Walk on the wild side
Dave Broom and company survived a hike up the Paps of Jra to tell the tale. Just
Sheltering from the rain and the wind in the doorway at 7am, I was already wondering if this was such a great idea. The storm had been blowing for most of the previous two days, the wind had groaned against the house for most of the night, waves were being blasted across the
Port Charlotte pier, yet I and four distillery managers were going to walk the three Paps of Jura. Still, the idea of walking the land near to distilleries to find a new way of talking about whisky is a potent one, and hard to resist. Lagavulinâs Donald Renwick picked me up, already shaking his head. âThis is madness,â he said, with a slightly nervous laugh. âStill, it might clear.â There speaks a man who knows the hills, knows the fickleness of Islay and Juraâs weather and how it can change in a second. Itâs the blind optimism of the Scot, typified by the
Islay catch-phrase âAch, itâll be fine.â
We picked up Caol Ilaâs Billy Stitchell from the distillery and met Aberlourâs Alan Winchester at the ferry. Across the sound, the tops of the Paps were already wreathed in cloud. Our sherpa Mickey Heads, (Juraâs Manager) met us on the other side. The fact he was already entirely clad in waterproofs indicated that he wasnât overly optimistic about the weather conditions. âLooks like itâs setting in,â he said cheerily. âStill, letâs
give it a shot. We can see how it looks afterthe first one.â A look of mild panic flitted across Billyâs face. No one had mentioned to him th.....
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By Dave Broom
Section : Whisky Travel
Page number : 34
