For MacDonalds and other Scots with West Highland roots – now spread worldwide – Finlaggan represents a major opportunity to explore their heritage. It also offers insights for all of us into a model of lordship and society that was different to those prevalent across medieval Europe. It was very influential in informing the present day image of what it is to be Scottish. The preservation and nurturing of the Gaelic language, whisky, bagpipes, and tartan all owe a lot to Finlaggan and the lordship of the Isles.

On the nose: Dried honey, subtle. With water, salted pistachios, wet paint but in the way that makes you hungry, light cedar.There’s a small car park at the centre which is free to use but you’ll have to pay a small admission charge to get to the main attraction where you’ll find a collection of ancient gravestones, relics and buildings on a small island on the loch, all of which are related to the Lords of the Isles. Scenic Walks Around Loch Finlaggan: The area around Loch Finlaggan is exceptionally scenic. A leisurely stroll offers panoramic views of the surrounding hills and is perfect for those seeking peace and tranquillity. But even so, I guarantee you’ll walk away having learned a few new snippets of information about Scotland’s history at Finlaggan, and to my mind it’s a fascinating glimpse into the heart of Islay that you’d otherwise miss if you just concentrated on the whisky.

Classic FF bourbon finish notes. This is a Sunday sipping Scotch, or a perfect dram to rev up my palate before I taste something more complicated. Score 7/10

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We may, but are not under any obligation, to release new functionalities and tools or other features for the Service every now and then. Any new functionalities, tools and features shall be part of and governed by the Terms from the moment they are launched and/or available. Further, we reserve the right to modify, change, discontinue the Service, add or remove features, update the Service, change its appearance, temporarily and permanently, at any time, in whole or any part thereof. If you’ve never heard of them you might be interested to know that the Lords of the Isles descend from Somerled, a 12th-century prince with a Norse and Gaelic pedigree who was allied more with Norway than Scotland. Whiskybase B.V. is the Dutch private limited liability company, having its statutory seat in Rotterdam, The Netherlands and its office at Zwaanshals 530, 3035 KS Rotterdam, The Netherlands. Whiskybase B.V. is registered with the Dutch Chamber of Commerce under no. 52072819. At that time the politics of Scotland’s west coast islands were so far removed from the mainland they were regarded as being in an entirely separate kingdom from the rest of Alba (the Gaelic word for ‘country of the Scots’), and Somerled sought to expand his power far beyond the confines of the Scottish west coast.