72 hours on Islay: The golf & whisky edit

Once you’ve dropped your things in your room and taken one look at the view, the grounds, dunes and beach will be calling. A quick stroll (10 mins) down to the Laggan Bay beach below the hotel – past the championship links’ 18th hole and Hebrides course – will give you the lay of the land, and lungfulls of fresh Atlantic air.

Head to the stag lounge for pre-dinner drinks immersed in golden evening light, floor-to-ceiling island views and contemporary art. A good time for your first whisky flight to toast your arrival.

Take your table at 18 Restaurant and Bar. Taste the freshest island produce as the sun sets the sky ablaze over Laggan Bay.

The moment you’ve been waiting for – tee off for your first round on The Machrie’s world Top 100 course, as seabirds soar above.

Grab a quick lunch – either in 18 Restaurant and Bar, or in Bowmore or Bridgend on the way to Bruichladdich Distillery (see below).

Join a tour of Bruichladdich’s historic Victorian distillery on the shores of Loch Indaal – now a B Corp pioneering sustainable production – and learn about the history, heritage and science behind the bottle. Includes a post-tour tasting, with a selection of signature whiskies.

If you have time to kill afterwards, the Loch Indaal coast path runs along the shoreline just below the distillery.

Dinner at the Port Charlotte Hotel. Time it right (Wednesday and Sunday evenings) and you can catch live traditional island music in the bar while you eat.

Tee time for another round on the championship links. Now you know the course – and its unique challenges and rewards – see if you can improve your score with another round… Or just take in the variations that a slight change in wind direction, light, or the moving of a pin can bring. (Check out our hole-by-hole guide to help your game.)

Head to nearby Port Ellen for lunch and a wander around its scenic harbour, beaches and shops. Copper Still Coffee van on the harbourside does delicious homemade sausage rolls, soups, cakes and pastries as well as barista coffee if the weather’s good for sitting out.

And relax…Two rounds of golf in two days deserves some proper downtime. Ease aching muscles in the wild garden’s Scandi-style sauna, wood-fired hot tubs and cold plunge with views over the golf links and Laggan Bay beyond. Book yourself a treatment and experience the transformative properties of Hebridean seaweed in the ishga products our therapists use.

Alternatively, if you still have the energy and it’s all about the golf for you, make the most of your last afternoon here by booking in some tuition, a TrackMan session, some time on the Driving Range or a more relaxing golf experience on our Hebrides social putting course, where everyone can join in.

Find a table on the terrace outside 18 Restaurant and Bar and order an ‘oyster luge’ from the oyster menu. Drinking whisky and eating oysters together – both full of the flavours of this island’s distinct environment – has been a unique Islay tradition for over 200 years. To do it the local way, drink your dram straight from the oyster shell.

If you’re still hungry, stay for a main course in 18 to taste more of the island’s flavours – from sea trout and Port Askaig lobster to corn-fed chicken, saltmarsh lamb, dry-aged rib-eye steak and asparagus – and lingering sunset views.

Late night film in our screening room

Plan for an afternoon or evening flight or ferry, and you’ll still have time to squeeze in a bit more golf before you head off. The Hebrides (18-hole + playoff social putting course) and Wee course (six-hole, Par 3) are both great fun, and will test different skills and techniques.

Check-out of the hotel from 11am before setting off on the rest of your adventure. We look forward to welcoming you back soon.