Port Charlotte is is certainly a pretty place, if a rather quiet village. It was founded in the early 19th century as a distillery and agricultural settlement (the Loch Indaal distillery died many decades ago). At one time it was a busy fishing port. There is the excellent Islay Nature Centre in a converted part of the old distillery (ph 01496 850288), particularly good hands-on stuff for children. And the excellent Port Charlotte Hotel for tasty bar lunches and suppers, upmarket dinners, and live music (ph 01496 850360) — it also majors on malt whiskies. I have not been to the Museum of Islay Life which in 1977 was set up in the newly restored 1843 Kilchoman Free Church, also said to be excellent (ph 01496 850358). The lighthouse is a Stevenson, of course, 1869.