A view from the upper deck of the MV Finlaggan on a November late evening, approaching Port Ellen on a crossing to Islay. The maltings with the smoking chimney visible on the left, just right of the bridge.
While some of the barley used for making the famous whisky is grown on Islay the island can’t produce anywhere near enough to support soon nine distilleries. The vast majority is imported from elsewhere, brought in by the ‘barley boat’. Here we can see the Victress being unloaded, first the barley is sucked into holding silos (the large square building behind the front hatch) before being transported by lorry to the maltings (in the distance on the left).
Seen from The Islay Hotel in the centre of Port Ellen, a view of the warehouses of the former Port Ellen distillery and the modern maltings under a dark cloudy sky.