Visit the Town of Bowmore
The Island of Islay, which is also known as “The Queen of the Hebrides”, lies off the coast of Scotland and falls within the Argyll region. It forms part of the Inner Hebrides and is the southernmost island in this cluster of islands. Bowmore, although small, is the capital of the Island of Islay. On a clear day visitors can see the beautiful Irish coast, which lies just twenty-five miles north, from Bowmore in Scotland. The main language spoken in the region is traditional Scottish Gaelic.
The Island of Islay is regarded as the being the sixth largest Scottish Island. It houses just over three thousand people and covers an area of 239 square miles. What’s more, it is home to a number of migratory and local birds that thrive here because the weather is mild, temperate in comparison to mainland Scotland. Thus it is a popular vacation spot amongst keen bird watchers. Resident birdlife includes Oystercatchers, Barnacle Geese, Choughs, Hen Harriers and Cormorants. February is the best month for bird watching on this island.
Bowmore lies within the historic county of Argyllshire in Argyll and Bute, Scotland. Most people feel that Bowmore is represented by both the Kilarrow Parish Church and the Bowmore Distillery. The church is so unique in stature that it cannot even be compared with of some of the most astounding gothic and medieval churches that can be seen throughout Scotland today. The eighteenth century Kilarrow Parrish Church has been designed in a circular pattern. According to local lore this was done to prevent the devil from hiding in any of the corners in the church.
The long standing Bowmore Distillery on the Island of Islay has been weathering trials on the shore of Loch Indaal since 1779. However the tradition of the famous Bowmore Islay Whisky has not changed. The brewery’s proximity to the sea is of the utmost importance when in producing this smooth single malt whisky. The distillery is still one of the few that produces their own floor malted barley, never straying far from the traditional method that has been handed down from one generation to the next.
The Laggan River still plays a pivotal role in the process used today. This ancient river, which is over 2000 years old, absorbs the smoldering taste of the peat as it slowly seeps through from the high rocks above. Once the time-honored process of making Bowmore Islay Scotch Whisky is complete, it is within the famous Bowmore oak vaults that the Scotch is given time to rest and absorb the rich influences of the mellow wood that surrounds it.