1. Festival entrance

The queues for the courtyard start at the distillery’s aqua gates, point 1 on the map. Loch Indaal lies just across the road. Friendships start here. There will be two lines, one for ticket-holders, one for standby. Doors open at 1pm.

2. Masterclass

Between the distillery gates and the burn we use for cooling water, the road leads up to our hilltop warehouses, where we usually fill and empty casks. Point 2 on the map shows where the queue for masterclass only starts; doors open at [10:30 for an 11am start].

3. Live music

We’ve a mixture of seasoned headliners, festival debuts, and a local Gaelic singing star for you this year. The main stage is in our courtyard, in front of our malt stores & warehouse 4, point 3 on the map.

4. Festival bottle bar

Our two eye-popping, palate-rocking, festival bottles will be available in the NE corner of the main courtyard, point 4 on the map, meaning you can watch the bands while you wait in line. For drams or merchandise, head to one of our other general bars.

5. Local traders

From printmakers to jewellers to jams, the whisky island’s entrepreneurs will have their goods on display at point 5 on the map, the warehouse behind the main stage. The perfect opportunity to pick up a unique souvenir from Islay.

6. Malts & Gin bar

Keep heading west towards to the back of the distillery and you’ll come across a choice of bars at point 6. One is dedicated to our Islay Dry Gin, The Botanist; the other will offer drams from across our range of current and archive whiskies. Slàinte!

7. General bar

On your left as you come through the distillery gates, you’ll find the first of our Fèis Ìle bars. Here at point 7 on the map is usually where our tanker parks up to collect the new make spirit; the adjacent glass window looks in at the bottom of our stills. 

8. Local food

Head through the low ceiling of warehouse 2 to point 8 on the map for oysters, local beef burgers, or woodfired pizza, in our new foodcourt. These tables and straw bales occupy what is ordinarily our bottling hall delivery bay. A screen here will ensure you don’t miss out on the bands playing the main stage.

9. Chill-out area

At point 9 you will find a beer tent and general bar. The festival toilets can be found in the alley between here and our dry goods warehouse. There is a small grassy area by our iconic Bruichladdich barrels; the shore of Loch Indaal is just across the road.