As promised .. the last few days of Feis Ile 2010 trip

Mike writing: many apologies for the delay in this entry. As we mentioned in the last entry, dated 31-May, we had a bit of an adventure during the return to the USofA. Since then we've been busy and I was completely remiss in my obligations to readers of Oor Alba Blog; on the plus side I have been making a list of blog subjects that will keep me busy, and you reading, until our next only-God-knows-when trip home.



We left Islay on Saturday the 29th at approximately 2PM, via the ferry from Port Askaig. We wanted to leave from that port as the ferry passes by Dunlossit House and McArthur's Head Lighthouse. But between waking, packing, loading the car and boarding the ferry we had some time.

The first place we (re)visited was The Spar, in Bridgeend where we bought a wee book about Gaelic to add to our growing collection, and hopefully assist us in our goal of learning the language. Then we were off to Finlaggan, specifically to ask for information regarding Mulreesh, a now abandoned settlement that was in the Finlaggan area. We were provided some assistance and off we drove. Eventually though we encountered a gate, and rather than open it, drive through, close it and continue, I executed a 40 point turn in the one-track road and we headed back to the main road.

Back at the main road we decided to visit Caol Ila distillery but it was closed; I had completely forgotten the day was Saturday. So, we sat there for a while, chatting, writing, eating some snacks, and taking more pictures of The Paps of Jura. Soon enough though it was time to get into line for the ferry so we headed to Port Askaig.

After boarding the ferry, J sought shelter from the rather raw/windy weather in the lounge. I stayed outside taking pics (including even more of The Paps), chatting with other passengers, and waiting to see the lighthouse. Eventually we were back at the Kennecraig terminal and headed to our overnight destination, just a few miles down the road ... a (we believe) God ordained stay at Bluebell Cottage !!! BBC is very modern and our hosts, Iris and Graham Terry, were friendly, and helpful; we highly recommend BBC.



After settling in we asked about a place to eat and the West Loch Hotel was suggested. Graham called ahead and was told that if we "come right over we'll seat them in the back bar." Well we headed right over, were seated, and had a lovely meal, and conversation with 3 locals who were sitting at a table next to us. If they are reading this we thank you for making our evening so enjoyable and memorable.

The next day, after a great breakfast, we packed up and headed back toward Glasgow (where we would be staying with our friends Gordon and Margaret Campbell in Duntocher), stopping for petrol in Tarbert. As an FYI for our state-side readers, we paid almost 1pnd 30pence for a liter of petrol. There are 4 liters per gallon. Assuming a pound is worth about $1.50, you do the math. Yes, more than $6.00 per gallon !!! True to my form I spent several minutes chatting with folks I met in the station. I cannot express how much I love being in Scotland and talking to anyone who will talk to me. Then ,,, we were off.



It was about noonish that we arrived in Inverary and I wanted to visit the Loch Fyne Whiskies store, but we had to wait until 12:30. See the picture of the sign; I love it. Inside the shop I found a wee bottle of Inverleven that I purchased. Despite my love for Islay whisky I am also a fan of Lowland (go figure, eh?) and I keep a list of lowland in my wallet so I know what I am looking for whenever I have a chance to shop. With only a few minutes to spare on the parking meter we departed Inverary.



Arriving safely at Gordon and Margaret's in Duntocher, we visited for a while and then Gordon and I returned the car hire to the airport. Then we (Jacqueline and I) were treated to a dinner-out at a Chinese Restaurant, followed by a a few drams and conversation at the Campbell's home, until it was time to sleep. The next day we rose early, ate breakfast, packed and were conveyed to GLA. And you know what happened there.

God only knows when, or if, I or we, will ever make it back to Scotland. We pray that it will be so. We pray for an opportunity to live there, at least for a short time. One of the greatest blessings of our trip(s) is the friends we have made. We hope someday to be able to return the favor of hospitality if any of them visit the USofA.

