Scotland and London: Scotch, Shows, and Where We Ate

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Scotch Tallies

Islay tour day Scotches drunk Unique Scotches that day
August 21 3 3
August 22 19 19
August 23 21 21
August 24 At least 2 At least 2
Four-day total At least 45 —

Ksenia and I spent August 13–30 in Scotland and London. Three days on Skye, a lot of Edinburgh Fringe shows, four days on Islay, and then London for Shakespeare, Totoro, and Paddington.

Also Scotch. A lot of Scotch.

The Scotch

Four Days on Islay

Morag took us from Glasgow to Islay, with stops at Loch Lomond and Inveraray and a ferry ride with great views. We stayed at [The Bowmore House][bowmore-house]. Andrew Jackson was our host, and breakfast came with a house-blend dram.

The distillery days were busy. At [Bruichladdich][bruichladdich], we drank straight from the casks. At [Kilchoman][kilchoman], we watched barley being shoveled while drinking the whisky. [Lagavulin][lagavulin], [Ardbeg][ardbeg], and [Laphroaig][laphroaig] filled most of the next day.

A few that stood out:

Scotch What I thought
[Kilchoman Sanaig][kilchoman] So good!!
[Bunnahabhain][bunnahabhain] 2014 Canasta Caramel smell, color, and taste, plus chocolate. Like a candy store.
[Port Charlotte][bruichladdich] 2015 Sweet on the nose and at the start, then smoke on the finish. “That’s nice.”
[Octomore][bruichladdich] Polyphonic Funky, almost mushroomy. Smoky but smooth. Nice!
[Ardbeg][ardbeg] Uigeadail Dried fruit and more sherry.
[Ardbeg][ardbeg] Corryvreckan Peppery, with a tang.
[Octomore][bruichladdich] 15.3 Oily and super smoky, with dried fruit from the sherry casks.
[Lagavulin][lagavulin] 12-year-old fill-your-own I tried it to decide whether to buy a bottle. I did not.

Kilchoman was a great tour, with Cullen skink and a sandwich selection for lunch. Our Ardbeg guide enjoyed slagging us off. At [Kildalton][kildalton], the cross and roofless church were stupid pretty.

We also visited the [Islay Whisky Vault][whisky-vault] for old, rare, and unusual whisky, and finished a long day at the [Bowmore Hotel][bowmore-hotel]. Teresa’s verdict on the hotel: a “goddamn delight.”

“Pacing is for losers” made it into the conversation. By the end of August 23, I had crossed out my count and increased it. Twenty-one for the day.

More Scotch Around Scotland

The [Talisker][talisker] tour on Skye included the 10-year-old, Wild Blue, and a distillery exclusive. The 10 had pepper on the finish and sea spray. Wild Blue was salty, with a reddish tint from red-wine casks.

In Inverness I tried a flight of [Caol Ila 12][caol-ila], [Macallan 12][macallan], and [Balblair 12][balblair]. At a whisky shop in Dunkeld, there were drop-in drams: [Glenturret][glenturret] 10, its peated version, [Ardnamurchan][ardnamurchan], and [James Eadie’s Trademark X][james-eadie]. Trademark X was complex but well balanced; the peated Glenturret balanced smoke with chocolate and dark fruit.

Back in Edinburgh, the [Fiddler’s Arms][fiddlers-arms] supplied [Glenfiddich 12][glenfiddich], [Glen Scotia Double Cask][glen-scotia], and more Caol Ila. The latter started smoothly and finished with strong smoke.

