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Drumlanrig, Isle of Islay
Within 5 miles of the house you will find:
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two of Islay's most beautiful long, wild Atlantic beaches
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stunning geological features
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ancient standing stones, cairns and medieval crosses
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a poignant military cemetery
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an RSPB nature reserve
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trout fishing
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an oyster farm selling oysters, in season
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a small art gallery with a cafe
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Bruichladdich distillery
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Kilchoman distillery, with a cafe
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a basic convenience store - and yet another cafe
. . . and miles of beautiful rugged coastal land to explore, with burns,
rockpools, dunes, sandy and pebbly beaches and waves crashing onto rocks.
What you won't find: are crowds, traffic jams or anything that smacks of hustle or bustle!
A Site of Special Scientific Interest surrounds Drumlanrig, indicating the outstanding landscape and wildlife of this area of Islay. Even from the windows you'll see buzzards gliding across the lower-lying terrain and the sharp-eyed may spot a hen harrier, barn owl or even a young golden eagle. From autumn, wintering geese circle in the sky. Round at Loch Gruinart you'll see seals and perhaps otters. In the fields are brown hare and roe deer.
"[Drumlanrig's] location was great for us too, kids expecting daily visits to Saligo, Sanaigmore etc and great birdwatching to be enjoyed while in the house, Golden Eagle and Chough seen among many others." - DS, July 2017
“Highlights of the [birdwatching] include many hen harriers from the house, a grasshopper warbler near the phone box, golden eagles on The Oa, and at RSPB Loch Gruinart a corncrake! We saw a pair of cuckoos near Foreland House.” - PW, May 2017
Bruichladdich is the closest village, a 10 or 15 minute drive away, with a distillery and a convenience store with cafe. Port Charlotte, two miles further, offers a few restaurants and a couple of bars, convenience store, petrol and post office, a natural history centre and the Museum of Islay Life. Continue on and you reach picturesque Portnahaven with a couple of small shops and a pub. Eight miles from the house in another direction are
Bridgend and nearby Islay House Square, together offering a hotel bar and a restaurant; a micro brewery; craft galleries offering
coffee; pitch'n'put, petrol and a shop selling a bit of pretty much everything you can imagine as well as a post office. Bowmore, 3 miles beyond Bridgend, offers a Co-Op, pharmacy, banks, butcher, household goods, a choice of restaurants, cafes and bars, books and quality souvenirs, tourist office, petrol, electric car charging,
leisure centre with swimming pool and of course another distillery. Further afield you'll find shops and services at Port Ellen.
See islayjura.com and www.islayinfo.com for much more about what you can do and see on Islay. Or ask me:
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