Although you can anchor or pick up a visitor's mooring off the Ardbeg distillery (ph 01496 302244) it is rather exposed and not as attractive as the Lagavulin anchorage. Alternatively, there is a delightful walk across the cliffs from Lagavulin where I prefer to anchor, or pick up a visitor's mooring (you can walk round by the road which is a bit longer).
The distillery which was started in 1815, and restored in the late 1990s, is definitely worth a visit, particularly for the lovely ensemble of white painted buildings which are highly attractive. Indeed the buildings were according to 'Pevsner' described by Barnard in 1887 as though constructed "with no pretensions to taste or elegance, nevertheless ... look picturesque and are substantially built" (The Buildings of Scotland, Argyll and Bute. Frank Arneil Walker, Penguin Books, London, 1992) just like they look and are today. The staff are very friendly too, and you can indulge yourself in excellent coffee, lunch or tea. As ever there are tours. Like other distilleries, to get into their website you have to state you are of legal (in the UK) drinking age. How daft, of course anyone can lie about their age. An earlier home page commented that the distillery was "a worldwide family of Ardbeg aficionados in 90 countries who work tirelessly to drink more Ardbeg"! Didn't sound too good in this day and age of concern about alcoholism.
Bizarrely, Ardbeg tried maturing their whisky in the orbiting International Space Station. They claim it tastes better than the earthbound equivalent. Good for publicity if for nothing else.