Where We Ate and Drank

Edinburgh

Place Rating What I thought
[Duck & Waffle][duck-waffle] — Crispy pig ear, foie gras brûlée, and duck and waffle on arrival day.
[Badger & Co.][badger-co] ★★★☆☆ 3/5 We booked the wrong day and they squeezed us in anyway. The steak pie was very nice; the pork chop was well cooked but small for a tomahawk. Bone marrow: small and bland. Well-made cocktails.
[Hawksmoor][hawksmoor] — Sunday roast: prime rib, roast potatoes, Yorkshire pudding, vegetables, roast garlic, marrow gravy, and sausage stuffing.
[The Botanist][botanist] — Mushroom burger for Ksenia, chicken kebab for me.
[Thomas J. Walls][thomas-walls] — Packed. Tea, sandwiches, a scone with clotted cream, and more tea.
[Fiddler’s Arms][fiddlers-arms] — Whisky and drinks while wandering Old Town.
[Mussel Inn][mussel-inn] — A return visit from our first trip. White-wine mussels for Ksenia, smoked salmon and the applewood-smoked special for me.
[Filling Station][filling-station] — Chicken burger, fish and chips, and strawberry lemonade between shows.
[Element][element] — Chicken Balmoral, mushroom stroganoff, and a Scotch egg on one visit; bouillabaisse and steak-and-ale pie on another. Nice floral Seven Crofts gin and tonic.

Skye and the Highlands

Place Rating What I thought
[Lochside Brasserie][lochside-brasserie] — Lunch on the way to Skye.
Our hotel restaurant — Sea bass, butternut squash, and vanilla sorbet with an almond-flour brownie and popcorn. Haggis toast with lots of bacon at breakfast was very tasty.
[Sea Breezes][sea-breezes], Portree ★★★★★ 5/5 Huge thumbs up. Smaller, delicate mussels for Ksenia. Sea bass with crushed potatoes, tomatoes, black olives, and Parmesan for me. Possibly the best bass I’ve ever had. The Polish owners were very happy to talk with Ksenia.
[Highlander][highlander], Inverness — Shrimp scampi, a chicken burger, and a whisky flight.

Inveraray and Islay

Place Rating What I thought
[Inveraray Inn][inveraray-inn] — Chicken burger and filet on the way out; we stopped again on the way back.
[The Lochside][lochside], Bowmore ★★★★☆ 4/5 Enticing specials, really nice oysters, venison steaks, and scallops. We went back.
[Kilchoman][kilchoman] ★★★★☆ 4/5 Cullen skink and sandwiches like high tea, along with a great tour.
[SeaSalt][seasalt], Port Ellen ★★★★☆ 4/5 Creamy oysters, fish and chips, and chicken schnitzel.
[Bowmore Hotel][bowmore-hotel] — Crab, fried mushrooms, and still more whisky.

London

Place Rating What I thought
[Troubadour][troubadour] — Vegan Wellington and a burger after the train down from Edinburgh.
[Where The Pancakes Are][pancakes] — Pancakes before Shakespeare day.
[Swan at the Globe][swan] — Bread with Marmite butter, crab, trout for me, and duck for Ksenia.
[Archie’s][archies] — A full English breakfast burrito for me and a yogurt parfait for Ksenia.
[The Drawing Room at Brown’s Hotel][browns] ★★★★☆ 4/5 Very posh tea. Our Ukrainian waiter pronounced Ksenia’s full name correctly.
[Mangio][mangio] ★★★★☆ 4/5 Tasty, fresh pasta in a small shop near St. Paul’s. Friendly owners.
Garcon — Bread and butter warmed on pine needles.
[Palm Court][palm-court] ★★☆☆☆ 2/5 Duck confit wasn’t good. The “Pink Lady” wasn’t a Pink Lady. Fish and chips for Ksenia, and Eton mess.
[The Pig and Butcher][pig-butcher] — Bread and butter, crab cake, chicken liver, duck confit, lavender lemonade, and a strawberry daiquiri.
Portobello Road paella vendor ★★★★☆ 4/5 Very tasty. Fresh summer juice from another stall, too.
[The Footman][footman] ★★☆☆☆ 2/5 It has gone downhill since it was the Only Running Footman. Lots of unavailable dishes, a mediocre and undercooked steak, and no off-menu cocktails. Including a martini.

Where We Stayed

Place Location What I remember
[Hotel Indigo][hotel-indigo] Princes Street, Edinburgh Our arrival stop, close to the gardens and the start of our Fringe adventures.
A hotel during the Skye tour Skye tour Sea bass for dinner and haggis toast at breakfast.
[The Bowmore House][bowmore-house] Bowmore, Islay Andrew Jackson’s B&B, with house-blend whisky at breakfast. Different from the [Bowmore Hotel][bowmore-hotel].
Airbnb London Where Ksenia eventually found my lost notebook. Much relief.

