Rum 'n' lazin'

ON THE wall of the Ocean Racing Challenge in Bridgetown Harbour, Barbados, there is a picture of a man at the wheel of a sailing yacht. He is clearly enjoying himself, looking years younger than usual. Tony Blair was no "Sailor Ted" Heath, but he loved his yacht race with the crews of Ocean Racing Challenge.

Our small party is among a group of landlubbers who are about to do what the former Prime Minister did and take part in a yacht race off the west coast of Barbados. We are introduced to our skipper for the day, Clint Brooks, a native of the island with vast experience of yacht racing and a nice line in salty sea dog patter. Pointing to the other yacht, called Martella – "otherwise known as the loser" – he says he lives to race.

On board our yacht, Athina, the first half-hour or so is taken up in vital safety lessons: how to cross the deck when the yacht is tacking, to change course; and how to hoist a sail.

Both yachts, which once took part in round-the-world races, are things of beauty. The masts soar 100 feet or more above us and fortunately there are several professional crew members to pack away the sails.

We motor out of the harbour to the open sea and a few minutes later we are skimming along at speeds of up to 12 knots, hoisting sails and jumping about whenever Clint shouts the command to tack. It's just about the best fun you can have sitting up, which is the position we adopt when dangling our feet over the edge of the yacht to help balance it.

It is a serious race, as there is a rivalry between the two skippers and Clint is going all out to win. The other yacht is crewed mainly by passengers from the awesome Queen Mary 2, which is docked in Bridgeton Harbour. Our crew is definitely younger, but it makes no difference if the wind doesn't blow in your favour.

Clint spots dark and ruffled waters heading towards us – a squall is approaching. He leads a countdown "five, four, three, two, one," and instantly, magically, the sails explode with wind and we put on a burst of speed which, we think, will surely see us home first. But Martella has nosed ahead and at the finishing line we come second by less than a length.

Back in the harbour we meet one of many local characters on this coral island, the most eastern in the Caribbean. Peter Marshall was for a long time the marketing manager of the Mount Gay Rum Company, our hosts. He knows everyone, or so it seems, and soon points us in the direction of the Mount Gay distillery tour.

In Scotland, distillery tours can be frankly samey, but this one is different. We learn how rum has a central place in the culture of Barbados. There are around 1,200 rum shacks, roughly one for every 250 inhabitants, and Mount Gay is the most popular brand on the island.

It is also the oldest, with evidence that it was operating back in the 17th century, not long after a ship landed in 1625 and claimed the island on behalf of King James VI and I. Barbados was a colony of the UK from then until 1961, when it was granted internal autonomy, before gaining full independence in 1966. The island remains a full member of the Commonwealth with the Queen as head of state.

Rum was central to the development of Barbados in the 18th century. Westerns always show Native Americans falling prey to the white man's firewater, usually some sort of whisky. But in fact it was rum from the Caribbean that fuelled Britain's earlier conquest of North America. Rum also powered the British Navy, and was the spirit of choice of our ancestors before gin and whisky came along.

Sugar has always been the biggest export of the island, and rum is distilled from one of the by-products of sugar production, molasses. At Mount Gay we are shown the development of the rum industry over the centuries and have the privilege of a tasting session with the master blender Allen Smith. He's a fascinating character and teaches us how rum is distilled twice or even three times and then stored in oak casks from America which have previously been used in the rye whisky industry, which explains the golden colour of most Bajan rum.

Needless to say, there is none of that spit-it-out nonsense at our tasting and, since the distillery includes lunch, everyone is getting on famously by the time of dessert.

Barbados is not a place to go if you're looking for ancient culture – there are no buildings older than the 17th century. It is, however, the perfect place if you're looking for a beach holiday. Only 21 miles long by 14 miles wide, the island has beaches all around its coastline, though the best are on the west and south sides.

The climate is tropical, with average temperatures between 75F and 85F almost every day. Surprisingly, however, there is a great deal of cloud around and the gentle sea breezes mean it is never unacceptably hot.

