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Today our fine Scotch Malt Whisky is produced
in distilleries located in the most picturesque of settings,
close to the natural ingredients on which their unique flavour
depends.
Scotland's malt whisky trail
The only malt whisky trail in the world
A warm welcome awaits you in and around Speyside and the Grampian
Highlands, home to more than half of Scotland's distilleries,
and eight of the most famous are to be found on the world's
only Malt Whisky Trail.
The Malt Whisky Trail lies by the River Spey
among the northern foothills of the Grampians. Eight of the
distilleries, and one cooperage, invite you to tour the premises
and find out about the process. The trail is about 70 miles
long (110 km) and you can easily spend an hour in each distillery.
A guide will be available to take you around the distillery
and share some of the secrets of whisky production. At the
end you will be invited for a 'wee dram' in the distillery
shop. If you plan to do the full tour and have a taste for
the malt, can we suggest you find a driver!
Notable local distilleries, all with visitor centres, include
Royal Lochnagar
A visit to Royal Lochnagar, the distillery to Balmoral and
the only one in Royal Deeside, is a timeless experience. Watch
distillers tending the traditional mashtun and the gleaming
copper stills. Age old traditions and craftsmanship produce
one of Scotland's finest. At the end of the tour, your complimentary
dram will confirm why the whisky is worthy of its 'Royal'
prefix
Fettercairn
On the north west side of the village, set beautifully against
the hills beyond, lies the whitewashed Fettercairn Distillery.
This dates back to 1824, though much of what you see today
is from a later rebuilding or from the extension in 1966.
The distillery has a visitor centre offering free tours between
May and September.
Glenlivet
Whisky and Glenlivet have been entwined for centuries. A
visit to the distillery will take you on a fascinating journey
to the source of one of the greatest names in Scotch whisky.
Website: www theglenlivet.com
Glenfiddich
Glenfiddich Distillery has a number of claims to fame. Perhaps
most importantly, it was Glenfiddich which, in 1963, decided
to market a single malt whisky to a world that until then
had thought that scotch whisky meant blended whisky. The existence
of the wholly new market that has grown dramatically since
owes much to Glenfiddich; and it is fitting that theirs is
the biggest selling single malt worldwide.
The second is that Glenfiddich was not only the first into
the single-malt market, it was also the first distillery to
set up a visitor centre. Details of opening hours are on the
right, and entrance is free. A visit is highly recommended.
Cardhu
Cardhu, the only malt distillery pioneered by a woman, stands
in Speyside, close to the secret of its success - the ice-cold,
fresh mountain spring water. To this day, the art of distilling
is unhurried and unchanging, with the resulting Cardhu malt
maturing for at least twelve years in old, oak casks. Gift
shop. Parking. Adults £4.00 including a voucher redeemable
in the distillery shop against the purchase of a 70cl bottle
of malt whisky. Children under 8 are welcome but not admitted
to production areas. Under 18's free.
Dramatic ruins, tower houses, magnificent mansions...
This is serious castle country and there are over 70 in the
Grampian region. Nine of the region's finest great houses
and castles are to be found along Scotland's only Castle
Trail.
Wherever you are in Grampian, you are never far from a castle
for this is Scotland's Castle Country and it's where you will
find Scotland's unique Castle Trail.
One moment you will be in Norman Scotland, the next in Renaissance
Scotland. You can let your imagination run riot in dark romantic
ruins or in magnificiently furnished castles. The trail is
approximately 150 miles long and can be followed in either
direction. At least one hour should be allowed for each property
visit. You can even stay in the noblest of northern castles
- Kildrummy Castle.
Those properties belonging to the National Trust for Scotland
are open during the period May-September with some opening
at Easter and weekends in October. Their gardens and grounds
are open all year. A few of the Historic Scotland properties
are open all year.
