Islay seems the idyllic Scottish Isle ... rolling hills, small neat villages,  historic sites and, of course, eight working distilleries, plus another on Jura. We were drawn by the whisky, which, by the way, is no cheaper or available there than here, but discovered a quiet peace seldom found. Above, Jack explores the ancient seat of lords, Finlaggan.
(Click thumbnails for larger versions)

The distillery of our favorite single malt (when we can afford it) sits up the road from Port Ellen seaside and has this lovely view.

We were among the many "Friends of Laproaig" and had to see our square yard of their peat bog (too boggy to find specifically.)

But we did collect our annual rent (an airline-size bottle of the spirit), and enjoyed a complimentary tot. We've seen distilleries, so took no tours. Click here to see the distillery's history as shown on the casks in the "Friends" lounge.

Just next door, is the distillery of our second favorite single malt, Lagavulin.

It's right down the main street from Bowmore's picturesque church, round so the "demons can't hide in the corners. Our new friend Doreen Bresagk got a photo of its cemetery.

Our new discovery is a whisky from Jura, which is a 5-minute ferry ride from Port Askiag on Islay. From the ferry you can see its three "Paps."

Then you drive for about 45 minutes on a single-lane road, minding the occasional road obstructions and looking out for the occasional stag in the hills.

Then you reach Craighouse, where you find the distillery and the Jura Hotel. In its bar we discovered Superstition, a hearty blend of different ages of Jura single malts. It has become a new favorite.

... and semi-tropical foilage.

Islay pheasants seemed content to stroll as we drove our car on a couple Islay back roads.

A trip to Finlaggan, the Centre of the Lordship of the Isles, was a special treat. The small welcome center included a model of the ancient site, which was a short walk away.

This important part of Scottish history, esp. for the clan of the Donalds, is actually on three islands, which are now reached over a marsh by a long boardwalk.

Doreen snapped a shot of us there that we really liked.

A number of stones from ancient graves remain in the chapel.

Off shore is the smaller Council Island, which was used for meetings and ceremonies.

If you keep going down the road from Port Ellen to the distileries, you'll find an untended ancient church yard, the site of the Kildalton Cross from the early 8th century. There are explanatory signs

... but many stones in the church yard are still standing.

Inside the walls are a number of grave covers ...

... and some interestesting details.

Another interesting cross is across the road on the edge of rolling hills.

We did get out to the RSPB hide out near the Mull of Oa, where we saw thousands of noisy migrating Graylag Geese.

And this unusual shrub, which we've yet to identify.

Doreen took the hike over the hills to the Mull of Oa, where she took this photo.

And, this one of the American Monument, which honors 618 American soldiers and sailors who died in two boat tragedies during World War I.

... where we saw these sheep resting (and praying?) alongside the harbor.

One of the things that made our trip extra special was the wonderful bed and breakfast, The Oystercatcher.

It is located across the main road from the harbor in Port Ellen.

We could also see the monument honoring Islay's war dead.

Perhaps its greatest feature was the unbelievably delightful host Lynn Ross, seen here in the back garden.

Of course, having the "Tardis" for a shower also added to the fun.

But eventually the end to our visit came when we had to catch the ferry, at about 6:30 a.m., back to the mainland.

The sun was coming out as we headed back toward Kennecraig.