When an island becomes home.

When an island becomes home.....destiny within the dram.

2001. I think (or at least that’s what the photos tell me). That’s the first time I ever visited the Isle of Arran.

My grandparents had been visiting annually for around 10 years by this point with their other grandchildren and now it was time for me to take the reins since they had grown up. I remember being an excited 12 year old, itching to go on holiday and visit somewhere that was clearly special to them. I still get that feeling now, every year (sometimes more than once) when I visit, 20 years on.

There’s a couple of things I remember about my first holiday to Arran. The first being the crossing, it was mid June but the river Clyde wasn’t at her calmest. My Nana asked me if I wanted to go up onto deck outside and I said, at first “No, it’s a bit choppy and the waves might get me”. Eventually I changed my mind and just like I predicted I got soaked from a wave. Great start.

We stayed in Brodick for the week. In an upside-down house. By this I mean the bedrooms were downstairs and the living room and kitchen were upstairs. We also had a visiting cat come to the French doors most days to say hello. I played a few rounds of golf with my Grandad on this trip, mainly Machrie and also got my first experience of fishing and catching at Lochside. The scenery, the landscape and nature on the island really captured me even at a young age.

This is where my love affair with the island and unbeknownst to me at the time, it’s whisky and its distillery began.

I’m pretty sure even at 12 years old I was taken to visit the distillery as my Grandad has always been a whisky drinker. He remembers watching the buildings take shape in 1994 ready for the opening in 1995. Obviously at that age I was far too young to drink and even the smell of whisky knocked me out but I was just happy to be there and spend time with my grandparents.

Over the years I created many more happy memories visiting every year. From having my first legal pint on Arran at Macs Bar, Arran Blonde if I remember rightly to getting a 2 on Crow’s Nest at Shiskine Golf Course. A couple of experiences that stick in my mind is climbing Goatfell, it was a beautiful clear day when we set off, perfect, by the time we got to the top I could just about see past the end of my nose, but we made it. I’ve never seen so much fog, we started to descend and had to turn back to make sure we were going the right way.

Another fondly thought of experience is being sat in the car park at North Sannox Picnic Area. I would sit in the car quietly with the windows down and my hand laid flat outside with a small amount of bread on it, within minutes the little birds would land on my hand and take the bread.

A small experience but one that had a big impact on me and made me fall in love with nature and its surroundings. I would constantly be on the lookout for deer’s, stags, red squirrels and eagles. I still love seeing the deer’s now roam free on Lochranza golf course and the surrounding hills. A few years ago I got to see a basking shark just off Whiting Bay which was amazing. And I’ve been very lucky to see and capture on my camera, dolphins and porpoises

As the years went on and I kept visiting I would fall more in love every time I stepped or drove off the ferry. Certain things became a ritual, we would always get the same time ferry over, we would always have a pint of Tennents (once I was old enough obviously) and go up on deck while sailing over and watch the island get closer with every sip. Every time we drove off the ferry I would proudly say “I’m home” (I still do that now). I always say I live on Arran but I holiday in Redcar 51 weeks of the year.

The first time I drove my own car on the island I was like a kid in a sweet shop. Something so small and insufficient to most people but for me it was a big deal.

We would always visit the same places, The Brewery, The Cheese Shop, Lochranza Castle, Brodick Castle, The View Point up the hill enroute to Lamlash (my favourite view), most golf courses and of course The Distillery. We would do a few different walks each time we visited, including The Standings Stones (one of my favourites, the atmosphere and feeling I get from that place is something I’ve never experienced anywhere else), Kings Cave, Glenashdale Falls and Fishermans Walk. Unfortunately, my grandparents can’t walk as far now so I have to do these walks alone but the memories are always there. We always get fish and chips in Brodick and watch the ferry come in. And if we see the ferry is in on driving past or we are staying in Brodick, the most overused phrase you will hear from all of us is “the ferry’s in”

For a big chunk of the years I’ve been visiting we have stayed at Machrie House, purely because the golf course is just across the road. Machrie is a place that will always be special to me and its one of my favourite spots to sit with a dram and watch the magnificent sunsets that the west side of the island produces.

People in the past have asked me why I keep going back to the same place, don’t you want to see what else is out there. Yes, I do, to a certain a degree, but if I had the choice of going somewhere new or going back to Arran, in a heartbeat I would choose Arran.

Arran for me is not just a holiday destination, it’s not just another Scottish island, it’s where I belong. I feel more at home when I’m on Arran than I do sat here now writing this in my living room in Redcar. As long as I have breath in my body, I will continue to visit the place I love.

Now to the distillery. As mentioned above I’m pretty sure I’ve been visiting the distillery since the first time I stepped foot on Arran. Little did I know then what impact it would have on my life.

