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Bridgend
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Links to pages in the Place Guide
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Links to pages in the Place Guide |
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| Bridgend is a tiny village in the centre of the island. In Gaelic Bridgend is properly Beul-an-àth which means the mouth of the ford. It is located within Bridgend Woods, at the head of Loch Indaal. The woods have several attractive walks through them, one leading to the internationally renowned Islay Woolen Mill. The tartans in the film "Braveheart" were made here and an interesting tour is given by the owner. Bridgend boasts a newly replanted bowling green. The picture above shows Jimmy Campbell’s Spar shop, a busy shopping and meeting point on the island. There is petrol available here and a car wash. The Bridgend Hotel offers good meals and a warm atmosphere. |
To the south of Bridgend there is a low hill upon which the inevitable war memorial stands. This picture was taken in April 2003 from the corner at Springbank with the hill covered in yellow flowering gorse. Within walking distance of Bridgend are extensive woods associated with Islay Estates. These woods are full of tracks that the public can walk in. |
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The river Sorn runs through these woods and through the village itself, it is an excellent fly fishing river. It is good manners not to disturb the concentration of fishermen on this river, permits to fish can be obtained from Islay estates for a modest sum. Within the woods, the spring is one of the best times, starting with snowdrops in February, followed by a wilderness of daffodils and finally bluebell carpets cover the ground in May. These pictures are by my dear friend Susan in May 2001 and are deep within the woods when the bluebells are out. That’s me hugging the tree, since then I’ve lost weight! As usual you can see the full-sized picture by clicking on the thumbnails. In May 2003 I came here again with my Bridgend Woods project in mind, in 2001 Susan and I saw there had been extensive extraction of timber from the east of this tree and its nearby companions. I returned in May 2003 and, unsurprisingly, without shelter from the gales, this magnificent tree with its shallow, forest roots had been toppled along with many of the nearby trees, a sad and unnoticed end to a wonderful tree and an old friend. |
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