Islay is a small, remote piece of land off the West Coast of Scotland that is home to about as many people as there are in most high schools around the US (approximately 3,000). It can be cold, it can be rainy, it can be foggy, and it can often leave travelers stranded on or off the island due to its unpredictable weather. There’s no abundance of young single women and there’s most certainly not a thumping nightlife. Taking a brief look at the landscape, you see miles and miles rolling hills sprinkled with grazing sheep, stunning coastline and the occasional cottage or home.
What makes this island so unique, however, is that on a piece of land approximately 1/5th the size of Rhode Island, Islay is home to eight of Scotland’s finest distilleries of single malt whiskey. Islay is notorious for producing peated whiskeys, characterized by rich smoky aromas and flavors. Lagavulin, Caol Ila, Laphroig, Ardbeg, and Bruichladdich are a few of the better known distilleries, each offering a unique environment to taste whiskey and experience the respective distilling practices.
Accessible by a short 30-minute flight from Glasgow, Islay offers an untraditional, but epic option for a bro trip of legendary proportions. The mix of fine spirits, golf, fishing, hunting, and history is the perfect storm of manliness and should be on your short list of destinations to revel with the boys. Throw in a couple of nights in Glasgow to chase women and reacquaint yourself with civilization and you have yourself a trip. If you’re not convinced, here are 6 reasons you should visit Islay for your next boys trip.
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