Port Askaig

Port Askaig (Scottish Gaelic: Port Asgaig) is a port village on the east coast of the island of Islay, in Scotland.

Port Askaig

Port Askaig
Port Askaig
Location within Argyll and Bute
OS grid referenceNR430692
Council area
Lieutenancy area
CountryScotland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post townISLE OF ISLAY
Postcode districtPA46
Dialling code01496
UK Parliament
Scottish Parliament

Economy

Port Askaig has a hotel, a petrol station and shop next to the port but has very few households. In 2014, it was rated one of the most attractive postcode areas to live in Scotland.[1]

Whisky

Port Askaig is also the name of a Scotch whisky range, bottled for Speciality Drinks Ltd. The producing distillery is not officially identified but the whiskies are marketed as Islay single malts.[2]

Transport

Water

Port Askaig serves as the main port of Islay, sharing passenger services to the Scottish mainland with Port Ellen. It also has a regular service to Feolin, Jura across the Sound of Islay, and in the summer there is also a weekly service via Colonsay to Oban.[3][4] Port Askaig has been a port for landing passengers and goods to Islay for centuries. Ships which sailed out from West Loch Tarbert on the Kintyre Peninsula have called in at Port Askaig since the 18th century and a steamer service from Glasgow was the running as early as 1825.[5]

Port Askaig is the base of the Islay RNLI lifeboat which is called out ten to twelve times a year.[6]

Preceding station   Ferry   Following station
Colonsay
(limited service)		   Caledonian MacBrayne
Ferry		   Kennacraig
Terminus   Jura Ferry
Car ferry		   Jura

Port development
The port of Askaig

Between 2003 and 2009 Port Askaig was the site of a £13.7 million civil engineering project. The work included a new linkspan and other berthing facilities for mainland ferries, new facilities for the Jura ferry, and new car parks and waiting rooms. The redeveloped port was officially re-opened on 10 September 2009 by the Princess Royal.[7]

Road

Port Askaig is situated at the northern end of the Islay section of the A846, which continues south-west to Bowmore, south-east to Port Ellen and finally east to Ardbeg.[8]

Music

Port Askaig is memorialised in the classic 6/8 bagpipe pipe march Leaving Port Askaig.[9]

References
  1. "UK's 'most desirable' postcodes revealed". BBC News Online. Retrieved 25 August 2014.
  2. "Port Askaig Islay Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky". Port Askaig. Retrieved 3 March 2020.
  3. "Welcome to Islay & Jura". CalMac Ferries Limited. Retrieved 3 March 2020.
  4. "Hopscotch 18 Islay & Colonsay". CalMac Ferries Limited. Retrieved 3 March 2020.
  5. "Port Askaig (Port Asgaig)". Undiscovered Scotland. Retrieved 3 March 2020.
  6. "Islay Lifeboat Station". RNLI. Retrieved 3 March 2020.
  7. "Princess Royal on Islay - Official Opening of Port Askaig". Islay Blog. Retrieved 3 March 2020.
  8. "A846". Sabre. Retrieved 2 January 2015.
  9. "leaving Port Askaig". Pipetunes. Retrieved 3 March 2020.
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