Places, Tours, and Shows

Scotland

  • Three days touring Skye with Billy: [Loch Lubnaig][loch-lubnaig], [Doune Castle][doune-castle], [Stirling Bridge][stirling-bridge], the [Five Sisters of Kintail][five-sisters], and Loch Duich on the way.
  • The [Fairy Glen][fairy-glen], Castle Ewen, Portree, and Talisker on Skye, with sheep, cows, a goat, and waterfalls along the way.
  • [Plockton][plockton], [Rogie Falls][rogie-falls], Inverness, and [Leakey’s bookshop][leakeys] on the return journey.
  • [Dunkeld Cathedral][dunkeld-cathedral], a pretty stone building beside the river, followed by drop-in drams at a whisky shop.
  • [Calton Hill][calton-hill] for the 360-degree view, then the [New][new-calton] and [Old Calton][old-calton] burial grounds.
  • [Surgeons’ Hall][surgeons-hall], for centuries of tools and the Hall of Pathology.
  • [Greyfriars][greyfriars] and a wander around Edinburgh’s Old Town.
  • Four days touring Islay with Morag, including the distilleries and Kildalton Cross.

The [Fringe][fringe] was a lot of fun. [Earnest?][earnest] was probably the best show we saw there: the actor playing Earnest fails to turn up, so they pull a “volunteer” out of the audience. Hilarity ensues. A Parody of the Rings skipped most of the last two films for time. Knightclub was like Fight Club meets A Knight’s Tale on Monty Python’s budget. Very silly.

We also saw our first adult panto, a rock-and-roll magician who picked me for a card trick, Anna Hale’s funny musical Control Freak, Gummy Bear War, Married Without Children, A Covert Affair, Werewolf Gameshow, How to Become a Movie Star?, and Girl Pop. That last one had nine people in the audience.

London

  • [Shakespeare’s Globe][globe]: The Merry Wives of Windsor in the afternoon and Twelfth Night in the evening.
  • [Highgate Cemetery][highgate], both East and West, with Douglas Adams, pens, and animal monuments.
  • [My Neighbor Totoro][totoro]: amazing puppetry. Such a good show.
  • [Tate Modern][tate], where the Rothko room was still overwhelming. A child called an artwork “paint”; told it was fabric, he thought for a second and said, “Cheater.”
  • Paddington bears at the station, the shop, and Leicester Square, plus Mr. Bean.
  • [The Paddington Bear Experience][paddington]. Maybe aimed at a younger crowd than us, but still a hoot. We helped save Marmalade Day. Thank god we were there.
  • Portobello Road, cameras for sale, old Paddington illustrations, and [Saucy Books][saucy].

The Daily Posts

About the Tallies and Ratings

The Islay counts reset each day. I counted the pours on each spread and kept the running unique count beside them; only the final daily totals are above. The return day includes at least the two named drams. Some whiskies reappear on different days, so adding daily unique counts would overstate the number of different Scotches across the trip.

