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Carraig Fhada lighthouse on its rocky point under a dark sky.
Part of Argyll and Bute

Isle of Islay.

Where to go, eat and stay, and the days between.

Carraig Fhada Lighthouse

The guide.

Welcome to Hidden Scotland’s guide to the Isle of Islay, often called the ‘Queen of the Hebrides’.

1

Eating and drinking

Where we would eat2

Itineraries

A day out, planned3

The story

Overview, History, Areas and more

Eating and drinking.

Where we would eat
All of them

The itineraries.

Days we have driven, with the stops in order

The story.

The written parts of the guide, each on its own page
1

History

Long before it was known for whisky, Islay was the political and ancestral heart of the Scottish isles.

1 minute
2

Areas

Islay’s geography lends itself to being explored in three distinct regions, each with its own unique cluster of distilleries and attractions.

2 minutes
3

Getting around

Getting there Caledonian MacBrayne (CalMac) operates two ferry routes from Kennacraig on the Kintyre peninsula to Islay.

2 minutes
Hidden Scotland, Issue 13
Out now · Issue 13

Hidden Scotland, in print.

A magazine about Scotland, made in Scotland. Original writing and photography, twice a year, and every issue since 2020 to read on any screen.

Membership

Your own guide to the Isle of Islay.

Tell us when you are coming and who with. We build your days round where you sleep, from the places on this page, with the drives worked out. Print it and take it in the car.

Free to start. Members keep it, print it, and can ask the Desk anything.

Make my Isle of Islay guidebook