British Travel Journal | Spring 2021

Ah, the sweet smell of spring is finally here. Flowers are beginning to bloom, the sun has started to shine and there is hope on the horizon for a great British summer! I’m sure you’ll agree that spending so many months at home has only made our adventurous, curious hearts grow fonder with a passion for travel and exploration. I will appreciate my upcoming travel trips so much more, and it has only made my job as travel Editor, and the content in our latest issue, seem even more special than usual! Lockdown might have put a stop to many things, but it certainly hasn’t stopped the travel industry preparing to ensure a super fun and warm welcome once it is safe for visitors to return. From new hotels and luxury spas, exciting holiday resorts full of adventure and off-grid activities, luxury boutique stays in acres of unspoilt countryside and coastline, brand new attractions to immersive one-of-a-kind experiences – it seems there has perhaps never been a better time to explore the British Isles! With so much ‘British staycation’ wanderlust flying about we couldn’t resist compiling our Ultimate British Bucket List. Deep in the West Dorset countryside we Meet the Makers behind the world’s only vodka made from cows’ milk. We uncover 10 of the most wonderful places to visit in Yorkshire and discover that there’s much more than just Cheddar Cheese and ancient apple orchards to Somerset’s epicurean offering in The Rise of Food and Drink. In search of beautiful destinations where social distancing is made easy, you won’t find better than a remote Sea Garden Cottage on the white sandy shores of Tresco island, a luxury family stay in the heart of Suffolk’s rolling countryside at The Ickworth or a whisky tour around the southernmost island of the Inner Hebrides of Scotland, Islay - the Lord of the Isles. Wherever, and whenever, you next plan to take a holiday in the British Isles, we hope British Travel Journal continues to deliver as your indispensable travel magazine, and wish you a safe and seamless journey full of wonderful memories.

“ We produce the best

“ We produce the best whisky in the world here but everything has to be delivered by boat - I’ve run out! ” Ardbeg, the last in these three whisky gods was closed that day so we drove on past it to a lovely little sandy bay, Loch a’Chnuic where people were swimming. Even though the sun had come out briefly they were all in wet suits against the chill weather. Soon afterwards on a headland we came upon Kidalton (another of Islay’s ruined churches) and its eighthcentury Celtic cross. Almost on cue the mist began to descend, which lent the ruins and its graveyard a suitably brooding quality. Inside the roofless church there were tombstones representing armoured knights from the days when Islay was ruled by the Lord of the Isles. That evening we ate at the Islay Hotel in Port Ellen. It was another great meal of seafood in a packed dining room with Isias, a jovial Spanish wine waiter who told us he was waiting for supplies of bottled Laphroaig to be shipped back from the mainland: “We produce the best whisky in the world here but everything has to be delivered by boat - and I’ve run out!” Our ferry back to the mainland was booked from Port Ellen the next morning. The MV Finlaggan is named after the ancient capital of the Lord of the Isles. It seemed an apt way to leave this enchanting place. This time we’d only managed three of the eight distilleries, but that’s a very good excuse to return next year. The Caledonian Sleeper leaves Euston Station nightly to arrive early morning in Glasgow. Prices from £140, sleeper.scot Caledonian Macbrayne run ferries from Kennacraig on the Scottish mainland to both Port Askaig and Port Ellen. A single journey takes approximately two hours, prices from £41.20 calmac.co.uk © VISITSCOTLAND / JOHN DUNCAN WHERE TO STAY – ISLAY HOUSE Bridgend PA44 7PA 01496 810287 islayhouse.co.uk 1 CHARLOTTE STREET Port Ellen PA42 7DG 01496 300120 no1charlottestreet.com THE LOCHSIDE Bowmore PA43 7LB 01496810244 lochsidehotel.co.uk WHERE TO EAT – BOWMORE HOTEL Bowmore, PA43 7HL 01496810416 bowmorehotel.co.uk THE ISLAY HOTEL Port Ellen, PA42 7DF 01496300109 theislayhotel.com DISTILLERIES TO VISIT – LAPHROAIG Port Ellen, PA42 7DU 01496 302418 laphroaig.com LAGAVULIN Port Ellen, PA42 7DX 01496 302749 diageo.com KILCHOMAN Rockside Farm, Bruichladdich, PA49 7UT 01496 850011 kilchomandistillery.com 60 BritishTravelJournal.com