Expert: Willie Wallace - 9/16/2004

Question
I'll be in Central London in late November and would like to visit the distillery at Lochranza on the Isle of Arran.  How can I best get there without driving?  

Answer
HI Martin,

Sorry for the slow response, but I am travelling in Ireland at the moment.  Why Lochranza?  It's a pretty distillery and in a nice location, although perhaps struggling to find it's feet, but there are another 100 malt distilleries across Scotland, some of which have been there for literally hundreds of years.  Why Arran?

Arran is a lovely destination all on it's own so lots of reason for going there.  Anyway, the first thing to do is find if it is going to be in production. There is not a lot of good going to a distillery which is not making whisky.  You will see none of the processes and smell none of the wonderful vapours and odours, see none of the bubbling and frothing of the mystical art.

Anyway, fly to Glasgow Airport and take the wee shuttle bus the mile in to Paisley Gilmour Street station and catch the local train to Ardrossan Harbour and catch the ferry to Brodick on Arran.  There is a regular Stagecoach bus service meeting the ferry, which will take you to Lochranza.

Alternatively, take the train to Glasgow, from London and catch the Ardrossan Harbour train from Glasgow Central station.  Find out about Ardossan trains and the ferry on

http://www.calmac.co.uk

I hope that helps. 'Off out to the Irish sunshine now.

Cheers,

Willie Wallace
http://www.whisky-tours-scotland.com