In the heartland (Speyside)
Speyside falls in to two halves:that reached by flying in to Inverness,and that reached from Aberdeen.In this issue we take the Aberdeen route.
Approach Speyside from the Aberdeen side of the region and itâs worth making a short detour off to the right and to Old Meldrum.
Here nestled behind an unimpressive housed street is Glen Garioch, a distillery owned by Morrison Bowmore and in something of a no-manâs land.
In recent years it has been completely renovated,however, and it has promoted itself as the closest distillery to Aberdeen with some success.And the purposebuilt visitor centre, its intimate environment and a pleasant group of people at the distillery all make it worth the detour.
Drive further north and you can detour once more to visit Glendronach, another picturesque and traditional distillery that was once a major part of the Teacherâs family and is now part of Pernod Ricard.
The old floor maltings can be visited, the stills look like theyâre from by-gone era and the visitor centre, one of Scotlandâs oldest, is all 70s macho leather and dark wood. It is in turns a nostalgic and charming place to look round.
Turn west at Huntley and you travel to the heart of Speyside where there are four distilleries to visit in the Dufftown and Craigellachie region.
Glenfiddich and Balvenie are a William Grant double-act that offers something for every whisky tourist.
Glenfiddichâs facilities are second to none in Scotland and offer the enthusiastic amateur the perfect modern and interactive introductory whisky experience, with beautifully presented illuminated murals and well designed displays not onl.....
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By Rob Allanson
Section : Visitors guide
Page number : 36
