In the 1980s comedy Local Hero, junior oil exec Mac is sent to a Scottish fishing village to buy the land on which his company plans to build a refinery. But it’s not long before the American is charmed by the locals and begins to wonder whether he’s contributing to the destruction of a special way of life. While some Scots were not impressed by what they felt was a stereotypical, Hollywood version of life on the west coast, it is one of my favourite films. And there were many times during my stay on Islay when I was reminded of Local Hero’s beguiling combination of fiercely beautiful scenery and charmingly eccentric characters.
When The Glenmorangie Company (part of the wine and spirits division of LVMH) acquired an unassuming hotel on Port Ellen’s seafront three years ago, there were undoubtedly some locals who wondered what the effect of this big business takeover might be for the local community. Now, after an extensive refit, the former Islay Hotel has been reborn as Ardbeg House. And what a rebirth it is. Russell Sage’s work on The Fife Arms cemented his reputation for taking an iconoclastic approach to hotel interiors (it also won him a House & Garden Design Award in 2019). Here, given full rein to employ his eccentric blend of something old, something new, something borrowed and something positively bizarre, he has created 12 singular bedrooms full of drama, plus a restaurant and bar bursting with surreal design features.
Ardbeg House might be only a reel step or two from the shoreline, but unlike many coastal hotels, the sea views are not the focus. Rather, Russell has gone for a potent synthesis of colours and textures, and created atmospheric spaces made for hunkering down with a good book or a wee dram as the wind whistles outside.
In the Signature Restaurant, the gothic drama of copper-toned walls and a forged metal fire table is tempered by funky sponge-finger banquette seating, while the Islay Bar has a boat-shaped chandelier complete with fishing nets, and tables shaped like mechanical cogs. The eclectic decor might scream ‘design destination’ (a world away from Local Hero’s smoke-filled Macaskill Arms inn). But Russell and Glenmorangie’s corporate affairs and hospitality director Ellie Goss, who worked closely together on the project, emphasise how important it was for Islay residents not to feel excluded. Reflecting ‘the spirit of the island’ and encouraging local involvement was, they explain, made easier by the fact that Islay seems to be quite a hotbed of creativity and resourcefulness. Among examples of this are the images by local photographer Mark Unsworth, with frames by Islay Celtic Craft, hanging in the restaurant, while the outside courtyard has a smoker and grill ingeniously fashioned by Ardbeg’s distillery technician Daniel Branson from salvaged hardware found onsite.
The bedrooms are named according to themes reflecting Islay’s history, legends, traditions and unconventional characters. Epitomising Russell’s ‘luxury with a laugh’ approach, bespoke wallcoverings by Fromental, carpets by Tessere and fabrics by the likes of Timorous Beasties are juxtaposed with shelving repurposed from the staves of whisky barrels, a gramophone-speaker chandelier and a consortium of locally knitted crabs. Bathrooms are compact but feel indulgent thanks to the lavishly tiled floors and sweeps of marble, and also charmingly individual, with each loo seat decorated to reflect the theme.
I am staying in Wild, in which vibrant floral-print cushions and upholstery (apparently inspired by the tale of a distillery employee who refused to be daunted by the tendency of the local deer to consume any flowers he grew) stand out against the black walls. In a perfect example of Russell’s ingenuity, he has created a seating platform in an awkwardly shaped corner next to the bathroom and given it a nautical feel with a porthole window and galley-style ladder stairway. I have to resist the temptation to clamber up the ladder before bed, having spent the evening enjoying a few too many Beastly Bramble whisky cocktails, before a substantial dinner of scallops, lamb and a choice selection of cheese.
While there are many reasons to visit the southernmost of the Inner Hebrides islands, whisky and the water (sometimes both together) must feature high on the list. Early the next morning, with a distillery tour planned for later in the day, I get to experience the beauty of Islay’s coastline from a yoga mat, set up on Kilnaughton beach by Philippa McCallum of Therapy on the Go, who has island-hopped from her home on Jura. It’s an unforgettable experience thanks to the combination of a gentle breeze, the warmth of the sun, and the sound of waves lapping and sea birds calling.
Downward dog poses followed by a hearty breakfast back at Ardbeg House prove to be the perfect preparation for a day of dedicated whisky tasting starting with a distillery tour. Even as an Ardbeginner, it is not long before I am fascinated by the details of the various stages of milling, mashing, fermentation, distillation and maturation that give Ardbeg’s single malts their smoky, peaty flavour. This is one of 10 distilleries currently on the island. The brand’s origins go back over 200 years, but the distillery has had to weather many a storm both literal and metaphorical – including a production hiatus as recently as the 1980s. Now, thanks to major investment, it feels in rude health. And the opening of Ardbeg House looks like a bold declaration of faith in its future.
Rooms at Ardbeg House cost from £230, including a distillery tour or tasting.
