The Land of Whisky A visitor guide to one of Scotland’s five whisky regions. Highland Whisky The practice of distilling whisky No two are the same; each has has been lovingly perfected its own proud heritage, unique throughout Scotland for centuries setting and its own way of doing and began as a way of turning things that has evolved and been rain-soaked barley into a drinkable refined over time. Paying a visit to spirit, using the fresh water from a distillery lets you discover more Scotland’s crystal-clear springs, about the environment and the streams and burns. people who shape the taste of the Scotch whisky you enjoy. So, when To this day, distilleries across the you’re sitting back and relaxing country continue the tradition of with a dram of our most famous using pure spring water from the export at the end of your distillery same sources that have been tour, you’ll be appreciating the used for centuries. essence of Scotland as it swirls in your glass. From the source of the water and the shape of the still to the Home to the greatest wood of the cask used to mature concentration of distilleries in the the spirit, there are many factors world, Scotland is divided into five that make Scotch whisky so distinct whisky regions. These are wonderfully different and varied Highland, Lowland, Speyside, Islay from distillery to distillery. and Campbeltown. Find out more information about whisky, how it’s made, what foods to pair it with and more: www.visitscotland.com/whisky For more information on travelling in Scotland: www.visitscotland.com/travel Search and book accommodation: www.visitscotland.com/accommodation Highland 02 01 Stretching from Orkney in the malts with cereal notes while in the north to the Isle of Arran in the south, whiskies tend to be lighter, south and Aberdeenshire to the fruity and dry. Similarly, single Outer Hebrides east to west, malts produced in Aberdeenshire 03 the Highland region is by far in the east are full-bodied, dry and the biggest whisky region in fruity compared to the western 04 Scotland in geographical terms. Highlands which are peated with As it is so expansive, it is not some strong maritime influences. easy to come up with a rule of thumb to categorise its whiskies. The distilleries on the islands, 05 Broadly speaking, they are although officially not recognised robust, full-bodied single malts as a sub-region, differ again. 07 06 while also embracing individual Highland Park on Orkney, for characteristics depending on instance is completely different 08 09 the distillery and its location. to most mainland Highland malts Some are peaty or smoky, some because of the 4,000 year-old 10 11 powerful but other Highland heathery peat it uses to dry its 18 12 17 malts, like those produced at malted barley, giving it a sweet Dalwhinnie, are surprisingly smokiness on the palate. Whisky 13 14 19 delicate. from the Isle of Jura on the other 01 SCAPA 22 ROYAL LOCHNAGAR hand is more oily and briny with 20 02 HIGHLAND PARK 23 DALWHINNIE Running through the volcanic gentle peat. 16 03 WOLFBURN 24 BEN NEVIS 15 21 04 PULTENEY 25 BLAIR ATHOL mountain rock of the Highlands, 05 ABHAINN DEARG 26 FETTERCAIRN the water used in whisky With such a complex variety 06 ISLE OF HARRIS 27 GLENCADAM 07 CLYNELISH 28 ARBIKIE 22 production here is some of the of characteristics and flavours, 08 GLENMORANGIE 29 STRATHEARN 09 BALBLAIR 30 EDRADOUR purest in Scotland. Couple that perhaps the many conflicting 23 10 INVERGORDON 31 GLENTURRET with ever-changing heather-clad similarities and differences 26 11 DALMORE 32 ABERFELDY 24 12 TEANINICH 33 ARDNAMURCHAN landscapes and the variable between Highland distilleries is 13 GLEN ORD 34 TOBERMORY 25 weather that rolls over rugged just an added incentive to explore 27 14 ROYAL BRACKLA 35 OBAN 33 15 TALISKER 36 TULLIBARDINE northern Scotland and you more widely to sample and savour 30 16 TOMATIN 37 DEANSTON 32 17 GLENGLASSAUGH 38 GLENGOYNE have the basis for hardy single the region’s single malt whisky? 18 MACDUFF 39 LOCH LOMOND 34 31 29 malt whisky which reflects the 28 19 GLENDRONACH 40 ISLE OF JURA 20 GLEN GARIOCH 41 ISLE OF ARRAN environment it is forged in. Browse the listings in this guide 35 21 ARDMORE to find out more information about 36 01 SCAPA 22 ROYAL LOCHNAGAR 02 HIGHLAND PARK 23 DALWHINNIE If we contrast the compass the distilleries in the Highland 03 WOLFBURN 24 BEN NEVIS 04 PULTENEY 25 BLAIR ATHOL points, distilleries in the northern region, how to visit them or simply 37 05 ABHAINN DEARG 26 FETTERCAIRN 06 ISLE OF HARRIS 27 GLENCADAM Highlands generally produce which of their drams to sample. 