Five stars means a standout; four means I’d recommend it; three means mixed; two means disappointing. I haven’t rated every meal. These are my impressions from August 2025. [archies]: https://archieslondon.co.uk/ [ardbeg]: https://www.ardbeg.com/en-gb [ardnamurchan]: https://ardnamurchandistillery.com/ [badger-co]: https://badgerandco.com/menus/ [balblair]: https://www.balblair.com/collection/1-balblair-12-year-old [botanist]: https://thebotanist.uk.com/locations/edinburgh [bowmore-hotel]: https://bowmorehotel.co.uk/ [bowmore-house]: https://www.thebowmorehouse.co.uk/ [browns]: https://www.roccofortehotels.com/hotels-and-resorts/brown-s-hotel/dining/the-drawing-room/ [bruichladdich]: https://www.bruichladdich.com/ [bunnahabhain]: https://bunnahabhain.com/pages/experience-bunnahabhain [calton-hill]: https://www.edinburghoutdoors.org.uk/directory-record/19/calton-hill [caol-ila]: https://www.malts.com/en/products/caol-ila-12-year-old-single-malt-scotch-whisky-70cl [doune-castle]: https://www.historicenvironment.scot/visit/all/doune-castle/ [duck-waffle]: https://www.duckandwaffle.com/edinburgh/ [dunkeld-cathedral]: https://www.historicenvironment.scot/visit/all/dunkeld-cathedral/ [earnest]: https://sayitagainsorry.com/ [element]: https://elementedinburgh.co.uk/ [fairy-glen]: https://www.isleofskye.com/skye-guide/skye-places/fairy-glen [fiddlers-arms]: https://www.thefiddlersarms.com/find-us/ [filling-station]: https://www.filling-stations.co.uk/location/edinburgh [five-sisters]: https://www.nts.org.uk/visit/places/kintail [footman]: https://www.thefootmanmayfair.com/ [fringe]: https://www.edfringe.com/ [glen-scotia]: https://us.glenscotia.com/products/double-cask-whisky [glenfiddich]: https://www.glenfiddich.com/ [glenturret]: https://theglenturret.com/ [globe]: https://www.shakespearesglobe.com/visit/food-and-drink/ [greyfriars]: https://greyfriarskirk.com/visit/kirkyard/ [hawksmoor]: https://thehawksmoor.com/locations/edinburgh/ [highgate]: https://highgatecemetery.org/ [highlander]: https://www.highlanderinverness.com/ [hotel-indigo]: https://hiedinburghprincesstreet.co.uk/ [inveraray-inn]: https://www.inveraray-inn.co.uk/ [james-eadie]: https://www.jameseadie.co.uk/ [kilchoman]: https://www.kilchomandistillery.com/ [kildalton]: https://www.historicenvironment.scot/visit/all/kildalton-cross/ [lagavulin]: https://www.malts.com/en-gb/distilleries/lagavulin [laphroaig]: https://www.laphroaig.com/ [leakeys]: https://leakeysbookshop.com/pages/about-us [loch-lubnaig]: https://www.lochlomond-trossachs.org/things-to-see/lochs-in-the-national-park/loch-lubnaig/ [lochside]: https://www.lochsidehotel.co.uk/ [lochside-brasserie]: https://www.blacksheephotels.com/the-whispering-pine-lodge/dining.htm [macallan]: https://www.themacallan.com/en [mangio]: https://mangio.co.uk/contact/ [mussel-inn]: https://www.mussel-inn.com/ [new-calton]: https://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/directory-record/1098657/new-calton-burial-ground [old-calton]: https://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/directory-record/1098661/old-calton-burial-ground [paddington]: https://paddingtonbearexperience.com/faqs/ [palm-court]: https://www.palmcourtbrasserie.co.uk/ [pancakes]: https://www.wherethepancakesare.com/ [pig-butcher]: https://thepigandbutcher.co.uk/butchery/ [plockton]: https://visitplockton.com/discover/attachment/visit-plockton-discover-plockton-boat-trips/ [rogie-falls]: https://forestryandland.gov.scot/visit/destinations/rogie-falls [saucy]: https://www.saucybooks.com/ [sea-breezes]: https://www.sea-breezes-skye.co.uk/location.html [seasalt]: https://www.seasalt-bistro.co.uk/ [stirling-bridge]: https://www.historicenvironment.scot/visit/all/stirling-old-bridge/ [surgeons-hall]: https://museum.rcsed.ac.uk/ [swan]: https://swanlondon.co.uk/ [talisker]: https://www.diageo.com/en/our-brands/scotch-whisky/talisker [tate]: https://www.tate.org.uk/visit/tate-modern [thomas-walls]: https://www.yell.com/biz/thomas-j-walls-coffee-edinburgh-8781422/ [totoro]: https://totoroshow.com/ [troubadour]: https://www.troubadourlondon.com/menu [whisky-vault]: https://www.islayinfo.com/about-islay/key-places/bridgend

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