I’ve tried to trace back to when I tried my first whisky, I think it was 2010. I was staying in a log cabin in Dull, Perthshire. Fun fact: The village of Dull is also twinned with Boring, Oregon and Bland in New South Wales. Every day is a school day with me 😊

My grandad had bought a miniature to try, I wish I could remember what it was. Up until this point, I thought whisky was too strong and I couldn’t even entertain the smell let alone the taste.

I had a quick smell of it and didn’t think it was too bad so I asked for a nip. From that point on I was hooked. I’m pretty sure the next day I went out and bought a couple of miniatures of my own, again I can’t remember which ones. I do remember one of the nicest I’ve tried, that isn’t an Arran whisky, was Balblaire 1989. A very difficult whisky to get hold of now.

I’ve learnt since then to make notes.

Over the last 11 years I’ve been to a few different distilleries and had tastings, Dewars, Glenturret, Dalwhinnie, Oban, Edradour and Blair Atholl. One snippet of information that is etched on my brain from one of those tours is something that was said by the guide.

“If someone tells you they don’t like whisky, it’s not that they don’t like it, it’s just they haven’t yet found one they like”. I truly believe there is a whisky out there for everyone. As most people know there is definitely more than one out there for me.

I can’t even begin to think how many different whiskies I’ve tried over the years but I’d be confident to say its over 100. And contrary to belief it wasn’t all on the same tasting.

Out of all the distilleries I’ve visited, and I’ve loved them all, none of them are as close to my heart as the Lochranza Distillery.

It may be because I love whisky but I’m happy to accept that notion. It may be because it reminds me of family memories. But I think the real reason is because it’s on Arran, it’s the surroundings, it’s the views, it’s the atmosphere surrounding the place. It’s the welcome you receive as a visitor. It’s the people who work there who I now consider friends. It’s home.

Is that weird to say about a distillery? I promise I’m not an alcoholic. I just LOVE whisky.

It’s also the first and only place I’ve seen golden eagles.

I have done so many tastings at Lochranza and learnt so much that I’m pretty sure I’m on the Christmas card list now. I have sampled so many beautiful drams that I’ve lost count. It wouldn’t be an Arran trip without doing one.

When it comes to distilleries Arran is just a youngster in the whisky world but they are top of their game. And it’s been brilliant to watch it rise to, in my opinion, a forefront runner. To see the growth and passion that goes into making their whisky has been brilliant and I’m very proud of them and everything they have achieved in such a small space of time.

Whisky for me has always been about more than just a drink. It’s the memories that certain drams hold. Where you were, the company you were with. What the nosing of the dram reminds you of when trying a new one.

I was once at The Kenmore Hotel in Kenmore, Perthshire. It was 2012, the Olympics were about to start and they were running up hills all over the country with Olympic torches. I went up to the bar to buy another pint of Tennents and my grandad said why don’t we try a whisky off the top shelf that we’ve not tried. By this point I’d already agreed to pay. I chose BenRiach 21 year old and my grandad chose Benromach 21 year old before he toddled back outside to watch the runner set off.

 I stupidly got £10 out of my pocket thinking it was going to be enough for 2 double drams. I was very wrong. I just remember slamming it on the table outside saying “you better like this after what it’s just cost me”

I’ve drank Dewars white label in a bothy up a mountain in Perthshire a few times and doing it in winter with thick snow on the ground after a bumpy ride in a land rover was a brilliant experience.

Anyway back to Arran. I was very excited when I found out about Lagg Distillery and just like my grandad watched Lochranza being built I got to see Lagg coming together. It was very special to watch. The first time I visited once it was open to the public was 2019 after I’d been to The Arran Malt and Music Festival. I fondly remember the festival for many reasons (the midges were not one of them) but the highlight was meeting the legend James MacTaggart.

It was brilliant to see how Lagg had all come together and I’m looking forward to trying the first release next year.

Recently I have started to educate myself more on whisky, it’s history and everything that goes with it. I’ve been taking a lot more notice of the colours, smells and flavours in an attempt to break down the dram.

Thanks to a little help from certain people I’ve learnt so much more than I ever could on my own.

I’ve absolutely loved delving in to the history of whisky and distilling on Arran and how the smugglers tried to avoid the excise men and their ridiculous fines. Distilling was a big part of island life on Arran and was an income for many island residents in the 1800’s purely just to pay their rent. I still have so much to learn that I feel, and very happy to accept, it’s going to be a lifetime of education.

I know my destiny is to be on Arran permanently and work in the place I love so much.

I hope that in the very near future I can achieve this dream and live the life that I know I’m destined for. I will never stop trying to fulfil my dream. 

One day I will step off that ferry and say “I’m home…..for good”

Sláinte