There are five petrol stations (or gas stations for Americans) on Islay I can think of: Port Ellen (on Charlotte Street next to the White Hart Hotel), Bowmore (Jamieson Street, off Main Street), Bridgend (right at the square), Port Charlotte (next to the Spar shop/ post office on Main Street) and Port Askaig (next to the waiting area for the Kennacraig ferry).

Islay is mostly quite flat (apart from the very steep hill at Port Askaig) cycling is a good option (unless the wind stops you in your tracks). You can either bring your own bike or rent one on Islay. While certainly not as frequent as in an urban area there is a regular bus service between the major villages. The service links Portnahaven, Port Charlotte, Bridgend, Port Askaig, Bowmore and Port Ellen.

The main road, the motorway Palermo-Enna-Catania is well covered by petrol stations, and you can travel far with a full tank.

Islay is the most southerly of the Hebridean islands off the west coast of Scotland. It is approx 25 miles long north-south and approx 20 miles wide east-west. The Kintyre peninsula is a few miles to the east, Northern Ireland is approx 20 miles to the south across the Irish Sea. Oh, and a good 2000 miles to the west you'll end up in Newfoundland and Labrador on the other side of the Atlantic. For a map and to look around try Isle of Islay on Google Maps

Shell Service Stations uses D-Card. Most of the other petrol stations use fuel cards. It is always better to ask the petrol station attendant whether they accept cards or cash before your vehicle is refueled.

Filling stations are conveniently situated throughout the country. Unleaded petrol is available. Most filling stations are open 24 hours a day. Please bear in mind that you are only able to pay for petrol with cash money.

No. This is only for diesel engines. Diesels work by compressing air much more than is the case with a gasoline (petrol) engine. This creates high temperatures, and causes a fine mist of injected oil to self-ignite from the heat of compression and combust. The fine mist ("atomized") oils injected into the cylinder just before the piston reaches the top of the compression stroke. There is no spark plug or ignition system in a diesel engine. It is designed to burn a light viscosity oil.

Islay is pronounced ‘eye-la’. Try not to pronounce it Izley or anything similar, unless you immediately want to out yourself as a clueless tourist. In any case Islay is the anglicised spelling, the Gaelic version is Ile. And once you've mastered Islay you can try some of the many place names on Islay with Gaelic origins like Kilchoman (hint: the c is silent, i.e Kilhoman), Bunnahabhain or Beinn Bheigeir.

Islay is famous for a number of things: Mainly probably for its excellent Islay Single Malt Whiskies from the eight working distilleries. Islay is also very popular among birdwatchers, in particular for the Barnacle Geese. There are a number of important historic sites included several Celtic crosses and Finlaggan, home to the Lords of the Isles. Islay has a number of beautiful beaches as well as some impressive cliffs.

The weather on Islay can be described as moderate, mainly because of the Gulf Stream. There aren't any real extremes, i.e you won't often experience scorching hot days during the summer or freezing cold days during the winter (the winter storms can be quite strong though). Islay receives its fair share of rain (hey, the distilleries need a lot of water), but also a lot of brilliant sunshine. As in most places in Scotland the weather can change very quickly, so be prepared when going for a walk.

Yes, there are a number of books about Islay: A good entry level book with quite a few pictures is Islay (Pevensey Island Guides) by Norman Newton. If you're interested in whisky and Islay the best book is probably Peat Smoke and Spirit: A Portrait of Islay and Its Whiskies by Andrew Jefford. Some nice pictures from someone knowing the islands well can be found in Islay and Jura (Images of Scotland) by George Robertson, the former NATO General Secretary.

There are currently eight working whisky distilleries on Islay, with a ninth one expected to open soon. The eight existing ones are (in alphabetical order): Ardbeg, Bowmore, Bruichladdich, Bunnahabhain, Caol Ila, Kilchoman, Lagavulin and Laphroaig. The ninth distillery will be the Port Charlotte Distillery (more about the Port Charlotte Distillery Warehouse On Islay). In addition to the distilleries on Islay there is also the Isle of Jura Distillery on neighbouring Jura.