Notable local castles include
Drum
The keep is one of the three oldest tower houses surviving
in Scotland. It was the work of Richard Cementarius, first
Provost of Aberdeen and Kin's Master mason, in the late 13th
century. The High Hall of the tower is still in its medieval
state. It is accessed by a narrow newel stair, and offers
fine views from the battlements. The original house was enlarged
with the creation of a very fine Jacobean mansion house in
1619 and a later addition during the reign of Queen Victoria.
William de Irwyn, faithful armour bearer, was given the charter
of the Royal Forest of Drum by King Robert the Bruce in 1323.
The same family remained owners of Drum for the following
653 years. Irvine memorabilia is shown in the Family Room
and the house contains an excellent collection of portraits
and good Georgian furniture. It is a welcoming house with
the feeling of a family home, enhanced by the recent creation
of the Day and Night Nurseries. The grounds contain the 40h
a (100 a) Old Wood of Drum - a natural oakwood - coniferous
plantations, deciduous woodland and arboretum. Within the
old walled garden is the fine collection of Historic Roses.
Balvenie
Balvenie Castle is located in Glen Fiddich. The castle changed
hands several times but has never seen any sieges or battles.
The Black Comyn's, Earls of Buchan held the castle and ruled
the ancient Celtic province in the 1200's.
Robert the Bruce wiped out the Comyns in his fight for the
Scottish throne. The castle apparently stood vacant for a
few years before the Black Douglasses took up residence in
the early 1400's.
King James II caused the next turnover around 1455. He wiped
out the Douglasses and assigned the province to a kinsman.
In 1720 the castle was abandoned.
The top view shows the entrance to the buildings, the curtain
wall no longer stands. The bottom, is a view from the inside
of the courtyard towards the front gate. There is also a very
impressive moat surrounding the castle, (no water).
Braemar
Situated amidst the magnificent splendour of the Cairngorms
on Royal Deeside 1/2 mile north east of Braemar on the A93
Aberdeen - Perth scenic route.
An impressive fortress built in 1628 by the Earl of Mar on
the site of an even older habitation. Used by Hanovarian troops
after the Jacobite Rising of 1745, later transformed by the
Farquharsons of Invercauld into a residence of unusual charm.
Corgarff
This castle is out in the remote area of Strathdon. The structure
has been completely restored to it's original status. It has
a star shaped curtain wall for defense.
The castle was built in the 16th century and last occupied
in 1912 by two sisters called The Castle Ladies in a photo.
The castle was turned over to the state in 1961 for preservation.
Corgarff was used by the Jacobites as supply storage for powder,
muskets and ammunition. It was later retaken for the government
and eventually turned into a garrison outpost.
Crathes
King Robert the Bruce granted the lands of Leys to the Burnett
family in 1323. The ancient Horn of Leys, which can be seen
today in the Great Hall, was presented by Bruce to the family
as a symbol of his gift. The castle, built in the second half
of the 16th century, is a superb example of a tower house
of the period. Some of the rooms retain their original painted
ceilings and collections of family portraits and furniture.
A visit to this property is enhanced by the 1.5 ha (3,75 a)
of walled garden, which incorporates herbaceous borders and
many unusual plants. The garden provides a wonderful display
at all times of the year. The great yew hedges, fascinating
examples of the art of topiary, date from as early as 1702.
The castle grounds are perfect for nature study and there
are six exciting trails for visitors to enjoy. In the Visitor
Centre are two permanent exhibitions.
Craigievar
This fairytale-like castle, which exemplifies some of
the best Scottish Baronial architecture, seems to have grown
naturally out of the beautiful rolling hillsides of Aberdeenshire.
The Great Tower stands just as it was when completed by Master
William Forbes - 'Danzig Willie' - in 1626. The simplicity
of its lower towers contrasts perfectly with the turrets,
the cupolas and corbelling which embellish the roof line.
Within its walls the collection includes an excellent show
of family portraits and 17th-and 18th-century furniture. This
perfect Scottish castle remains as unspoiled as it was when
lived in by the Forbes-Sempill family.
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