Islay

Islay PDF

Author: David Caldwell

Publisher: Birlinn Publishers

Published: 2017-05-25

Total Pages: 432

ISBN-13: 9781780274652

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This is the history of Islay up to the present day with a particular focus on the people of the island. Islay was originally part of Dal Riata, the early kingdom of the Scots, but was then colonized by Scandinavian settlers in the ninth century. It was also the home of the MacDonalds, who established the Lordship of the Isles during the Medieval Period and who mounted a challenge to the Stewart dynasty for control of Scotland. It also looks at the lesser folk, especially during the time of the Campbell lairds, from the early 17th century onwards. Archaeology combined with documentary research has helped to build up a picture of how the people of Islay lived, the way the land was farmed and the development of local industries, including the distilling of whisky.

Walking on Jura, Islay and Colonsay

Walking on Jura, Islay and Colonsay PDF

Author: Peter Edwards

Publisher:

Published: 2013-11-30

Total Pages: 224

ISBN-13: 9781852847203

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Jura, Islay & Colonsay offer some of wildest scenery in the British Isles - but the terrain is tough & almost entirely without paths or waymarks. This guide opens up the area to the experienced walker, describing many previously unpublished routes, including a challenging five-day route around the west coast of Jura.

Islay, Jura and Colonsay

Islay, Jura and Colonsay PDF

Author: David Caldwell

Publisher:

Published: 2019-05-09

Total Pages: 272

ISBN-13: 9781912476541

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The story of Islay, Jura and Colonsay is one of the most fascinating amongst all the Hebrides. They have had substantial human occupation since earliest times and man has left many relics across the islands, from tools and artefacts of mesolithic times to the modern-day distilleries of Islay and Jura. From the period in-between survive chambered cairns, iron age forts, magnificent early crosses, enigmatic carvings, early monasteries, relics of the Lordship of the Isles, deserted townships and shielings, planned villages, corn mills, kelp kilns and lead mines and much else besides.Far more than a gazetteer, this book is based on a great deal of intensive primary research and local knowledge and is essential reading for local and tourist alike.Islay, Jura and Colonsay is part of Birlinn's Historical Guides series, which will eventually cover the whole of Scotland.

Islay, Jura and Colonsay

Islay, Jura and Colonsay PDF

Author: Paul Webster

Publisher:

Published: 2017-05-05

Total Pages: 96

ISBN-13: 9781907025587

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Islay, Jura and Colonsay make up the southerly Hebridean island group and are famed for their outstanding wildlife, glorious sandy beaches, fascinating historical treasures, rugged hills and dramatic coastlines, and on Jura, but especially on Islay ¿ legendary distilleries which produce distinctively peaty whisky. This book aims to help you get the most from your visit to these islands. Most of the 40 walks are half a day or shorter, with many suitable for families, but there are also a few more challenging hill walks for those who can¿t resist the allure of reaching an island summit.

Walking on Jura, Islay and Colonsay

Walking on Jura, Islay and Colonsay PDF

Author: Peter Edwards

Publisher: Cicerone Press Limited

Published: 2019-05-15

Total Pages: 315

ISBN-13: 1783627549

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This guidebook presents a selection of 23 walking routes on the wild and beautiful southern islands of Scotland's Inner Hebrides, with nine walks on Jura, one on neighbouring Scarba, seven on Islay and five on Colonsay, plus a spectacular 5-day trek along Jura's dramatic west coast. In addition to clear route description illustrated with 1:50,000 OS mapping, the guide offers practical advice on the various options for getting to the islands, accommodation and amenities. There are suggestions for linking walks and notes on the islands' bothies and wild-camping recommendations, making it easy to devise longer day walks or multi-day itineraries. Also included are fascinating overviews of the islands' rich history, geology, plants and wildlife. Beautiful colour photography completes the package. The wildest of the southern Hebrides, the walking on Jura is frequently rugged, with many routes crossing remote and often pathless terrain that calls for fitness, self-reliance and navigational competence. The routes on the other islands are somewhat easier, but should still not be underestimated. The routes showcase the islands' magnificent scenery, which is as diverse as it is beautiful, ranging from wild moorland to flower-strewn machair and small pockets of native woodland.

Land of the Ilich

Land of the Ilich PDF

Author: Steven Mithen

Publisher: Birlinn Ltd

Published: 2021-11-04

Total Pages: 598

ISBN-13: 1788853091

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As an archaeologist, Steven Mithen has worked on the Hebridean island of Islay over a period of many years. In this book he introduces the sites and monuments and tells the story of the island's people from the earliest stone age hunter-gatherers to those who lived in townships and in the grandeur of Islay House. He visits the tombs of Neolithic farmers, forts of Iron Age chiefs and castles of medieval warlords, discovers where Bronze Age gold was found, treacherous plots were made against the Scottish crown, and explores the island of today, which was forged more recently by those who mined for lead, grew flax, fished for herring and distilled whisky – the industry for which the island is best known today. Although an island history, this is far from an insular story: Islay has always been at a cultural crossroads, receiving a constant influx of new people and new ideas, making it a microcosm for the story of Scotland, Britain and beyond.

Scottish Island Bagging

Scottish Island Bagging PDF

Author: Helen Webster

Publisher: Vertebrate Publishing

Published: 2019-10-03

Total Pages: 472

ISBN-13: 1912560313

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Scottish Island Bagging by Helen and Paul Webster, founders of Walkhighlands, is a guide to the magical islands of Scotland. Focusing on the ninety-nine islands that have regular trips or means of access for visitors, plus fifty-five other islands which have no regular transport but are still of significant size or interest, the authors have described the best ways to experience each one. Of the islands featured, many are household names – Skye, Lewis, Bute – while some, such as the isolated St Kilda archipelago and the remote Sula Sgeir, will be unknown to all but a hardcore few. When it comes to things to see and do, the islands of Scotland have it all. Wildlife enthusiasts can watch out for otters, orcas and basking sharks, while birdwatchers in particular are spoilt: look out for the rare corncrake on Islay, sea eagles on Mull, or sight puffins, gannets, storm petrels and many other seabirds on any number of islands – although beware the divebombing bonxies. Foodies can sample Arran or Westray cheese, the many islands' world-renowned seafood or learn about the whisky making process and sample a wee dram on a distillery tour. While the human history may not stretch back in time as far as the geology of these ancient lands, it is rich and varied: visit the 5,000-year-old Neolithic village of Skara Brae on Orkney, or Mackinnon's Cave on Mull, following in the footsteps of Samuel Johnson and James Boswell. You can even stay in the house on Jura where George Orwell wrote Nineteen Eighty-Four. Hillwalkers can bag a Munro, walk the wild clifftops or take in the sights, or you could just escape from it all on one of the dozens of beautiful and deserted beaches – before joining the locals for a ceilidh into the wee hours. Well served by ferries and other transport links, getting around is easy. You could even take the world's shortest scheduled flight. In Scottish Island Bagging, let Helen and Paul Webster be your guides to these enchanting isles.