've watched Dr Who since I was two, albeit I have few memories of the first two doctors.But like Thunderbirds and Tiswas, some telly is formative of the young mind and I've seldom missed the show. I never warmed to Capaldi, though, and tired quickly of Moffat's increasingly odd plots and characterisation. I'm looking forward to the new Timelady.

So Day Two of our Islay Adventure took us through some of the most beautiful scenic landscapes I have ever experienced - and how better to experience them than on ridiculously large motorcycles? I'd like to mention one thing here: Scoptland's road network is marvellously good. England's roads are disintegrating and no-one in charge is doing anything about it. 

It was a joy to ride the perfectly surfaced and challengingly twisty roads from Glasgow to Kennacraig, where we caught the ferry "Finlaggen" across to Port Askaig. From there, a fast if slightly bumpy ride down to Port Ellen where we were booked in to a B&B, and off to the pub. 

The pub is too short a word for the Ardview Inn, which is a pub  of the old school and (apart from a stuffy and expensive hotel) the only one in the village. Young adults and old, residents and world travellers conjoined to make a seriously good atmosphere - liberally scented by the extensive shelves of Islay Malts, the stock list for which ran to seven pages. 

We sampled an awful lot of them by the end of our stay.

Oh, the photo is of course of the centrepiece of the ferry Finlaggan's lounge.
(Greg's Day Two)