God's blessings and peace to all we have met and who provided places to stay, advice, and more.

Left Alba, arrived USA, thanks to ...

For the past few days we have been without internet access as we made our way back from Islay to the USA. It's almost 9:30PM on May 31, 2010 and we have been back at oor wee cottage for about 2 hours.

The flight back was an adventure that began when we learned, at GLA, that our 10:40AM flight to Heathrow was cancelled !!! However, we were soon booked onto a 10:00AM flight into London's Gatwick airport and from there we took a bus to Heathrow and caught our connection as it was boarding.

My (Mike) next post will be about the last few days of our trip. Subsequent posts will be further thoughts regarding some of what we saw and did, or hope to see and do in the future. After that ??? So ... come back soon.

Thanks to our families and friends (on both sides of the Atlantic) that encouraged, hosted, and supported us.

Today is the day !!! Tha mi agus mo bhean a dol a Alba an-diugh.

If I phrased The Gaelic correctly it translates my wife and I are going to Scotland today. This entry is being made rather quickly due to the time limitations.

We will be in Alba for 18 days. Our friends Gordon and Margaret Campbell will pick us up and convey us to where we will stay for the first "leg" of the journey: the home of Pastor Marshall Cross, and his family, in Wishaw. We plan/hope to fellowship with Pastor, his friends, etc. and visit Kelvingrove Museum, a street that my cousin Kyle McLea has determined is where an ancestor lived and ??? We will also travel to Edinburgh, Greenock, Gourock, and Wigtown.

Following the Glasgow leg we will drive to Tarbert then take a ferry to Islay where we will stay for several days. While there we will revisit several of our "old favorites", see some new sites (Kilnave, Kintra, iron age forts, and Jura) and revisit friends we made last year.

God has been gracious to us and we anticipate spiritual blessings during this time. Thanks be to Him, families and friends who have been encouraging, and supportive.

Well, I need to sign off for now.

Pressing forward to the goal, more family information

Wow, has it been a month since my last entry? Time has flown.

We continue to plan our trip to Alba. It looks this time to last almost 3 weeks between the 2010 Feis Ile on Islay, and several days exploring the same sites that I saw during 2009 Hogmanay/New Year. The only thing left "to do" is book the flights and the car hire; we have arranged accomodations in all areas. We look forward, very much, to our return to Scotland.

As for family, I've begun digging a bit more vigorously into the paternal side of my family, where the names MacLea,and MacKay are represented. I will continue to research those clan names, my family and hopefully have the opportunity to take a picture or two of where they lived, much as I did in Coatbridge.

Sorry, no pictures this time.

"Bagging" Scotland

This blog entry has been on my mind for several days, perhaps longer, since "Bagging Scotland" was brought to my attention via Armin Grewe's Islay Blog. A link to his blog entry is here.

So, what exactly is "Bagging Scotland"? Well, rather than try to explain it, I'll quote from the Bagging Scotland website:

"Give your vacations, short breaks or holidays a sense of purpose! Aim high and make it your life’s work to bag Scotland’s 3,000(ish) Castles or why not try to bag ALL of Scotland’s 95 inhabited Islands in a year? By Bagging the 85 Malt Whisky Distilleries in Scotland, you’ll just happen to pass through some of Scotlands best scenery which is full of Castle culture, history and heritage as well. It’s simple, with Bagging Scotland.

At the risk of sounding narrow minded, I honestly don't understand why anyone would desire to "bag" Scotland. "Passing through" scenery on your way to put another notch in your bag-belt is hardly the way to appreciate the country or its people. I freely admit I've not spent a lot of time in Scotland but what time I have spent has been more enjoyable than my wildest dreams would have expected. I attribute the enjoyment to the simple fact that I was not out to see as much as possible in a limited amount of time.

