Islay Villages

Bowmore is Islay's main town, located at the head of Loch Indaal roughly in the centre of the island. It has the largest concentration of shops and services — the Co-op supermarket, a pharmacy, a bank, Bowmore Distillery, and several restaurants including Peatzeria and Islay's Plaice fish and chip shop. Bowmore is 15 minutes' drive from our Bruichladdich properties along the B8016 road around Loch Indaal. For practical errands during a self-catering stay, Bowmore is where you go first.

Port Charlotte is 5 minutes' drive from our Bruichladdich properties and is the village we recommend most consistently. It has a safe beach, the Museum of Islay Life, Port Charlotte Stores (shop with a petrol pump), the Port Charlotte Hotel (log fire, 300+ single malts, live music on Wednesday and Sunday evenings), and Lochindaal Seafood Kitchen — our top restaurant recommendation on the island. The village is pretty, quiet, and well worth an afternoon or an evening meal. The coastal cycle path from Bruichladdich to Port Charlotte is flat tarmac and takes about 40 minutes each way — suitable for all abilities including pushchairs and bikes.

Port Ellen is where the CalMac ferry arrives on the south coast of Islay — 45 minutes from our Bruichladdich properties. Beyond the ferry, it is the starting point for the south coast distillery cluster: Laphroaig, Lagavulin, and Ardbeg are all within 10 minutes' drive east, and Port Ellen Distillery reopened in 2024. Port Ellen has a Co-op supermarket (slightly smaller than the Bowmore branch but well-stocked) and a Spar with a deli, specialty food and a zero-waste refill section — useful if you're staying on the south coast or need to top up before the ferry. The Copper Still café by the ferry terminal serves excellent coffee and food — our guests always stop there on a south coast day. SeaSalt Bistro on the waterfront is a good dinner option if you're spending the evening on the south coast. Kilnaughton Bay near Port Ellen has a safe sandy beach suitable for families. Port Ellen itself is a functional port town rather than a picturesque village, but its position as the gateway to the best whisky drive on the island makes it essential to know.

Islay's villages are all within 45 minutes' drive of each other, and the roads are quiet. From our Bruichladdich properties: Port Charlotte is 5 minutes; Bowmore is 15 minutes around Loch Indaal; Portnahaven and Port Wemyss are 20 minutes south along the Rhinns; Bridgend is 10 minutes east at the head of the loch; Port Askaig on the north coast is 25 minutes; Port Ellen on the south coast is 45 minutes. The island is compact enough that two or three villages can be combined comfortably on a single day trip, and the single-track roads rarely cause delays outside July and August.

Portnahaven — and its neighbour Port Wemyss — at the southern tip of the Rhinns is one of the most rewarding short trips from our properties. It is a 20-minute drive along a quiet road that gets progressively emptier as you go south. The harbour almost always has common seals hauled out on the rocks and swimming in the water — often close enough to observe clearly. An Tigh Seinnse is a small, properly local pub serving home-cooked food. Open year-round; winter hours apply from November. Regular season hours: Thursday to Sunday from noon, Wednesday from 4:30pm, closed Monday and Tuesday. Reservations required — call 01496 860725 and confirm hours for winter visits. The combination of seals, good food, and the sense of being at the very end of the road makes Portnahaven the best half-day on the Rhinns after Port Charlotte.

Islay has two Co-ops — in Bowmore and Port Ellen — which cover most everyday needs including fresh produce, meat, alcohol, and household essentials. There's no large out-of-town supermarket, but you won't go short.

If you have time on the way to Kennacraig, there are Co-ops in Tarbert and Lochgilphead on the A83 route — handy for stocking up before the ferry. The Bowmore Co-op also offers Click & Collect if you want to order ahead.

Bowmore: Co-op (well-stocked supermarket, fresh produce, meat, alcohol, household essentials, Click & Collect available); Islay Whisky Shop (deli, specialty and health foods, alcohol); Wild Islay Refinery (zero-waste refill store, organic and specialist foods, sweets, post office); A S Porter (family butcher, fresh meat, fruit and veg).

Port Ellen: Co-op (well-stocked supermarket, slightly smaller than Bowmore); Spar (daily basics, zero-waste refill section, deli, specialty food, alcohol); Balaclava Byre (farm shop and restaurant — local produce from Cornabus Farm, meat, pickles, seasonal goods).

Bridgend: Bridgend Stores (daily basics, specialty food, fresh fruit and veg, alcohol, petrol, car wash).

Bruichladdich: Mini Market (daily basics, alcohol, fruit and veg, coffee, light food, post office).

Port Charlotte: Port Charlotte Stores (daily basics, alcohol, petrol, post office). Tormisdale Farm Shop, Tormisdale — a few miles outside Port Charlotte (farm shop, fresh produce, local foods, gifts and art — worth the detour).

Port Askaig: Port Askaig Stores (daily basics, alcohol, petrol, post office) — key stop if arriving on the northern ferry route.

Fresh seafood: Islay Seafood Shack, Portnahaven (fresh local seafood); The Oyster Shed, Gruinart (oysters and shellfish direct from the farm); Jean's Fish Van (fresh fish — check locally for current schedule and location).

Port Askaig is the northern ferry terminal on Islay — 25 minutes' drive from our Bruichladdich properties. It is the gateway to and from Kennacraig on the mainland (CalMac) and the only departure point for the small ferry to Feolin on Jura.

Despite its small footprint, Port Askaig has key infrastructure: a petrol pump, a post office, and Port Askaig Stores for daily basics and alcohol. The Port Askaig Hotel offers food and accommodation, with sea views across the Sound of Islay to Jura.

It is the natural starting point for visiting the north-east coast distillery cluster — Caol Ila, Bunnahabhain, and Ardnahoe — all within 10 minutes' drive.

Every distillery on Islay has a visitor centre and shop selling whisky, branded merchandise, and gifts. See our distillery guide for opening times and tours.

Bowmore: The Celtic House (gifts, jewellery, souvenirs, Islay-themed products); Islay Whisky Shop (whisky, spirits, deli and specialty foods); The Islay Shop (gifts, clothing, local produce, Islay souvenirs); Islay Home Stores (homeware and garden); Kate's (clothing); Labels (café with a small gift selection).

Port Ellen: The Blue Letterbox (crafts, art, and gifts).

Port Charlotte area: Tormisdale Farm Shop (local foods, gifts and art — a few miles outside the village, worth the detour).

Bridgend: Rejig (charity shop); Islay Woollen Mill (traditional Scottish textiles, scarves, throws, and clothing woven on the island).

Persabus: Persabus Pottery (hand-painted Islay-inspired pottery, made and sold on site).

Both. You'll see both spellings everywhere on Islay — on road signs, maps, distillery names, in books and across local businesses. The original Gaelic is Loch an Dàil; the Anglicised form never quite settled into a single rendering, so “Loch Indaal” (two words) and “Lochindaal” (one) are equally correct. Pronounced loch in-DAAL, with the “ch” soft as in loch.

The loch itself is the long sea loch that almost cuts Islay in two — opening to the Atlantic between the Mull of Oa and the Rhinns, with Bowmore at its head and Bruichladdich, Port Charlotte and our three Portbahn Islay properties along its western shore.

The loch also sits along a major north-south fault line that runs the full length of it — the boundary between two geologically distinct halves of Islay. The 1.8-billion-year-old Rhinns Complex lies to the west; younger Dalradian rocks to the east. More on the geology of Islay.