The Centre of the Lordship of the Isles
Our Trustee and longtime advisor David Caldwell visited Islay during the week of 19 September. On Tuesday and Thursday afternoons Dr Caldwell hosted tours to groups of fortunate visitors whose enjoyment of the event equalled their learning! Many thanks to David Caldwell for sharing his experience of working on the site and his extensive historical knowledge.
As part of this years Fèis Ìle celebrations we will be hosting our own Open Day at the Finlaggan visitor centre.
The £5 entrance fee includes a visit to the site with guides to answer any questions. You will be welcomed to our visitor center to try a complementary dram of Finlaggan whisky from our supporters at the Vintage Malt Whisky Company and listen to some local traditional music.
We are also running a raffle giving you the opportunity to win a rare bottle of Ardbeg Lord of the Isles 25 Year Old Single Malt. Second prize is a special Fèis Ìle bottling of Finlaggan Single Malt. Ticket price is £1, available from the visitor center, committee members, Ballygrant Inn, Labels Coffee shop, Whisky Shop Bowmore, Lauries Port Ellen and Ardbeg Distillery
All money raised will go directly to the support and running of the Finlaggan Trust.
A very successful Venison Supper was held on Saturday 23 February, when some 60 friends and supporters sat down to a sumptuous 4-course meal, followed by entertainment and dancing. Once again, our grateful thanks to all the organisations and individuals who provided ingredients, dishes and help, and of course to all the entertainers and our Fear-an-Taighe for the evening, Andy McCowan.
It was with a sense of excited anticipation that Gina McAuslan opened the Finlaggan Information Centre on the second last day of the 2011 season. Half an hour later she was welcoming Jack Baldwin from Glasgow with the news that he was the Centre’s 5,000 th visitor of the year. She presented a surprised and delighted Mr Baldwin with a Finlaggan engraved whisky glass to mark the first time visitor numbers to the Centre had topped 5,000 in any one year.
Gina said, “Since we opened the extension to the building in 2009, numbers have risen year on year and when on Tuesday we closed at 4,997 we knew we were in sight of the 5,000 target. When Mr Baldwin’s party arrived I counted them in and he was number 3”.
The final figure when the Centre closed for the winter on Sunday 30 October was 5012. In addition the Finlaggan Trust welcomed 100 people between the launch of the Turner project and the talk by Thomas Ardill of Tate Britain and, at a conservative estimate from donations left, at least 600 people visited the island outside of the Centre opening times.