What's on - events

There’s plenty to do on Islay, year-round. Check out our ongoing activities as well as these events. And be sure to revisit: we add new details when they’re available.

August 2025

Every Monday in August: Persabus Pottery is running workshops combining art and mindfulness 2-3.30pm (booking essential as spaces limited) on the theme of How Do you See the Sea? Enjoy a relaxing afternoon exploring your creative process. Capture the textures, and patterns of Islay’s coastline treasures and colourful seascapes through a variety of media combined with mindful exercises.

Saturday, 2 August

Jura Regatta: fun for all the family on the water in and around Craighouse beach. There will be kayaking, sailing, swimming, rowing and a raft race, followed by a family ceilidh in the evening.

Sunday, 3 August

Geology Walk, Kilnaughton: explore 650 million-year-old metamorphosed sedimentary rocks with a complex history which we will unravel, plus dykes and raised beaches. Meet 2pm at Kilnaughton Cemetary Car Park. Organised by Islay Natural History Trust. Suggested donation for walks: £5 for adults, £12 for a family and £2 for INHT members.

Sunday, 3 August

Gaelic tour of Portnahaven and Port Wemyss, A ‘charaidean còire’: a short easy walk round the villages. Learn some basic Gaelic vocabulary while enjoying the local wildlife, local history and great views. Meet 2pm Portnahaven toilet block and bus shelter. Parking available at Village Hall. Suggested donation for walks: £5 for adults, £12 for a family and £2 for INHT members.

Wednesday, 6 August

Islay, Jura and Colonsay Agricultural Show: this year sees the 177th annual show – a not-to-be-missed event on the islands. See cattle, horses, sheep and dogs in the main judging ring. With handicrafts and hens, vegetables and home baking also coming under the judges’ keen eyes there is plenty to see, and plenty of silverware up for grabs.

Around the main tents, showground and horse jumping ring you’ll find a host of entertainment from children’s rides and stalls, to food and drink, local groups and organisations, vintage vehicles and tractors and much more. It all takes place at the showground near Whin Park, Bridgend, Islay. Tickets can be bought on the day and there will be parking on the showground fields. Learn more here.

Wednesday, 6 August

Art and craft Wednesdays: Natural History Trust, Port Charlotte. Lots of fun hands-on activities to help children find out about the wildlife of Islay. Sea tanks, touch pool, touch table, quizzes and children’s creative wildlife den. Open 10am-4pm.

Thursday, 7 August

Bushcraft & outdoor beach fun at Port Charlotte: meet 2pm on the beach below the Nature Centre. Organised by Islay Natural History Trust. Free event; no unaccompanied children, please.

Friday, 8 August-Sunday, 10 August

Rhinns Lighthouse Festival: a collaboration between the Rhinns Hall, The Friends of Portnahaven Church, Bun Othan Harbour Association and The Rhinns Playing Field to celebrate the bicentenary of Orsay Lighthouse, and the part it has played in the community over the past 200 years.

Opening with a traditional Ceilidh at the Rhinns Hall, the weekend of events includes an exhibition, sports gala, storytelling & song, live music at An Tigh Seinnse and a street party and island trips from Bun Othan coastal path.

Friday, 8 August: traditional Ceilidh

Saturday. 9 August: exhibition, sports gala and storytelling

Sunday, 10 August: Street party and trips to Orsay

More information: see Rhinns Lighthouse Festival on Facebook or go to Instagram.

Wednesday, 13 August

Thursday, 14 August

Seashore Safari at Swan Pool: find hermits, prawns and little fishes. Meet 2pm Port Ellen by the Coastguard hut. Free event from Islay Natural History Trust. No unaccompanied children, please.

Thursday, 14 August

Watercolour Art Workshop, RSPB Loch Gruinart: the workshop will take place at the nature reserve and will be run by Islay artist Dietmar Finger. Workshops cost £35 per person and booking is essential. Under 16s must be accompanied. To book and for further information please email dietmar@fingerpainting.de or text 07391 234749.

Sunday, 17 August

National Honeybee Day Event: learn all about the honeybee, our bees in the observation hive explained, interpret the bee dances and honey-tasting session. Meet 2pm Islay Nature Centre, Port Charlotte. Nature walk organised by the Islay Natural History Trust. Suggested donation for walks: £5 for adults, £12 for a family and £2 for INHT members.

Sunday, 17 August

RNLI Lifeboat Gala Day: Islay House 1pm-4pm. A day of fun, community and lifesaving spirit all in support of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution and the brave volunteers who save lives at sea. Entry by donation, parking at Islay House Square, enjoy games and prizes, tea and home baking, BBQ and bar, competitions, raffles and more.

Thursday, 21 August

Minibeasts, scorpions and dragons: wildlife adventure for families. Pond dipping and minibeast hunting. Meet at Bruichladdich Pier at 2pm for onward direction. No unaccompanied children, please. Event organised by Islay Natural History Trust.

Sunday, 24 August

Seaweed foraging at Port Wemyss: meet 2pm at the Port Wemyss bus shelter for some foraging and advice on cooking with seaweeds on the shore. Nature walk organised by Islay Natural History Trust. Suggested donation for walks: £5 for adults, £12 for a family and £2 for INHT members.

Thursday, 28 August

Seashore safari for families: a wealth of sea creatures to be explored in rockpools around Port Charlotte. Meet 2pm at Port Mor campsite car park. No unaccompanied children, please.