07 CLYNELISH 28 ARBIKIE whisky with full-bodied, sweet 39 38 08 GLENMORANGIE 29 STRATHEARN 40 09 BALBLAIR 30 EDRADOUR 10 INVERGORDON 31 GLENTURRET 11 DALMORE 32 ABERFELDY 12 TEANINICH 33 ARDNAMURCHAN 13 GLEN ORD 34 TOBERMORY 14 ROYAL BRACKLA 35 OBAN 15 TALISKER 36 TULLIBARDINE Be sure to check out our guides for the other four whisky regions: 16 TOMATIN 37 DEANSTON 17 GLENGLASSAUGH 38 GLENGOYNE Campbeltown, Islay, Lowland and Speyside. 41 18 MACDUFF 39 LOCH LOMOND 19 GLENDRONACH 40 ISLE OF JURA 20 GLEN GARIOCH 41 ISLE OF ARRAN www.visitscotland.com/distilleries-guides 21 ARDMORE WHERE TO BUY The complex business of blending Abhainn Available to purchase at the whisky has been passed down distillery shop or online from its through the generations at Dearg website and other reputable Dewar’s. The distillery itself online retailers. forms part of the Dewar’s World Distillery of Whisky attraction, one of OTHER NEARBY Scotland’s best and most visited Tours available ATTRACTIONS whisky heritage visitor centres. • Calanais Standing Stones The interactive exhibitions take LOCATION • Doune Broch you through the history of Dewar’s Carnish, Isle of Lewis • Bosta Iron Age House Whisky as well as the fine art of • Gearrannan Blackhouse blending before a tour of the HOW TO GET THERE Village distillery. The distillery is situated in Uig, a • Isle of Harris Distillery remote western part of the Isle of (opening spring 2015) OPENING TIMES Lewis. As such, you should expect Open all year around, except to drive single-track roads to the Christmas and New Year’s Day. distillery in Carnish. The distillery Aberfeldy itself is situated along a laneway SAMPLE next to a bridge. Distillery • Dewar’s White Label (blend) (Dewar’s World • Dewar’s 12 Year Old (blend) OVERVIEW of Whisky) • Dewar’s 18 Year Old Double As the first distillery on the Aged (blend) Outer Hebrides in nearly 200 Tours available • Dewar’s Signature (blend) years, Abhainn Dearg Distillery • Aberfeldy 12 Year Old (pronounced ‘aveen jerræk’) LOCATION • Aberfeldy 21 Year Old is somewhat of a trailblazer on Aberfeldy, Perthshire the archipelago. The distillery is WHERE TO BUY named after the Gaelic for Red HOW TO GET THERE Available at most major retailers River, the burn that runs through Aberfeldy Distillery can be found and online. the surrounding valley and the on the left-hand side of the A827 water source for its whisky. before you reach Aberfeldy, when OTHER NEARBY travelling west from the Ballinluig ATTRACTIONS A small operation which churns junction of the A9. • Edradour Distillery out batches of mature Scotch • The Queen’s View, Loch Tummel whisky, the distillery itself is not OVERVIEW • Falls of Bruar typical of Scottish distilleries The Dewar family started what has • Scone Palace from the outside or inside. While become the bestselling blended • Perth many distilleries have converted Scotch in the United States over • Blair Castle to modern machinery and 160 years ago. Not far from where • The Scottish Crannog Centre technology, each stage of the founder John Dewar was born, • The Hermitage distillation process at Abhainn the distillery sprung up along the Dearg is still done by hand; from River Tay near waters which were filtering the new-make spirit to always used as a place to go labelling and bottling the aged panning for gold. whisky. As well as fine and complex single OPENING TIMES malts, the majority of whisky The distillery is open all year round made at Aberfeldy has been used except Sundays. Also, opening in Dewar’s renowned blended times vary depending on season. whiskies. White Label, created In summer, it is open to visitors in 1899 by master blender AJ Monday to Saturday and Monday Cameron, is Dewar’s most famous to Friday in winter. blended whisky. A huge success, it was exported around the world for Abhainn Dearg Distillery SAMPLE over a century and is known for its • The Spirit of Lewis slogan, “It never varies.” The peaceful countryside • Single Malt Special Edition near Aberfeldy 06 The whisky, vodka and gin all use Not open to the public Tour this new distillery to see the Arbikie water sourced from the Angus Ardmore Ardnamurchan making of their single malt as it Glens which has filtered down SAMPLE happens. Each tour is finished with Distillery through the fertile lands and into Distillery • Ardmore Legacy Distillery a whisky tasting in the comfortable an underground lagoon. They are • Ardmore Traditional Cask tasting room, with whisky sourced LOCATION all made using the same copper LOCATION • Teacher’s Scotch whisky Tours available by parent company Adelphi Inverkeilor, near Arbroath, Angus. stills, to help create a distinctive Kennethmont, Huntly, Selection. taste which will reflect both the Aberdeenshire. WHERE TO BUY LOCATION OVERVIEW coastal and country surroundings Bottles of Teacher’s can be found Glenbeg, Ardnamurchan OPENING TIMES Storming into the drinks market that they are made in.