Our vehicles are supplied with a full tank of fuel unless delivered to you, you are charged for refill on termination of their contract. A R20 service fee is levied should we have to refuel the vehicle. Most of our fleet uses unleaded fuel. Please note that fuel cannot be purchased with a credit card in South Africa- cash or garage cards are the only form or payment.

Yes! Dual-fuel vehicles have the capability of running on petrol or gas at the flick of a switch, giving greater choice in the fuel to be used.

There's a lot you can do on Islay, too much to list here. A few options include visiting the distilleries, visit the many historic sites including Finlaggan or the Churches and Celtic Crosses on Islay, visit one of the many beaches or watch Islay's varied wildlife. Birdwatching is very popular, either visit the RSPB Loch Gruinart Reserve or go on a birdwatching tour with Islay Birding. Islay offers excellent walks, the annual WalkIslay walking week offers guided walks.

There are a number of options where to stay on Islay, from the luxurious to the budget option. Islay has seven hotels, my personal favourite being the Port Charlotte Hotel. There are a number of B&Bs and guesthouses as well as a large variety of self-catering accommodation. If you are on a budget you might want to consider the youth hostel. You can find links to a number of places in the Accommodation on Islay section of my Islay links page.

The car will be available in both Petrol & Diesel variants. We will disclose product details at a later date but our models will definitely offer additional value compared to competition.With regards to Parts and Service availability our objective is to not only provide parts at a reasonable price but also service the customer requirement at his doorstep. In order to support such a system we have a wide & strong network of Mahindra Scorpio dealers, Part Stockists, Part Retailers.

The GSM Association is unaware of any established link between radio signals from mobile phones or base stations and petrol station fires. In fact, a 2005 report for the Australian Transport Safety Bureau concluded that of 243 reported incidents around the world none was associated with telecommunication equipment, instead, many of the fires were ignited by the discharge of static electricity from the human body.

Yes, Harlequin Fuel Stations are fully compliant with all relevant aspects of The Control of Pollution (Oil Storage) (England) Regulations 2001, together with comparable legislation throughout the British Isles.

The situation at filling stations remains essentially unchanged. Site operators still need to be licensed by their local Petroleum Licensing Authority. By 'filling station' we mean any site, which dispenses petrol by electrical or mechanical means into a vehicle, boat, ship or aircraft. It does not include sites where petrol is dispensed into vehicles etc. from a container.

Generally mobile telephones are not designed and certified for use in explosive atmospheres. Their use can also create a serious distraction for people carrying out dispensing activities. Radio transmissions from individual mobile telephones are generally too low to induce dangerous electric currents in nearby equipment and the risk of incendive sparking from the battery is low, however, they should not be used in the hazardous areas that exist when actually dispensing petrol.

Unfortunately not. Fuel prices vary from region to region and are subject to a number of local influences. However, should you use the card in a Statoil station where the price is cheaper than the current rate for AXA policy holders, Statoil will always charge the lesser of the two.

Islay is in Scotland which in turn is part of the United Kingdom the official language is English, to a lesser or larger extent with a Scottish accent/dialect. Quite a few people also speak Scottish Gaelic, which is taught at schools and at the Ionad Chaluim Chille Ìle (Columba Centre) near Bowmore.

The type of map you need depends on what you plan to do on Islay: If you only plan to visit the distilleries and other major tourist attractions, any decent road map or tourist map should be sufficient. If you plan to go walking you need something better: For an easy walk the Islay (Landranger Maps) (1:50,000 scale) should be sufficient.

Yes, there is. I've developed a printable Islay guide (PDF file) which you can download and print off to take with you. Visit the page to download the latest edition.

You won't get bored on a rainy day either, there's a lot to do on Islay: You could go for a swim at the MacTaggart Leisure Centre in Bowmore. Or visit the Museum of Islay life in Port Charlotte, alternatively the Islay Natural History Trust, also in Port Charlotte. Visiting the distilleries is also an option on a rainy day. See also how I've spent A rainy day on Islay with my sister.