Thursday, 28 August-Sunday, 31 August

Islay Book Festival: authors and events still to be announced/finalised, so keep an eye out on this site and on social media for updates. Some tickets are ‘pay what you can’, with £7 as a suggested price. Some tickets available on the door, but booking ahead is very much recommended. Events include:

Thursday, 28 Aug

Peter Mackay: Our First Gaelic Makar 6pm in the Round Church, Bowmore. Chaired by Iseabail Mactaggart.

Renowned wildlife cameraman Hamza Yassin talks about his new memoir Homeward Bound at 8pm at the Round Church, Bowmore. Chaired by Peter Roberts.

Friday, 29 August

Andrew Meehan talks about his new novel ‘Best Friends’. 2pm Little Charlotte’s Café, Port Ellen. Chaired by Caroline Sanderson.

Over a bespoke whisky tasting at Bruichladdich with head distiller Adam Hannett, Natalie Jayne Clark talks about her darkly comic crime novel, ‘The Malt Whisky Murders’, 3pm at Bruichladdich.

Graeme Macrae Burnet is an award-winning novelist. He will be in conversation with translator and Islay Book festival Chair Charlene Busalli, and will discuss his latest work ‘A Case of Matricide’. 6pm St John’s Church, Port Ellen.

Len Pennie brings her Instagram-famous wit, wisdom and Poyum to Islay in conversation with fellow writer Natalie Jane Clark. 8pm St John’s Church, Port Ellen.

Saturday, 30 August

Screen Printing Workshop with Jane Smith 9am-10.30 am RSPB Loch Gruinart. Booking essential, places limited.

Nature artist Jane Smith speaks about her latest book Community, with Islay Book Festival Patrol, Lord Robertson. 11am RSPB Loch Gruinart.

Fun in the Woods with Ranger Hamza, 2pm Bridgend Woods. Join Ranger Hamza, CBeebies nature presenter, for this family event. Free, but booking essential.

Let Markus Stits take you for a ride. 2-5.30pm along the Three Distilleries Path, followed by The Machrie, Port Ellen. Join international long-distance cyclist Markus for a ride along the path, then afterwards there will be your chance to ask questions over refreshments at the Machrie, chaired by Ileach newspaper editor and keen cyclist Brian Palmer. Tickets £20 and booking essential. You can hire bikes from Islay E-Wheels from their premises behind No 1 Charlotte Street, Port Ellen.

BBC veteran Rory Cellan-Jones will talk to Caroline Sanderson about his work, reporting on medical innovation and Parkinson’s and his rescue dog Sophie, immortalised in his recent book Sophie from Romania.

Sunday, 31 August

Jen Stout: ‘Night Train To Odesa’, 11.30am Bruichladdich Hall. In conversation with political editor BBC Scotland Glenn Campbell, Jen Stout will discuss her latest book and her experiences as a reporter covering the human cost of Russian aggression against Ukraine.

Pam Brunton, award-winning chef and owner of Inver restaurant, will talk about her book ‘Between Two Waters’, at an event at Lochindaal Seafood Kitchen chaired by Anna Hock, founder and owner of Orsay Sea Salt and the Sea Food Shack in Port Ellen. Participants will enjoy freshly-prepared local delicacies from the Seafood Kitchen. Tickets £20 – advanced booking essential.

Scottish-born author Manda Scott will talk about her new genre-bending political thriller ‘Any Human Power’ with Emily Arnold-Fernandez at 3.30pm at Bruichladdich Hall.

Sunday, 31 August

Beachcombing on the Big Strand: join this walk at 2pm at the cattle grid by the end of the Airport runway on the beach road access. Find out more about the seashells and other strandline finds, what creatures are they and where did they come from? Organised by Islay Natural History Trust. Suggested donation for walks: £5 for adults, £12 for a family and £2 for INHT members.

September 2025

Friday, 5 September

Book launch: organised by Celtic House, Bowmore, Birlinn and Islay Book Festival, Islay House, Islay Scenes: Portrait of an island by Diana Leich will be launched at the event, with proceeds from the book sales going to The Museum of Islay Life. Starting with the Campbells of Shawfield, who bought much of Islay in 1726, the impact of Georgian and Victorian ambition was of exceptional significance. Their story, along with those of other landowners, is one of grand ideas, some realised, some thwarted, and these themes and the changes that have taken place since are depicted in this book which vividly records the island’s built heritage. Islay House, 7pm.

Sunday, 14 September

Islay Marathon: 7.30am start; run the whole race or recruit friends, family or colleagues to do a relay. Enter online at Entry Central or search Islay Marathon.

Friday, 19 September-Monday, 22 September

Islay Jazz Festival: enjoy a range of jazz styles performed at venues across the island. For more information visit the Islay Jazz Festival website. Full programme of concerts and events will be announced from 4 August and bookings open to the general public from 10 August. Sponsored by Caol Ila.

Saturday, 26 September

Jura music Festival Weekend: expect three days of music, dance and performance at the 31^st Jura Music Festival. Check out the website for more details and line-up:
www.juramusicfestival.com

October 2025

Friday, 3 October-Sunday, 5 October

Machrie Team Championship at Another Place, The Machrie, Islay: end the season in style and come together with your chosen team of four players on our championship links for a challenging and camaraderie-boosting, group golf competition with three rounds over three days. Enter online here.

Friday, 10 October

Photography and wildlife break: get to know Islay’s wildlife and landscape – as well as your camera – as your explore the mediums of landscape and wildlife photography, refining your composition, lighting and other technical skills. Led by Islay photographer Ben Shakespeare and wildlife expert and RSPB warden David Dinsley. More information here.