Whisky Tours of Scotland
In celebration of St Andrew’s Day in Scotland this month, Jim Murphy takes us on a tour of the whisky regions of Scotland.
November 30th marks the feast day of Scotland’s patron saint; St Andrew and although the day is not as widely or wildly celebrated by the Scots as St Patrick’s Day is by the Irish, it’s still a day when they honour their heritage. So in homage to that heritage we celebrate that great Scottish export the ‘uisce beatha’ or whisky to you and me. But first a little word on our patron…
St Andrew was the elder brother of St Peter and as well as being the patron saint of Scotland, his patronage is held as far afield as Russia, Greece, Malta and Sicily. In Scotland the national flag, the Scottish Saltire (white diagonal cross on blue background) is flown in honour of St Andrew after he was crucified on such a cross at Patra in what is now Greece.
According to Scottish legend, the relics of St Andrew where brought to Scottish shores from Constantinople by St Rule shortly before the city fell to the barbarians. Arriving in a violent storm, Rule came to a small settlement on the north east coast of Scotland, which is now the bustling town of St Andrew’s , where as well as the ruins of St Andrew’s Cathedral and St Rule’s Tower, you’ll find the revered spiritual home of golf; The Royal and Ancient Golf Club and the Old Course.
And now onto the hard stuff…
The Water of Life
Whisky in Scotch Gaelic is known as ‘uisce beatha’, the water of life and has been an essential element in Scottish life since the 15th century. Today with over 40 distilleries in Scotland, whisky is one of Scotland’s largest exports earning the country millions of pounds in duties each year. There may be other countries that produce whiskies, Wales, Ireland, America, Canada and even Japan. But there is only one country in the world that produces whisky and that’s Scotland. Whether it is malt, grain or blended, only if it is distilled and matured in Scotland can a whisky be called a whisky otherwise it may be whiskey or even Scotch.
Scotland is famous for its single malt whiskies and connoisseurs come from all over the world to sample the range and variety of flavours. Each single malt is bespoke to its particular distillery and has been distilled to the same specification for centuries to produce its own distinctive taste.
There are five distinct whisky producing regions in Scotland, each with their own character and a tour through these regions is a great way to explore the glorious countryside and experience something uniquely Scottish.
Speyside
The most renowned of these regions is Speyside, home to famous labels such as Glenfiddich, Ardmore, The Glenlivet, The Machallan, Miltonduff, Tomintoul and even Knockando! Dotted along the banks of the River Spey in Aberdeenshire and the Grampians these distilleries have been in production since time immemorial, the Spey providing the very water of life itself and Speyside is widely considered the heartland of Scottish whisky.
Highland
As can be expected of the whiskies produced in the vast and rugged wilderness of the Scottish Highlands , this region boasts a huge range of whiskies noted for their richness and robust flavours. These may vary from the slightly aniseed flavour of Talisker, distilled on the Isle of Skye to the full bodied Dalwhinnie and Royal Lochnagar, a single malt that is truly worth of its regal title. Other Highland Whisky labels include Ben Nevis, named after Scotland’s and Britain’s highest mountain, Blair Athol which has been in production since 1798 next to the picturesque town of Pitlochry, and Highland Park from Scotland’s northern most whisky distillery in Orkney .
Lowlands
By contrast Lowland whiskies are generally smoother in taste and for this reason find themselves as the essential ingredient in whisky based cocktails. Lowland labels include triple distilled Auchentoshan, Bladnoch and Glenkinchie.
Islay
The Isle of Islay forms a special pilgrimage for whisky connoisseurs. On this tiny island off the western coast of Scotland, are 7 different distilleries producing a range of whiskies that are noted for their ‘peaty’ flavours. Within the malting process on Islay, the malts are roasted using peat, which gives them their distinctive smoky taste – real fireside warmers! Single malts produced on Islay include Ardbeg, Bowmore, Bruichladdich, Bunnahabhain, Caol Ila, Lagavulin, Laphroaig.
Campbelltown
Although more a peninsula than a region, this Kintyre town produces two whiskies that are distinctive enough to stand alone. Labels here are Springbank and Glen Scotia renowned for their golden malty hue and strong bite.
Whisky Tours
Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4With so many distilleries and whisky flavours for connoisseurs to take in, the Scottish tourism board have come up with two different whisky tours, offering a very different character of the Scottish countryside. The Malt Whisky Trail winds its way through the Grampians and Highlands of Scotland taking in some of the Speyside and Highlands whisky distilleries amid mesmerising countryside and picturesque Scottish towns. Whilst the Whisky Coast Trail covers 16 distilleries along the west coast of Scotland from Campbelltown and Islay to Mull and the Isle of Skye, with rugged coastal scenery along the way.
Whisky Festivals
2009 promises to be a great year to visit Scotland as the country celebrates a year long Homecoming Festival and all will be welcomed in true Scottish style. Alongside the Homecoming will be a number of fantastic festivals to celebrate the ‘uisce beatha’.
From May 1st - 10th the Spirit of Speyside Festival offers ten days and over 250 events to entertain whisky lovers and families alike in the heartland of Scottish whisky. Visitors can enjoy a heady mix of events and activities at various distilleries in the region and a special Whisky Smugglers Walking Trail has been produced to show walkers the delights of the Speyside countryside and outline the heritage of whisky producing in the region.
Following on from May 16th - 17th the first ever Spirit of the West Festival takes place at Inveraray Castle and celebrates the whiskies of the west coast and the rich Scottish culture and landscape in which they are produced. The highlight on Saturday evening will see a traditional Scottish ceilidh take place within the grounds of the castle, where visitors will have the chance to ‘Strip the Willow’ and celebrate with a dram or two.
Closing the month of May in fine style is the Islay Malt and Music festival from 23rd to 31st. The festival has been running on the island since 1986 and gets bigger each year celebrating the peaty malts of Islay and neighboring Isle of Jura along with the region’s rich heritage and culture with traditional music, ceilidhs, sporting events and guided walks of the islands.
May is the month of Malts in Scotland so connoisseurs won’t want to miss out and with a range of activities from golfing to walking and history and heritage a plenty. Scotland has something for everyone.
If you’re planning a vacation to Scotland, contact one of our guides for the latest deals on accommodation and travel.
