Bowmore Partners with Colin Prior and Whisky Shop to launch
‘Great Outdoors’ Photography Workshops
For those who want to fine-tune their outdoor photography skills this autumn, Bowmore, the first Islay Single Malt whisky, is collaborating with renowned landscape photographer Colin Prior to host a series of complimentary Bowmore ‘Great Outdoors’ Photography Workshops. Hosted in conjunction with whisky specialists, The Whisky Shop, the workshops will coincide with the launch of the National Geographic UK 2011 International Photography Contest (IPC), which Bowmore is sponsoring for the second year. The workshops will take place in four cities across the UK and will allow budding photographers to pick up hints and tips before entering the contest.
Taking place within the Whisky Shops, the workshops fit 10-15 guests and are open to all levels, from beginners to keen and aspiring photographers, or those who are fans of a good dram. Colin will take guests through a relaxed andinformal tutorial on how to best capture the great outdoors, providing anecdotes to some of his photographs as well as sharing technical advice. Guestswill also learn how to develop or refine their skills to produce original photos that are attention-grabbing and incorporate interesting light, mood and patterns into the composition.
In between talks, Colin will also take guests through an exploration of the three special and unique bottlings from Bowmore, where they will experience the unique warm and smoky characteristics of this perfectly balanced Islay spirit, and learn the finer points of Single Malt whisky.
The workshops will take place at the following Whisky Shops (Each workshop starts at 6pm):
Fri 30 Sept York
The Whisky Shop, 11 Coppergate Walk, York, YO1 9NT
01904 640300
york@thewhiskyshop.net
Thur 6 Oct Birmingham
The Whisky Shop, Unit 35 Great Western Arcade, Birmingham, B2 5HU
0121 212 1815
birmingham@whiskyshop.com
Fri 7 Oct Edinburgh
The Whisky Shop, 28 Victoria Street, Edinburgh, EH1 2JW
0131 225 4666
edinburgh@thewhiskyshop.net
Tue 11 Oct London
The Whisky Shop, Unit 7, Queens Head Passage, London, EC4M 7DY
0207 329 5117
london@thewhiskyshop.net
To attend, readers can simply call or email the individual Whisky Shop whose workshop they wish to take part in.
As a champion of the outdoors, Bowmore is inviting readers to capture outdoor moments at their finest, for a chance to feature in a future issue of National Geographic magazine and win a truly unforgettable trip for two to the magical island of Islay, the home of Bowmore. Inspired by the key elements that come together to create the warm and smoky character of Bowmore, the categories for entries are fittingly: People,Places and Nature. To enter the IPC, photographers can submit their best shots to www.ipcuk2011.nationalgeographic.com before the contest closes on 31st October 2011.
The International Photography Contest forms part of a long-term international partnership that Bowmore has signed with the National Geographic, the world-renowned authority on the photography and the outdoors. The partnership is also part of a wider national marketing campaign for2011 for Bowmore, which sees it extending its presence further to the outdoors, including the ‘A Taste of Islay’ experience – an experiential sampling activity at the UK’s most popular outdoor events – and the sponsorship of the Bowmore Ben Nevis challenge.
Notes:
Bowmore
The best-balanced Islay Single Malt whisky is the perfect reward after your outdoor experience.
Founded in 1779, Bowmore is the oldest Distillery on Islay, one of the Scottish isles, which make up the region known as the ‘Islands’ in the lexicon of Whisky. The other regions are the Highlands, Speyside and the Lowlands. Islay malts are famous for their characteristic smokiness and Bowmore is no exception; we carefully smoke our malt and use skills handed down from generation to generation to craft a perfectly balanced Single Malt.
Bowmore’s adherence to traditional production methods helps to shape the character of our
Single Malts. We’re one of only a few distilleries anywhere which still produces its own floor malted barley,hand-turned by traditional wooden malt shovel and hand drawn machinery. For our whiskies we draw water from the Laggan River, with its rich peaty overtones, and it’s the same Islay peat that fires the malt drying kiln.
Bowmore Distillery’s close proximity to the sea is also vital in determining the final character of our spirit. The legendary Bowmore No. 1 Vaults is where most of our whiskies spend their long lives resting quietly in the cool, dark, damp cellars below sea level, oblivious to the waves thrashing the Vault’s sea-facing wall.
They mature in oak casks, previously used for bourbon, sherry or claret, gradually developing rich and mellow flavours.
It’s this combination of peat, barley, sea breeze, water, wood, people and tradition that together create the perfectly balanced warm and smoky character of Bowmore Single Malt Whiskies.
The Bowmore domestic product range:
Bowmore Legend
Bowmore 12 Years Old
Bowmore 15 Years Old ‘Darkest’
Bowmore 18 Years Old
Bowmore 25 Years Old
Islay
Islay is the southernmost island of the Inner Hebrides, and is also known as “The Queen of the Hebrides.” Its mild climate and rich peaty soil make it ideal for creating whisky, anddespite having a population of not much more than 3,000, it’s home to no fewer than eight distilleries.
National Geographic Society
The National Geographic Society is one of the world’s largest non-profit scientific and educational organizations. Founded in 1888 to “increase and diffuse geographic knowledge,” the Society’s mission is to inspire people to care about the planet. National Geographic reflects the world through its magazines, television programs, films, music and radio, books, DVDs, maps, exhibitions, live events, school publishing programs, interactive media and merchandise. National Geographic magazine, the Society’s official journal published in English and 33 local-language editions, is read by more than 38 million people each month. The National Geographic Channel reaches 370 million households in 34 languages in 168 countries. National Geographic Digital Media receives more than 15 million visitors a month. National Geographic has funded more than 9,600 scientificresearch, conservation and exploration projects and supports an education program promoting geography literacy. For more information, visit www.nationalgeographic.com.
Colin Prior
Colin Prior is one of the most celebrated and distinctive travel photographers working anywhere in the world today. Born in Glasgow in 1958, Prior is a fellow of the Royal PhotographicSociety, a founding member of the International League of Conservation Photographers and spends much of his life seeking out the edges of the world. He has travelled to some of the most remote and hostile places on the planet and lived alone for extended periods of time in the wild just to understand his subject. Finding the right conditions for any one image can often take years and involves months of preparation, physical effort and a personal vision. He has published several books including, Highland Wilderness, Scotland – The Wild Places, Living Tribes, World’s Wild Places, and High Light and runs photographic workshops in Scotland and around the world.
The Whisky Shop
Today, The Whisky Shop chain is the largest specialist retailer of whiskies in the UK with 17 outlets in Scotland and England and an active shop on line at www.whiskyshop.com .
The Whisky Shop offers customers a unique shopping experience where they can browse (and in some cases sample) a range of over 400 different whiskies, including many independent bottlings exclusive to the store. By far the largest category is single malt Scotch, for it is here that there is an enormous variety of tastes and makes. As well as Scotch, there are whiskies from Ireland, Canada, America, Japan and India and then there are cream liqueurs, Scotch liqueurs and a vast miniatures collection.
