Whisky Legends of Islay by Robin Laing sampler

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whisky legends of islay conversation would continue to flow whether glasses were full or empty and the wrongs of the world might be put to rights. Eventually Charlie became ill and died and his daughter Maureen took over the running of An Tigh Seinnse. She was thought by some to be a reluctant proprietor and had a bit of a reputation for being dour and difficult. She opened and closed the bar when it suited her and if she decided not to serve you, for whatever reason, then your ‘bum was oot the windae’, as they say in certain parts of Scotland. I had heard of her reputation, but first met her when I fell into the bar early one evening with a group of musician friends. We had come to Islay on a song-writing project at the invitation of Jim McEwan, Bruichladdich’s Production Director, and were also doing a concert in Portnahaven Hall. We ordered beers and fish teas, which were cooked and served by Maureen. She was polite and pleasant and the food was excellent. She must have over-heard some of our conversation and when the time came to pay the bill, she would not accept any money, saying with a chuckle, ‘Tell Jim McEwan that’s another favour he owes me!’ I tell this story to counter the myth of grumpy Maureen and to give an example of the kind of hospitality frequently encountered on Islay. In 2004, Maureen retired and Carl and Jan Reavey took over An Tigh Seinnse. The new management made considerable changes but the character of the place remains. I still go there whenever I can. It’s the kind of place where you meet characters and in the tiny bar it is hard to avoid getting involved in conversation. The spirit of the ‘parliament’ lives on. Surely this is what pubs should be about. In front of An Tigh Seinnse, the ebb and flow of the tide turns Portnahaven cove into a screensaver on life. Seabirds and children forage the shore; seals slide on and off the rocks as the interplay between sea and sun dictates. Fishing boats come and go or just bob at their moorings. At night, the lighthouse birls out its eerie flashes of light while the sea is restless and seldom quiet. Here, at the farthest terminus of the long road from either of Islay’s ferry ports, you sometimes feel that you have come to the edge of the world, only to feel its true pulse, and that your pilgrimage is complete. The Wall of Coins The Harbour Inn in Bowmore has a tiny public bar, which seems to expand Tardislike, as more cheerful customers breeze through the door. A tradition has arisen whereby customers leave coins perched on ledges and in cracks all over the natural stone wall. The origins of this quaint custom are lost in the mist of time, so it only remains to speculate about the reason why it developed. Is it a Trevi Fountain phenomenon, whereby visitors to the island deposit coins to ensure that fate will bring them here again? Or, maybe someone from Seattle came here during the war and tried to recreate the Seattle gum wall, where people fix 18
ar legends coins to a wall using chewing gum. In Seattle, spoil-sports frequently harvest the coins leaving only gum on the wall. In Bowmore in the 1940s maybe the locals harvested the gum and left the coins. Or, perhaps after the notorious attack on the harbour in 1813 by the American privateer, the True Blooded Yankee (see page 69) a wave of patriotism and support for the British monarchy resulted in the publican at that time posting coins all over the wall, with the king’s head facing the room. Or, could it be that some local fishermen started it as a cushion against days when the weather, and therefore the catch was poor so that even if they had no cash they could glean sufficient coins from the wall to afford a wee dram. Or, more prosaically, a rain-soaked tourist with a pocketful of change, and nothing better to do, spread coins around the wall out of boredom one day and the habit became established. Then again, it reminds me of weird social phenomena like the Shoe Tree in America or the Bra Fence in New Zealand. Come to think of it, pinning bras to the wall in the Harbour Inn might possibly gain even more support. There are various references (e.g. C. Gordon Booth, An Islay Notebook) to a local custom of putting coins in cracks in the stone at St Michael’s Well, which is near Solam, north of Ardbeg. It appears this was a practice considered to bring good luck, especially to newlyweds. Sometimes horse shoes would also be placed near the well. This might hint at another explanation – drinkers, about to head for home, would place a coin on the wall of the pub, in the hope of getting an auspicious welcome from the wife when they finally arrived home. The coins are regularly gathered in by the owners and the money goes to the Bowmore Harbour Trust. The Islay Bar The iconic Islay Bar was, in the old days, a most welcoming sight to travellers staggering off the ferry at Port Ellen after a rough crossing. Usually people stagger coming OUT of a pub – but not the Islay Bar! Then the hotel closed and for years it fell into decay, finally being demolished in 2008. Soon a new establishment will rise from the ashes, but will it be a revitalized Islay Bar? It would be sad to see a muchcopied icon disappear completely. There is an Islay Bar in Tokyo (where you can ‘enjoy Rippongi night life’), and one in Okinawa, that specializes in couscous. The Islay Inn in Glasgow, is home to the Glasgow Fiddle Club, and there is one in Munich. The Islay Bar in Munich is run by Ulrike Putz who, on the website, tells how the inspiration to open a bar named after her favourite island and style of whisky came in a dream. She was in a pub in Edinburgh with such legendary whisky people as Michael Jackson, Murray McDavid (sic), the Heart Brothers (sic), the Signatory brothers (sic) and Her Majesty the Queen (who was drinking Guinness – perhaps also sic). Michael told Ulrike it was her destiny to open a good whisky bar 19
Page 3: obin laing is one of those lucky in
Page 6 and 7: First published 2009 Reprinted 2010
Page 9: contents Islands . . . . . . . . .
Page 13: map of islay 11
Page 16 and 17: whisky legends of islay Islay has a
Page 19: An Tigh Seinnse Every once in a whi
Page 23: Luath Press Limited committed to pu

Whisky Legends of Islay by Robin Laing sampler

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