With 7,000 guest rooms on the island, it is easy to believe the Barbados Tourism Authority's figures that 70 per cent of the island's income derives from tourism. Everyone speaks English in a wonderful Caribbean accent, the water is safe to drink from the tap, and you soon get used to the fact that it will rain most days but only for a few minutes.

Not least because the local people are so welcoming and polite, and the pace of life so relaxed, there is a touch of Olde England about the place. The national sport is cricket and the legendary Sir Garfield Sobers is probably the greatest national hero.

But it is a modern island too, with excellent communications and an interesting monetary system which ties the Barbados dollar to the US dollar at a rate of 2-1. That is why a great many visitors from Britain have found Barbados to be much more affordable in recent times.

The attractions are nearly all sea-based. Aside from the beaches and some great diving areas, the island boasts some of the best windsurfing in the world. Perhaps bizarrely, the newest major attraction is Concorde – one of those sadly decommissioned planes is on show at the Grantley Adams International Airport.

There is a racecourse at Garrison Savannah, near Bridgetown, but the main attractions for holidaymakers are the beaches and the wealth of superb restaurants – the carpaccio of bison at the Restaurant at Southsea is to die for.

Weekends see most visitors heading for a riotous experience at Oistins Fish Market. At night the market transforms into a mass of restaurants, bars and dance halls. Our party's guide for our visit is Chesterfield Brown, bar tender extraordinaire and international ambassador for Mount Gay. Name any drink concoction and Chester probably invented it, or so he tells us.

We dine royally on all sorts of fish before Chester and his auntie – what a gal! – lead us into a maze of shacks in which various forms of dancing and a great deal of drinking is going on. It's a blast to go from one shack where the music is 1950s rock'n'roll and the bartender wears a Celtic top, to another area of the market where reggae music is the chosen entertainment. It's all very democratic, and though it should not need to be said, people of all races mingle happily, as they do throughout the island – it may once have been a centre for slavery, but that really is ancient history for Barbadians, or Bajans as they are known.

A rather more exclusive venue is the Sandy Lane gold complex, which is one of the major sporting attractions on the island. We are shown the spot in the clubhouse where Tiger Woods and his wife Elin Nordegren made their vows. No wonder he chose that location – it has to be one of the finest golfing views in the world.

Don't think about playing the fabulous Green Monkey course, newest of the three at Sandy Lane, unless you are booking into the hotel. There is just one non-resident grouping allowed to play there each day and it will set you back 4,000 each.

Our hotel is the nearby Colony Club and it really is a retreat to savour. It is built around several pools, including one in which you can sip your cocktails at the poolside bar without coming out of the water, and there's a superb beach just yards from the bedroom door.

If you get tired of chilling out on the beach there is plenty of shopping to be done in Bridgetown, where the duty free areas offer up some real bargains, especially in jewellery and watches.

You might also like to try a lesson in Bajan cooking, with specialities such as the local pepper seasoning and flying fish – all washed down with jugs of Mount Gay rum punch, of course.

Many British celebrities have made Barbados almost a second home over the years. They include Simon Cowell, Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber, the Beckhams and our own Lulu, as well as the aforementioned Mr Blair.

After a few days on the island, you can see why they come here. It truly is a rum-flavoured touch of paradise on earth. sm

Factfile

How to get there

British Airways flies daily from Edinburgh to Barbados (via Gatwick) from £670 return including taxes. Tel: [phone] or visit www.ba.com

Where to stay

Colony Club Hotel is a 4.5 star resort with 96 guest rooms and suites and four lagoon-style swimming pools. Tel: [phone] or visit www.colonyclubhotel.com

And there's more

Mount Gay Distillery Visitor Centre, Brandons, St Michael, Barbados. General tours last approximately 45 minutes and run every hour, 9:30am- 3:30pm, US7 (£3.50), children free. The Lunch Tour costs US40 (£20), children half price, with transport included and reservations required. The Cocktail Tour is US30 (£15), no children. For details and booking, tel: [phone] or e-mail [e-mail]

Ocean Racing Challenge Races take place daily from October to May. For more information or to book, tel: [phone].

Scotsman Reader Holidays offer various fly/cruise trips to the Caribbean from £769. Call Connoisseur Travel, tel: [phone] quoting The Scotsman.