Leg 174 EGPI - Islay (Scotland) to EGAA - Belfast (Northern Ireland)
EGPI - Airport Info
;)
ICAO code: EGPI
Airport name: Islay Airport
Location: Islay
Useful information
Airport elevation: '
Time zone: UTC-
Lighted runways : Yes
Maximum runway length: '
Runway surface : Asphalt
Instrument approach (ILS, LOC, LDA, and SDF):
Islay Info
A journey to Islay almost invariably sets off by ferry from the little port of Kennacraig situated on the Mull of Kintyre. A good part of the roughly three hour long trip on the ferry takes you through West Loch Tarbert which is also called the Loch of the Swans in the tale of the "Fate of the Children of Lir". In this ancient Irish legend, the four children of Lir are transformed into swans by their jealous stepmother and cursed by her to spend hundreds of years in the stormy waters around Ireland and Scotland.
When leaving the confines of the Loch, the ferry passes the northern tip of Gigha Island - "The Isle of the Gods". To the Northwest, the silhouette of the Paps of Jura can be made out a while before Islay comes into full view. Shortly after passing Gigha Island, the ferry turns either to the south coast of Islay to land at the sheltered Port Ellen or to the north-eastern shore at the tiny Port Askaig opposite Jura. It is here at Askaig that the treacherous Sound of Islay separates the two islands. Some of the more daring inhabitants of Islay actually risk the dangerous waters to go "drift-diving" for oysters during which the divers let themselves be carried along at high speeds by the strong currents in the Sound. The oysters they recover command high prices of course.
Only 25 miles in length and 20 miles wide at most, Islay is nonetheless one of the largest islands among the inner Hebrides and has a fairly even climate. For such a relatively small island, Islay offers a widely varied landscape reaching from the Rhinns of Islay on the western peninsula to the rough moorland of the Oa in the south-east and the white sand dunes of Lough Gruinart in the north. Islay’s abundant wildlife includes red deer, seals , puffins, otters, herons and more.
Islay is also an island steeped in malt whisky. Today, there are still seven distilleries on the island, though only six are currently working. That’s still quite a lot of whisky for a population of around four thousand! However, around the middle of the last century, Islay sported no less than a dozen distilleries and the distilleries are still the most important part of the island economy, Islay being famous for making some of the most powerful and flavoursome whiskies in the world.
The Gaelic name of Islay is Ile or sometimes Eila. There are two possible origins to the name. One maintains that Islay is named for an ancient Goddess of the same name. The other tells of a princess from Denmark named Yula who is supposed to be buried on the island near Port Ellen where standing stones mark the grave.
Islay has a long and well recorded history reaching from Neolithic times to the period of the Irish-Scottish kingdom of Dal Riada of which Islay was a part. Later, Islay became centre for the Lordship of the Isles after the Norse were defeated and driven of the Island by the 12th-century Prince, Somerled, whose descendants became the hereditary "Lords of the Isles".
For hundreds of years the new Lords were initiated on the larger island in Loch Finlaggan, Eilean Mor, in the north-east of Islay where they were handed their signs of office, a white staff and the sword of their ancestors. The Lord of the Isles held council on the smaller island in the Loch, hence its name "Island of Council".
The part of Islay north-east of Port Askaig and Loch Finlaggan is only partially accessible by a single track road, which ends at the Bunnahabhain Distillery after passing the Caol Ila Distillery, offering delightful views of the Paps of Jura opposite the Sound. The "Paps" by the way, being an older and somewhat ribald word of Scandinavian origin meaning "breasts". It would be about a days journey on foot to reach the northernmost tip of the island, Rubh’ a’ Màil from Bunnnahabhain. This wild region of Islay is naturally a home to such wildlife as the red deer.
When heading south from Port Askaig instead, one comes to the hilliest area of the island beginning just south of Port Askaig and reaching all the way to Ardtalla, where the first road is eventually reached. In between lie rough and rocky hills including Islay’s highest point, Beinn Bheigeir, rising to almost 500 meters. The coastline of this area is equally rough, a haven for sea birds and a number of seals.
