On the remote Hebridean island of Islay, home to some of the world’s most iconic peaty Scotch whiskies, a reliable mobile signal was once as rare as a calm day on the Atlantic. Visitors to distilleries often had to wait until they returned to the mainland to share photos, post reviews, or even contact suppliers.
That changed recently with the activation of a new 4G mast on the island’s west coast, part of the UK government’s Shared Rural Network (SRN) programme.
The mast, built by EE and now sharing coverage with Vodafone, Three, and Virgin Media O2, has brought commercial 4G to areas that previously had little to no signal. This includes popular spots like Machir Bay Beach, Saligo Bay, and sites near historic landmarks – and crucially, it reaches the Kilchoman distillery.
Kilchoman, established in 2005 as the island’s first new farm distillery in over a century, had operated in a connectivity blackspot. Now, for the first time, the distillery and its roughly 3,000-resident island community, plus hundreds of thousands of annual whisky tourists, have fast, reliable mobile internet.
“I think people on the mainland take reliable 4G connectivity for granted, but we certainly don’t. From a business perspective, our visitors are now able to post reviews and photos before they leave the site, something guests often forgot to do before, as they had to wait until they had a mobile signal,” said Gordon MacLellan, General Manager at Kilchoman.
He added that the upgrade enables live presentations and tastings in outdoor areas, expanding visitor experiences beyond the distillery buildings.
“We can also now run live presentations and tastings from areas outside the distillery which allows more people to see how our traditional farm distilling process works.
“It makes our ability to communicate with suppliers and team members much quicker as well. In modern business, these sorts of efficiencies are important to our overall success as a local enterprise and international brand.”
The change highlights how digital infrastructure is reshaping even centuries-old industries like Scotch whisky production. Islay’s distilleries – including heavyweights like Laphroaig, Ardbeg, Lagavulin, and Bruichladdich – rely heavily on tourism.
Enthusiasts travel from around the world for tours, tastings, and bottle purchases. Poor signal meant missed social media buzz, delayed feedback, and logistical headaches.
Broader rollout
Islay’s new connection forms part of a broader government rollout to reach more remote areas.
This includes the launch of a new gigabit address checker tool for England and Wales, which allows postcodes to check planned upgrades under Project Gigabit.
Telecoms Minister Liz Lloyd says over 750 premises per day are gaining full-fibre access, with more than a million more in the pipeline.
“Many rural communities have long struggled to do even the basics online due to slow internet speeds. Now, hundreds of households and companies are receiving government-funded upgrades every day,” she said.
Leave a Reply