Ardbeg Distillery, Islay

Nicely done,Manus.

Superb picture and whisky 🥃

Super set of paintings

Did you visit and take a dram at all 12 distillery’s Manus?! All beautifully painted, the buildings in this one in particular are exceptional.

Thank you for your lovely comments. The history, production and of course the taste of each has been of interest to me for a very long time. I have visited over 50 distilleries and have a few more to go or revisit. I am intrigued by how these factories ( occasionally ) quite ugly sit in their individual, often iconic settings, either by the seaside, in secluded bays, nestling in scottish glens or occasionally close to town centres. Very few would probably get planning consent today yet somehow something would be missing from the Scottish landscape and it’s history without them.

Have you visited the Bladnoch distillery Manus? I think it’s the furthest south of Scottish distilleries…..and not a bad drink according to my husband.

Hi Fiona, I visited it many years ago when it was owned by the Irish man, and was given a very private tour with his daughter. Long story but I ended up taking his daughter round to show her how to do tours as he was called away. Their appreciation was shown with several nice drams and a glass which I still have. The bottle of Bladnoch is well gone. I have an old painting of the distillery I did shortly afterwards somewhere. Thanks for the memory of a fine day. My wife and daughter who picked me up afterwards were not best pleased though as to how I spent a whole afternoon of our holidays. ( or my condition) - what is it about Irish company- it always seems to turn out the same.

A lovely memory Manus. The Irish chap sold the distillery a few years ago to an Australian entrepreneur, he’s spent millions on it…..refurb, restaurant, still’s etc. I lived next door to his nephew who was a partner in the distillery, Martin, he has gone on to open a bonded warehouse and bottling plant at Creetown.