 |
|
|
|
 |
|
||
 |
 |
|
|
 |
 |
|
|
Bowmore
|
 |
Links to pages in the Place Guide
|
|
Links to pages in the Place Guide |
|||||||||||||||||||
| Bowmore is the in the centre of Islay and is also the administrative centre. The village is home to just under 1000 people and is built upon the steep slopes of Lochindaal. The main street sweeps up to the famous Round Church set square above the village. The shoreline is dominated by the small harbour and buildings of the famous Morrisons’ Bowmore distillery. The Square in the centre of the village is a popular meeting point for people of all ages. Buses for all over the island leave from here, the Tourist Information Office in the Square will give you a printed copy or mail you one (+44 (0)1496 810254). The office of our world famous newspaper, the Ileach is located half way up the Main Street. Here you can use their computers and ISDN connection to access the Internet and buy a range of products including videos and calendars. |
 |
We also have one of the finest hotels and restaurants around, the Harbour Inn. In 2002 they opened a coffee house in the hotel, making a pleasant place for a morning break. It is found, surprisingly enough, in the harbour seen in the near distance in the image below. I am often found around the The Mariners at the other end of the village and handier for my house. In the middle of the village the Celtic House is a good source of books on local interest and souvenirs. The picture looks up the main street towards the Round Church. Built in 1767-9 it is round so, legend has it, "the devil has no corners to hide in". It has a diameter of 60 feet and no clock. |
|
Much work has been done in the harbour dredging it and putting in pontoons. It is now a sheltered harbour for mariners. The image to the far right is looking back up the Main Street towards the Round Church. The white building to the right is “the Inns” which consists of self catering flats for visitors. The picture immediately right is towards the Paps of Jura, both of these images lead to a full-sized picture if you click on them. The Paps picture I have left at full size, though a large file it is worth viewing for the realistic view of the Paps on a cold day in October. |
 |
 |
| In Bowmore we have the
council offices, Islay High School, the Swimming Pool, the largest supermarket
(the Co-op), the tourist information office and the only two banks on Islay
which are the Royal Bank of Scotland and The Bank of Scotland. These banks
have the Island’s only cash dispensers.
At Bowmore you find an attractive area of sea front called the Battery. (This has a 230K picture on it but it’s worth it if you have the patience. The picture looks down the main street from the Ileach office towards the harbour and Lochindaal. A wet and windy day I’m afraid, but that’s relatively normal. |
 |
