Itinerary: a weekend of Whisky in the heart of Speyside
To my mind, a weekend spent Whisky tasting in Scotland is a fine idea. But with over 140 Whisky distilleries in Scotland, working out an itinerary can be a mind boggling prospect.
Having visited over 60 whisky Distilleries in Scotland: I’ve got a few ideas.
Scotland has 2 Whisky ‘meccas’: Islay and Speyside.
Islay is an island known for its peated Whisky–see my Islay itinerary here
Speyside is the place to go for the sweeter, sherried Whisky.
The itinerary below is my pick for a wonderful weekend of Whisky tasting in the heart of Speyside. It’s based around the wonderful Mash Tun Hotel in the village of Aberlour, and visits four very distinctive Whisky distilleries.
The Mash Tun
Check into the Mash Tun, a comfortable hotel near the centre of Aberlour. This convivial hotel serves hearty food and makes a great base for the weekend.
How to go
Car – the easiest way to get around the distilleries
Bus – the 36 bus route runs through Speyside’s Whisky trail.
Image credit: Aberlour Whisky
Day one
Take a short walk from the Mash Tun to the Aberlour Distillery and take the distillery tour (there is no car parking at the distillery). Aberlour uses a mix of ex-bourbon and former sherry casks to produce Whisky that is crisp and citrus in character. I love the traditional tasting room here and the 12 year old Whisky is a favourite .
Lunch at the Mash Tun, then drive to Glenfarclas for the distillery tour. Glenfarclas is an independent distillery with a memorable wood paneled tasting room salvaged from the RMS Empress of Australia Ocean liner. Its the place to go for traditional Sherry cask Whisky.
Day Two
Drive to the Macallan: the fanciest Whisky distillery i’ve ever seen. The distillery is an architectural marvel with the look a James Bond villain’s lair. Thankfully though, the welcome is warm. A highlight for many is the impressive ‘wall of whisky’: 728 Macallan bottles neatly arranged on their shelves, with a light making each of them glow. The whole experience here is high tech and luxury– the sky is limit here if your seeking a luxury experience. I would suggest going for the regular £50 tour though;-)
See the route on All Trails
The route is approximately 15 miles, and is the final section of the Cape Wrath Trail, Scotland’s iconic long-distance hike.
A couple of miles East from Sandwood Bay, across the dunes, lies Strathchaillleach Bothy, whose rough interior walls are covered in colourful folk art depicting mermaids and Vikings. The murals were painted by the bothy’s former inhabitant James McRory Smith, known as ‘The Hermit of Sandwood Bay’, and set an air of myth and mystery for the walk ahead, over rough moorland to Cape Wrath.
View from Ben More
Mull: Ben More
Ben More, at 966m, is the highest peak in the Scottish Isles.
This imposing but accessible mountain arose more than 60 million years ago as a result of a huge volcano, thus becoming part of the Loch Ba Caldera.
On clear days, the panoramic views over the Isle of Mull and surrounding islands are said to be astonishing, although as you can see from the photo above, I saw only a glimmer of this. However, the experience of being on this spectacular mountain enclosed in shifting clouds was magical.
How to go
The route is 6 miles long on a rocky, steep and rough track. Recommended for experienced hill walkers only.
Mull Magic conducts guided walks.
Cuillan
Sandwood Bay is a majestic beach that can only be accessed on foot or by boat. Sitting on the beach in the morning mist, it is easy to imagine Vikings landing their longboats here to seek shelter from storms. Indeed, Sandwood takes its name from the old Norse word Sandvatn, meaning sand-water.
How to go
I walked the route as an ‘out and back’ – staying the night at Cape Wrath Lighthouse and returning the next day.
The route is approximately 15 miles, and is the final section of the Cape Wrath Trail, Scotland’s iconic long-distance hike.
A couple of miles East from Sandwood Bay, across the dunes, lies Strathchaillleach Bothy, whose rough interior walls are covered in colourful folk art depicting mermaids and Vikings. The murals were painted by the bothy’s former inhabitant James McRory Smith, known as ‘The Hermit of Sandwood Bay’, and set an air of myth and mystery for the walk ahead, over rough moorland to Cape Wrath.
Goatfell: Arran
Sandwood Bay is a majestic beach that can only be accessed on foot or by boat. Sitting on the beach in the morning mist, it is easy to imagine Vikings landing their longboats here to seek shelter from storms. Indeed, Sandwood takes its name from the old Norse word Sandvatn, meaning sand-water.
How to go
I walked the route as an ‘out and back’ – staying the night at Cape Wrath Lighthouse and returning the next day.
The route is approximately 15 miles, and is the final section of the Cape Wrath Trail, Scotland’s iconic long-distance hike.
A couple of miles East from Sandwood Bay, across the dunes, lies Strathchaillleach Bothy, whose rough interior walls are covered in colourful folk art depicting mermaids and Vikings. The murals were painted by the bothy’s former inhabitant James McRory Smith, known as ‘The Hermit of Sandwood Bay’, and set an air of myth and mystery for the walk ahead, over rough moorland to Cape Wrath.
Note:
Best done in Summer - not all distilleries are open outside of April
Book all tours directly with the distillery.
Most tours provide drivers packs for the driver to enjoy back at your hotel. -
In the words of the great Scottish comedian Billy Connolly to visitors to Scotland, “If you don’t like the weather, just wait five minutes!”. The summits of mountains are often covered in cloud, which can make navigation confusing and give rise to wet, cold conditions.
Indeed, several there were other several hikes I wanted to include here, but the views and landmarks were too obscured by thick cloud.
So take care, carry a set of waterproofs, warm clothes, GPS (I use the Gaia app on on my phone), map and compass, spare food and water: even in he summer!.