Quirks of Islay

Islay being an Island puts it at a disadvantage of what is available here compared to the mainland. There are many things we are lacking that on the mainland may be taken for granted but likewise we have things on Islay that are unique to us.

We have no food chain restaurants, no fast-food restaurants, no bakeries, no supermarkets except a co-op but we do however have our own quirks. It is a disadvantage not having some thing’s, but our little unique shops, hotel, restaurants and alterations make it that little bit easier.

One of the most obvious to people visiting the Island is the lack of supermarkets and stores, in for instance Glasgow there is a variety of supermarkets to chose from for weekly shopping of food. But on Islay we have only one option of the Co-op which is our only supermarket, with a few spar shops and small independent food stores. A quirk for your weekly shop is Roots and Fruits which is a mobile greengrocer selling all things fruit and vegetables.

We have similar things to the mainland in respect of say our ice cream van – which we only have one of to cover the entire Island and this is a fairly new addition as for years we didn't have one.

On Islay there isn’t a cinema, which seems bizarre to anyone that hasn’t been here. Although we have a unique alternative...The screen machine. The screen machine is essentially a lorry and a cinema in one. This however doesn’t belong to Islay, the screen machine caters for other places without cinemas too and just visits every so often for a couple of days.

There is now a fish and chip shop on the Island but that is new, this year, whereas before we only had ‘the nippy chippy’ (the chip van) which is also essentially a lorry but a chip shop, a chippy on wheels.

We have a few cafes on the Island but one very unique one which opened newly this year, ‘The Wee Box’

this is a horsebox converted into a takeaway café. This is based in Port Ellen on the south side of the island and offers a range of sandwiches, cakes, sweets and coffees all from a tiny horsebox.

We have no big brand clothing shops or beauty stores on the Island so online shopping is your best friend when you live here. The only shops we have are more for DIY homeware, the co-op of course, souvenirs which you can find in The Islay shop which sells Islay merchandise and The Celtic House which sells Islay jewellery, etc and has a coffee shop. The soap shop is specific to Islay and here there are soaps, candles handmade using Islay (and Jura) whisky/gin/flowers and more.

Although we sometimes may wish we had some of the things we don’t have on the Island, we wouldn’t change it for the world. :)