Below Beinn Bheigeir, at Trudernish Point on Claggain Bay, the remains of an ancient "glass fort" can be found. These forts were made by burning enough wood on the outside of the stone walls to turn the stone into rock-hard glass which was impossible to climb.
Taking the road from Ardtalla, one soon reaches the Kildalton Church and the famous Kildalton Cross, the best preserved high cross in Scotland, both dating back to around 800 A.D.
Even further along this road begins Islay highest concentration in whisky. Lined up one after the other are the islands three heavyweight distilleries, Ardbeg, Lagavulin and Laphroaig.
Each distillery being beautifully situated directly on the shore, a trademark of Islay’s distilleries. The first, Ardbeg, has just begun distilling again after being silent for a number of years. Continuing west along the road, one reaches Lagavulin where the ruins of Dunyveg Castle can be seen, the former stronghold of the Lordship of the Isles. Next comes Laphroaig, the youngest of the three, with it’s reputation for producing the peatiest whisky anywhere.
After Laphroaig, one finally comes to another larger town, Port Ellen on Kilnaughton Bay, the other port where the mainland ferry arrives. There was once another distillery here, but it was turned into a malting factory to supply other distilleries years ago. Kilnaughton Bay also boasts a fine beach behind which the rugged Oa peninsula rises towards the sea, ending in rocky cliffs so high, that sometimes the aeroplanes heading towards the airport to the north fly below your viewpoint. Illicit stills and smugglers once abounded in this rough place.
At the tip of the Oa stands a monument for the sailors of an American vessel shipwrecked in the first World War, merely representative for the many shipwrecks on this coastline. From this southernmost viewpoint on Islay, the northern coast of Antrim and Raithlin Island on Irelands coast can be seen on a clear day.
EGAA - Airport Info
ICAO code: EGAA
Airport name: Belfast Intl. Airport
Location: Belfast
Useful information
Airport elevation: '
Time zone: UTC-
Lighted runways : Yes
Maximum runway length: '
Runway surface : Asphalt
Instrument approach (ILS, LOC, LDA, and SDF):
Belfast Info
Belfast, city and seaport, capital of Northern Ireland, eastern Northern Ireland, on the Lagan River, at the head of Belfast Lough (an inlet of the North Channel of the Irish Sea). Belfast is a major commercial and industrial city. It is one of the most important shipbuilding and repairing centers of the United Kingdom and has long been known for its linen textiles. Its manufactures include aircraft, guided weapons, and tobacco and food products. A large petroleum refinery here is supplied by imported petroleum received at the city's deepwater port. Other imports include grain, coal, chemicals, and iron and steel. Among the chief exports are petroleum products, soap, foodstuffs, and textiles. Located in Belfast are the notable Ulster Museum (1892) and the Protestant Cathedral of Saint Anne. An educational center, the city is the seat of Queen's University of Belfast (1845), Belfast College of Technology (1901), and the Union Theological College (1978).
Although the site has yielded evidence of occupation during the Stone and Bronze ages, Belfast's founding dates from 1177, when a Norman castle was erected. Edward Bruce devastated the settlement in 1315, the year he ascended the Irish throne. Taken by the English in the 16th century, it was granted a charter of incorporation in 1613, and the immigration of Protestants (notably Scottish Presbyterians) was encouraged. French Huguenot refugees arriving here in the late 17th century developed the linen industry. The harbor was improved in the late 18th century, and shipbuilding was begun on a large scale. The city was made the capital of Northern Ireland in 1920. During World War II Belfast was heavily damaged by German bombing raids. Beginning in 1969, the city was the scene of Roman Catholic-Protestant disorders involving civil rights agitation and increased violence. Before 1974 Belfast was the county town of the former county of Antrim. Population (2000 estimate) 282,500.