As a matter of fact, in 2009 mo bhean and I spent more than a week on Islay itself and still did not see all that we wanted. I recently spent more than a week traveling between Ghlaschu, Dhun Eideann, and Dumfries and only scratched the surface. How, I ask, can anyone expect to really appreciate Scotland by tramping all over the place in a mad rush to see all the castles, islands, distilleries, or whatever, in 'x' amount of time?

My opinion is that Scotland is like a beautiful woman (or handsome man, if my reader is a woman): she should be savored and appreciated through time spent in her embrace, lingering for a time at each spot and drinking it all in prior to moving on. Then, when you must leave, return again and again, as many times as possible, but don't rush the moment, and certainly don't be in a hurry to rush to the next "baggable" location.

In any case, that's my opinion. I'd appreciate any readers comments whether, or not, you agree with me.

Sticky Toffee Pudding

During our first Scotland visit, to Islay, we were fortunate to be able to have some meals in the Old Kiln Cafe at the Ardbeg Distillery . One of the highlights of the meals was Sticky Toffee Pudding.

The other day, using the Scottish cookbook given to us by Gordon and Margaret Campbell, my wife made some STP. The recipe called for the toffee to be poured over the pudding so the result was different from what we had experienced in the past; a pudding swimming in a sea of sticky toffee, and (ice) cream !!! Still, it was delicious and I've been eating a bit each day since its creation.



Jacqueline has decided that her next batch of STP will be small, individual puddings, rather than one large. Still, as delicious as it is homemade, we look forward to our next visit to the Old Kiln Cafe, or the Criffel Inn in New Abbey, for a wee taste of STP.

2010 Feis Ile

Booked the ferry passage (Caledonian MacBrayne) from Kennacraig to Port Ellen for 22nd-May. This was done because we plan to take a car with us to the island rather than hire one at the location. Rather dear $$$ to do that though; still, the auto will be useful on the mainland and we are looking forward to site-seeing during the drive from Glasgow to the terminal. We will leave Islay from Port Askaig, so we can see a wee bit of the Sound of Islay, on the 29th May. After we depart Islay on the 29th we hope to spend a few days retracing my footsteps from 2009 Hogmany/2010 New Year. Still, much planning remains to be done for the 2010 Feis Ile journey.

Wobbly glasses, whisky, and Westering Home

While on Islay for the 2009 Feis Ile, we visited all 8 distilleries, and obtained a whisky glass (or two at Bowmore because that's how they were packaged) from each. The glasses came in various shapes and sizes, some round "tumblers", others square, still others recognizable as tasting glasses.

But probably the most unusual glass was obtained at Bunnahabhain. Iain Shaw told us it was to simulate being onboard ship, enjoying a dram. There is a picture (not the best I've ever taken) of said glass, and if you look at the base you'll note that it is convex in profile. Hence, when you place it down, it tilts !!! I must confess that I don't actually use the glass though because when I did, once, and placed the glass down without thinking about the bottom the whisky 'sloshed' a wee bit. I thought of how easily one careless move could knock the glass completely over and I'd rather not spill whisky. So, it remains in a cabinet on display.

While on the subject of Bunnahabhain, during our journey home we purchased a bottle of Darach Ur (Scots Gaelic for new oak) and it's an interesting dram. The aging cask was made from new oak, rather than a used bourbon or sherry cask. A picture of the (almost empty) bottle is attached.

Lastly, Bunnahabhain packaging/labeling shows an Islay man "Westering Home" to Islay, and if you look closely at the label you'll see him. For those who've not heard the song, here is a link to a youtube video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4a5HCyWRyMc

Made in Scotland

While surfing "the web" for even more information about Scotland, I came across this:

http://player.stv.tv/programmes/made-in-scotland/2009-07-23-2100/

It's 4 parts, and about 5 minutes into part-2 there are several minutes about Islay. I have no idea how long it will be available for viewing but it brought a tear to my eye.

Slainte.

