Displaying items by tag: Islay campaign
The organisers of one of the world's most famous whisky festivals in Scotland say it has been put at risk after being left "high and dry" due to the ongoing ferry fiasco at CalMac.
Visitors to Islay, off the south-west coast, is where the annually held Fèis Ìle, or Islay Festival, will encounter a lack of ferry capacity, reports the HeraldScotland. As the festival organisers say, they face "significant difficulties" as CalMac has failed to provide the expected increase in crossing capacity to allow whisky lovers and festival-goers to attend the event in May, which is spread across nine days.
CalMac operates two routes to Islay from Kennacraig (photo above) on the Mull of Kintyre, which involve crossings from the mainland port to Port Askaig taking 2 hours and 5 minutes and Port Ellen, with a slightly longer passage time of 2 hours and 20 minutes.
Regularly, the festival generates upwards of £10 million for the local economy, and organizers say it is in "serious jeopardy" if a solution cannot be found.
Visitors from around the world, amounting to up to 20,000, are usually expected to Islay and neighboring Jura for what is said to be one of the largest such gatherings.
Festival visitors can look forward to a combination of music and malt, which will showcase the islands' distilleries, community, and culture. Among the features of the week-long plus festival will range from tastings, tours, beaches, walks, ceilidhs, sunsets, and sunrises.
The origins of the festival, which continues to grow in size and stature, have taken place every May since 1984, a year before the Hebridean Isles were built, adds Afloat.ie. It is one of two Islay ferries currently running the routes, with Finlaggan dating to 2011. However, twin newbuilds built in Turkey will see the first ferry, the Isle of Islay, launched next week, 16 March.
They are to replace the forty-year-old Hebridean Isles and complement the Finlaggan, with the first ferry due for delivery in October and the second ship in early 2025. They will give a boost of 40% in capacity, but in the meantime, such availability will not be of service to islanders and visitors alike for the festival.
Much more from the newspaper on the challenges facing the festival and the impacts on tourism to the island and to the economy of the wider region.
