Film | Queen of the Hebrides

Islay is little known to many but well known to few.  Lured by the amber nectar from the island’s eight distilleries, whisky lovers travel from far and wide to sample a wee dram of of Islay’s distinctive scotch.  Indeed it was this peaty poison which originally drew my young man to Islay, but there is a lot more to this island than whisky.

First, there’s the journey.  Islay is a long way from most places, and there’s no easy way to drive there.  We traveled north in black and white from Cheshire to Glasgow, along Loch Lomond…

…overland on the Old Military road through Argyll Forest Park…

…and down the western edge of Loch Fyne to Inveraray…

That was day one.  Day two began long before dawn.  We boarded the Kennacraig ferry in colour…

…and docked at sunny Port Askaig at lunchtime.  It was a tiring 36 hour journey, but I’m very glad not to have taken the easy option and hopped on a plane, because each mile added to the sense of isolation which made the destination all the more magical.

Captured on Kodak Portra & Ilford 3200 Film | Order Prints Here