Returning to Islay for 2010 Feis Ile

We decided earlier this month to return to Islay for the 2010 Feis Ile. But this time, rather than a B&B, we want to try a "self catering" (renting a small flat for the week) in order to reduce eating expenses, and hopefully overall expenses.

Obviously the first thing to do is find accomodations. I (Mike) sent out a few dozen emails knowing full-well many of the self-caters would be already booked. Happily there were a few available but many of them are intended for more than 2 people and hence the rent can be dear.

One that was not too dear (http://www.islaysmiddy.com/) , and we considered for a moment or two, was ruled out simply because its location, although spectacular,) was too far from a primary road. In the future we will make a plan to stay there for this, our second trip, we wanted to stay somewhere closer to the center of Islay, if possible.

Happily, we received an email from a woman who has a nice, reasonably priced flat in Ballygrant. When I looked at the picture I said "We stopped at the wee store there on our way to Finlaggan." I've posted a couple of the pictures I took so you can see how similar our picture is to one on the Craigard website. http://ileach.co.uk/craigard/an-araidh/index.html

I have posted a map (from http://www.islayinfo.com/map.html) of Islay with three red circles; one near Port Ellen (southern part of Islay) which is where we stayed for the 2009 Feis Ile, another circle up in the north west near Saligo Bay (the not-too-dear-but-too-isolated rental) and the 3rd at Ballygrant which is where we plan on staying.

A Few Memories, Faces, and Impressions

In the midst of the stress and turmoil of my job, I find myself missing Islay and wanting to travel back there if only in my memories. Michael and I, by no means, relaxed on our island holiday last month, yet, in the swirl of my current reality, I find I can return to Islay’s tranquility, its diversions, its magic, its people and its serendipity at every bend in the road—every bend in those skinny roads alone, were discovery for these two American travelers.

I’m keenly aware that my favorite color is green when I think of Islay’s fertile landscape and of the comfort gleaned from its vast open-airy-ness, its sheep-garnished hills, country crofts and ancient stone structures. We delighted in its hidden cottages, tucked into the hillsides that frame the Sound of Islay, as well as in its neat rows of colorful houses that knit together each distinctive village—their homey greens and squares, sandy beaches and sentinel lighthouses, and the prevalence of the island’s ‘beasts’. One such bend in the road treated us to the amazing scene of a herd of cattle ambling across a beach near Bridgend one evening (Traigh Cill an Rhuba, tidal sands of Loch Indaal). While searching a lush rain-soaked field of grass for the remains of the medieval era Kilmeny Parish Church (there is a new church as well http://www.kilmenychurch.org.uk/ ) an exuberant border collie appeared out of nowhere, knocked me down and ravished my face with kisses. I was suddenly six years old and giddy with laughter.

I remember the faces of people we met, the older gentleman smoking a cigarette seated on a bench outside his granddaughter’s home in Portnahaven. Once a Glasgow boy, he found this place too quiet. The hilltop lane he lived on offered a stunning uncorrupted view of the wild Atlantic, my kind of ‘quiet’. One day while madly snapping photos of ruins and cemeteries, the postman came dashing over hill and dale in his wee red truck. To our delight, it was Alan, Michael’s chess opponent of the previous night. I still see the grin of recognition on his face when he stopped to say “hello” and then the red blur of his Royal Mail truck buzzing away along the winding pathways of moor and meedie.

In Port Ellen we happened upon the Celebration on the Green, a children’s festival which was heralded by the Islay Pipe Band marching through the streets. But what equally thrilled us was the sight of jubilant kids and dogs running on the beach there, where we also sat to eat our fish and chip lunch served up by the cheery ladies in the local Nippy Chippy van.

Well, that’s it for today; I don’t want to overwhelm you with all my memories at once and my own rambunctious border collie needs a walk before I return to reality and head off to work. Yet of this I am confident—God’s grace will keep me far above it all.

Mise le meas (Yours faithfully)
Jacqueline