Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Glenfiddich was the first single malt exported from Scotland.
overlooking the Spey; it's surrounded by its
own golden barley fields and a pure moun-
tain spring on site. Guided tours (prebook-
ing essential) let you see the unusually
small stills and hand-crafted oak barrels
that give The Macallan its extraordinary
complex and full-bodied smoothness—
which of course you'll be able to savor in
post-tour tasting sessions.
The epicenter of the whisky universe
seems to be down the A941 in Dufftown,
which has no fewer than seven distilleries.
The best-known is
Glenfiddich
(A941;
&
44/1340/820-373;
www.glenfiddich.
com), still owned by the Grant family who
founded it in 1887. Glenfiddich was the
first single malt to be exported out of Scot-
land; today nearly 90% of its whisky is sold
as single-malt. With its white silos and
smokestacks, it's not as picturesque as the
others, but the kilted guides run an infor-
mative tour, and the tasting at tour's end
gives you a satisfying dram of mellow,
golden whisky. The Grant family's other
excellent Dufftown distillery,
The Balve-
nie
(
&
44/1340/820-373;
www.balvenie.
com) now runs a limited number of in-depth
tours of its century-old maltings, mash
house, cooperage, and still rooms. They're
pricey, but well worth it. Tours depart
from the Glenfiddich plant; advance book-
ing is essential.
A great place to end your tour is south
of A95 at the
Glenlivet Distillery
(B9008,
16km/10 miles north of Tomintoul;
&
44/
1340/821-720;
www.glenlivet.com). Set
near the River Livet, a Spey tributary, this
distillery was founded in 1824. The current
low-slung, rustic stone buildings date only
from 1958, however, replacing an earlier
plant that burned down. Madly popular
worldwide, Glenlivet has a sweet, rounded
taste with intriguing hints of bitterness.
The distillery's wind-scoured moorland
setting will take your breath away.
(
Inverness (66km/41 miles).
L
$$$
Minmore House Hotel,
Glen-
livet (
&
44/1807/590-378;
www.minmore
househotel.com). $$
Grange House,
Grange (near Keith;
&
44/1542/870-206;
www.aboutscotland.com/banff/grange
house.html).
