We’re officially in the part of the year when you’re planning for Christmas and the New Year, and starting to think about 2026. Will you make a set of resolutions? Maybe you want to eat healthier, get into baking, or travel more.
If your goal is to see more of the most jaw-dropping places on Earth, we’ve got great news: you don’t need to go far, because one Scottish island was just named one of the best places to go in Europe for 2026 by posh travel publication Condé Nast Traveller (CNT).
Islay is often overshadowed by some of Scotland’s more famous islands – Skye and Harris, we’re looking at you – but it’s got just as much to offer by way of stunning views. It’s also famous for being home to whisky distilleries that brew some of the best peaty drinks in the world.
It’s no surprise, then, that CNT sums up the reason for visiting the island with three simple words: whisky, whisky, whisky. The magazine added that next year is the ideal time to visit because ‘openings are rare in the Hebrides, but 2026 brings a raft of exciting spots’ to explore.
One such opening is the Laggan Bay Distillery, which is set to begin business sometime in the next two months. This beachfront brewery is part of an exciting collab between Edinburgh Gin and Glengoyne, making it one of ‘most newsworthy stor[ies] of the year’ for Islay. Just down the road, Portintruan, another brand new addition to the whisky catalogue, is coming soon.
CNT is not the first publication to recognise Islay as a top-notch destination – earlier this year TIME magazine listed it as one of the best places to visit in the entire world. TIME was also enamoured by the wealth of distilleries, which it said had helped usher in ‘a new era of luxury tourism’ for the little island.
On top of all of that, Islay is the closest island in the Hebrides to Scotland’s central belt, meaning you could easily turn your island adventure into a longer trip which included Glasgow, Edinburgh, or even the Loch Lomond National Park.
Could this spectacularly beautiful UK area soon introduce a £5 ‘entry’ fee for tourists?
Plus: the ‘biggest’ Christmas market in Britain is returning this year after being cancelled in 2024.
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