The Hearach

Here's the Harris Distillery in its latter stages of construction. Now it's complete, whisky production is underway and The Hereach, its first brand, will be ready in four years time. Gin production takes around four days and so the liquor with a seaweed additive will be marketed much sooner. Hold up your glasses to the BBC website for more information.

Scottish Islands Explorer - four years means 24 issues

Sun and Ice

The Summer managed to give the Western and Northern Isles something of a miss this year. However, something has been happening in the North, with an Aberdeenshire company producing something of a paradox. Mac Mackie of, guess, Mackie's Ice Cream, is pictured leaning against one of the 7000 solar panels that his company deploys in the the creation of power to make four million litres of ice cream. An account of this phenomenon appears in The Press and Journal.

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Calendar Countdown

There's a working week to go, to look out your photographs of Islay and to present them to Ileach, the independent newspaper for Islay and Jura. The closing date for images to be considered for its 2016 Calendar is Friday 2 October. The cat is featured in promotional material for the Islay Hotel at Port Ellen and the picture from the Caol Ila whisky distillery, overlooking the Sound of Islay and being overlooked by Jura, led an article in the New York Times.

Scottish Islands Explorer - appreciates whiskers; likes whisky

Thoughts for a Sunday

Earlier this month something happened that shook the world of newspapers, albeit in the north-west of Scotland. The West Highland Free Press sacked two of its leading columnists, Donald Macleod, and Brian Wilson (pictured above), who was also the paper's founding editor. With that Maggie Cunningham, another regular columnist, withdrew from contributing to the paper. Read (all) about it in The Guardian.

Scottish Islands Explorer - cruises on steadily

Milky Way As Solid Band

When promoting the advantages of using the disused MoD station at Gallan Head, Lewis, as an multi-purpose observatory - to see the stars at night and the marine life of Loch Roag by day - the advocates of the scheme refer to the Milky Way. It is described as 'almost a solid band across the sky'. Read about the local scheme in the Stornoway Gazette and the far from local dimensions in Up the Milky Way.

Scottish Islands Explorer - takes a wider view, occasionally

New 'Ritual' Building

The Links of Noltland at Westray, Orkney, is the site of another new discovery - a Bronze Age 'ritual building' - now within some six yards of the sea. Take a look at what's been excavated, in The Orcadian.

Scottish Islands Explorer - its bi-monthly ritual continues

Beauty in a Bottle

Colonsay Brewery was established in 2007. Its island is considered to be the smallest in the world with a successfully-operating, commercial brewery. One of the company's advertising lines is 'Beauty in a Bottle' and more can be discovered through its website - featuring three beers, IPA, 80/- and Pig's Paradise.

Scottish Islands Explorer - exports information from the islands

Caught Up and ... Out

The Ness of Melby at Sandness, Shetland, has a coastal path with stile, signage and views to the Holm of Melby. At the weekend this idyllic-looking stretch of water was the scene of a dramatic rescue of a grey seal  caught up in a creel line. It is described and captured on video through Shetland News.

Scottish Islands Explorer - releases items and images regularly

Herring Girls

There's an interesting talk taking place tonight at An Lanntair in Stornoway on Herring Girls - the migrant workers in the fish industry. The details come from the Islands Book Trust.

Scottish Islands Explorer - covers the island coastlines

Fly to Skye?

Ashaig Airstrip at Broadford, Skye, was opened in 1972 and used by Loganair for flights to and from Glasgow until 1988 when regular scheduled services ceased. It has been used for other attractions since - including the 2007 Isle of Skye Music Festival - pictured from above. The West Highland Free Press reports that a fresh study is looking at its potential while a YouTube clip takes you on a trip from sky to touchdown.

Scottish Islands Explorer - has also been in service for 16 years