PERCHED on the Isle of Islay, a raw, mist-driven island off the west coast of Scotland, the Ardbeg distillery has been renowned for its complex, smoky Scotch for nearly 200 years. After the Old Kiln Cafe was added to its visitors' center in 1997, however, the Scotch was forced to share the spotlight -- at least among those who appreciate a good meal.

"Our food is very unique to the area, so everyone really embraces it," Jackie Thomson, the cafe's manager, said recently. "We found there to be a real demand for this sort of thing."

Housed in Ardbeg's original 1815 kiln room and malt barn, the cafe emerges on the often blustery landscape like a welcoming beacon, its twin pagoda roofs rising ceremoniously into the air like points on a crown.

Inside, the visitors' shop bustles, while appreciative murmurs from the adjoining whiskey-tasting bar acts as soothing mood music.