Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Distilleries
409
The Malt Whisky Trail
Single-Minded About Whisky
Speyside, Scotland
Some people come to Scotland to play
golf. Some come to explore romantic cas-
tles. Others come to shop for nubby
sweaters, thick tweed jackets, and kilts.
But then there are those who visit Scot-
land simply to indulge in the smooth,
peaty taste of Scotch whisky—preferably
premium single-malt whiskies, with their
complex, deep, and distinct tastes. While
blended whiskies are cheaper, often
smoother, and go better with mixers,
there's no comparison for aficionados.
East of Inverness in the heart of the
Scottish Highlands, half the malt distill-
eries in Scotland are sprinkled through the
valley of the River Spey. The tourist board
markets it as the
Malt Whisky Trail,
a
route 113km (70 miles) long through the
glens of Speyside, connecting several fine
distilleries that accept visitors, usually
from March through October.
Begin in Keith with the oldest operating
distillery in the Highlands, the
Strathisla
Distillery
(Seafield Ave.;
&
44/1542/783-
044;
www.chivas.com), dating from 1786.
With its twin pagoda-like kiln chimneys in
front, this cozy stone distillery may be the
most picturesque on the trail. Most of its
whisky is spirited off to be blended into
Chivas Regal, but the small amount of sin-
gle-malt it does bottle is excellent, slightly
sweet and fruity.
Just off the A941 in Craigellachie, the
Macallan Distillery
(
&
44/1340/872-280;
www.themacallan.com) is built around a
Jacobean manor house on a dramatic hilltop
The grounds of the Balvenie single malt distillery in Dufftown, Scotland.
