A Guide to Fèis Ìle: The Islay Festival of Music and Malt

The Hebridean island of Islay is famous among whisky lovers for its dense concentration of distilleries. A large number of the most recognisable single malt producers in Scotland are crammed onto this small island off the West Coast.

The history of the Islay Festival

The first Islay Festival was in 1986, but it was a very different event to the one we enjoy today. It started out as a celebration of Hebridean culture, with dancing, music, drama, walks around the island, talks about Islay’s history and a single whisky tasting. It was two weeks long with a closing carnival and even a best-dressed village competition.

However, as the festival developed the distilleries got more involved, and in 2000 something approaching today’s structure started to develop, with each producer assigned a day of the week to hold an open day.

The festival is now very much focused on whisky, but the Festival Committee have made sure to stay close to their roots, with music still present throughout the program. This includes concerts across the island, and bands at each distillery’s open day performing everything from traditional Scottish music to more modern rock, blues and jazz.

Find out more about the festival on the official website here

Limited-edition whiskies

The special festival bottlings have become an central part of the experience, particularly for those unable to attend in person. Over the years, some distilleries have released them a little wider than just on Islay, but unless you’re are the festival they can be difficult to get hold of.

Fortunately, the secondary market for festival bottlings is quite active, and they regular pop up at The Whisky Exchange, acquired by our old & rare team.

There a few to keep an eye out for if you are dabbling in Islay Festival bottlings for the first time and want to start a collection. Ardbeg’s yearly bottlings are always a safe bet, and Bunnahabhain’s are sometimes available beyond their north-westerly corner of the island. However, Caol Ila, Lagavulin and Kilchoman’s are a little harder to find. Bowmore’s are often highly-sought after by completist collectors, and Laphroaig’s annual Cairdeas and Bruichladdich’s special editions are quickly snapped up by fans.

Shop for Islay Festival bottlings here

The Islay Festival today

With the number of distilleries across the island growing, as well as the incorporation of neighbouring Jura and other interested parties into the programme, the now week-long schedule has got a bit full. However, the breakdown by day stays the same each year, making it easier – at least theoretically – to make plans.

Friday

This the opening night, usually featuring a party and parade organised by the festival committee to get everyone on the Islay ready for the week ahead. As it’s a Friday night, expect a lot of locals to pop along for a bit of merriment at the end of the work week.

Saturday

Traditionally Lagavulin Day, they are now joined by newcomer Islay Rum, founded in 2022. Lagavulin has an all-day party, with lots of tastings and tours you can book on to, along with food and music around the warehouses all day.

Islay rum is always worth a visit, with a beautiful double-retort pot-still, tanks of funky ferments and lots of great rum. It’s also just on the edge of Port Ellen, opposite the maltings and rebuilt distillery and right by the sea, making it easy to get to for most visitors to the island.

Sunday

This is Bruichladdich day and no one else dares to try an compete with them. From the famed warehouse tasting to start the day to the biggest line up of bands found during the festival, Bruichladdich Day is a microcosm of the whole festival in one place. As it’s Sunday, it’s also packed with locals, having a party before heading back for a week of work.

Monday

The beginning of the week sees us shift to the north of the island and Caol Ila, down on the seafront by Port Askaig. With its large visitors centre and courtyard, it’s one of the biggest venues on the island, and owner Diageo makes sure to fill the programme for the day.

Tuesday

The first busy day of the week, with Laphroaig’s official day also shared with Port Ellen and the Indie Bottler’s Festival. Fortunately, they’re all in the same area of the island, making it easy to get around.

Starting with Laphroaig, they run tours and tastings all day at the distillery. They also release the yearly Cairdeas bottling, celebrating the distillery fanclub: The Friends of Laphroaig.

A 45-minute walk westwards from Laphroaig brings you back to Port Ellen, and its namesake distillery. It was only rebuilt recently, having originally closed in 1983 a few years before the first festival. The distillery doesn’t offer many tours usually, so this is an opportunity to have a walk around the grounds and, if you are very lucky, get a look inside.

A quick walk back in to town brings you to Ramsay Hall and the Independent Bottlers Festival. This brings together indies from around the world, all with their latest Islay-sourced releases. There’s a selection of special festival bottlings as well as great drams from across the island.

Wednesday

The middle of the week sees Bowmore’s day now shared with newcomer Ardnahoe. In years gone by, people would sleep outside in the queue the night before, making sure they’d get one of Bowmore’s festival bottlings, but fortunately things have calmed down these days. A bit…

Up on the north of the island, between Caol Ila and Bunnahabain, Ardnahoe’s distillery was only opened in 2019, but was built to make sure it had the space to welcome visitors. Along with a huge shop, it has a day of tastings, tours and events, all taking place from the distillery’s beautiful cliff-side vantage point overlooking the sea.

Thursday

We return to the centre of the island for Thursday, stopping in at Kilchoman, the only non-seaside distillery remaining, but it’s only a short drive to Machir Bay, namesake of Kilchoman’s core whisky. Pop in for tours, tastings, a festival bottling and a café with maybe the best soup and a sandwich available on the island.

Friday

The penultimate day returns to the north of Islay, split between Bunnahabhain and Jura – the distillery on the next island over.

To get to Bunnahabhain, you keep on past Ardnahoe until you run out of road, ending up right on the sea at the most remote distillery on Islay. They reward those who make the trek with a whole host of events and treats.

Getting to Jura requires a bit more dedication, with the ferry from Caol Ila the only way to get there from Islay. There’s usually a party happening on Jura to justify the trip, with the local gin distillery adding a non-whisky twist if you’re starting to flag.

Saturday

The final day of the festival is reserved for Ardbeg, known world-wide for its Ardbeg Day celebrations and annual special whisky release. The distillery’s grounds and warehouses are flung open for a day of usually rather random partying, with the year’s festival bottling theme turned into a event to welcome fans in from around the world.

Heading to Islay

Getting to Islay is on paper not a particularly difficult journey, but in reality it takes a bit of dedication, and during the festival that is very much increased. With a population of more than 3,000 people, Islay isn’t particular big. However, that swells by more than three times during the festival, which makes both getting to the island and staying there more difficult.

First, book your accommodation as soon as you can – many people booking a year in advance. There are a wide range of hotels, B&Bs. holiday lets and campsites on the island, all of which are filled for the festival.

Once you’ve found somewhere to stay, you’ll need to get there. Flights from Glasgow are regular, but are prone to being cancelled at short notice and the planes aren’t all that big. The ferries are the most common way of getting to Islay, especially as driving is usually a must. There are buses and taxis, but they are few and far between, and the distilleries are often quite a long walk away from each other. Spaces for cars on the ferries go quickly, so it’s advised to book as soon as they go on sale.

Foot passengers have it easier, with walk-up tickets usually available, but booking up as early as possible is thoroughly recommended.

Once you get to Islay, all of that is behind you. The festival is full of things to do and Islay offers much more than just the distilleries and drinking – if you’re a whisky fan then visiting is a trip worth making.

Browse Islay Festival offers here