03/07/2026
Seeing the Police Scotland post about dangerous and anti-social driving in Bowmore pretty much sums up one of the reasons I’ve been trying to get IslaySims into a permanent space.
Racing simulators aren’t just toys or a bit of fun at events. Used properly, they can be a safe way for people to push limits, make mistakes, feel what happens when you brake too late, carry too much speed, lose control or misjudge conditions, without doing it on an actual road.
I’m not saying a simulator is going to magically stop anti-social driving. It won’t. But giving people somewhere controlled to experience speed, risk and consequences has to be better than them finding out the hard way on public roads.
The long term plan for IslaySims has always been to find a permenant home for the sims. A proper local setup that can be used for fun, schools, young drivers, confidence building, road safety sessions and community use.
Setting up, packing down, moving everything around and relying on short-term venues makes it difficult to build anything consistent. It also adds extra costs every time and hiring short-term venues isn’t cheap either.
So, IslaySims needs a permanent base on Islay.
We are looking for somewhere dry, secure and accessible. Somewhere the simulators can stay set up and actually be used properly.
This could be a really useful thing for the island, but it needs the right space to work.
If anyone has any suggestions for a suitable space, or knows someone worth speaking to, feel free to message me.
Tom
