I am always happy to visit Islay.  Known as the Whisky Isle, for me it is the very foundation of the Lords of the Isles.  OK, I have toured the distilleries and had my share of wee drams, but Islay was the heradquarters for the Lord of the Isles and thus its significance for my story.

Not far from the village of Port Ellen on the southern coast of Islay sits Dunyvaig Castle. One of the most storied landmarks Dunyvaig  (pronounced dune-yay-vig) existed back to the time of Somerled.  It is said that his fleet of 160+ boats (nyvigs or birlinns) were kept in Lagavulin Bay in which rests this iconic ruin.  I photographed the castle from the water on my last trip but this time I wanted to walk around it.  I still have not captured a photograph of it that I want for the book – the weather never seems to cooperate. – but offer a few from today to show it’s current state.  It was once the naval fortress of the Lords of the Isles, the chiefs of the Clan MacDonald. Read more here  Its setting on Lagavulin Bay, site today of the Lagavulin distillery, was the perfect location for protecting the fleet and watching over the seaward approaches to Islay.  I am anxious to climb around the ruin and will revisit several times before I depart.