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The Malt Whisky Trail
The beautiful town of Keith is the gateway to the Malt
Whisky Trail, which will take you meandering through
eight famous malt whisky distilleries in and around
the Spey Valley.
Strathspey is one of the loveliest valleys in Scotland
- strath itself means valley. Today the whisky industry,
centered on the River Spey, is big business. Speyside
is universally acknowledged as a heartland of whisky
production; the climate and geology here are so suitable
for malt whisky that the Speyside region of the Highlands
is home to no fewer than half of Scotland's malt distilleries.
The Malt Whisky Trail lies by the River Spey among
the northern foothills of the Grampians. Eight of the
distilleries, and one cooperage, invite you to tour
the premises and find out about the process. The trail
is about 70 miles long (110 km) and you can easily spend
an hour in each distillery. A guide will be available
to take you around the distillery and share some of
the secrets of whisky production. At the end you will
be invited for a 'wee dram' in the distillery shop.
If you plan to do the full tour and have a taste for
the malt, can we suggest you find a driver!
The Secret of Making Fine Malt Whisky
Castle Trail
Wherever you are in Gordon, you are never far from
a castle for this is Scotland's Castle Country and it's
where you will find Scotland's unique Castle Trail.
One moment you will be in Norman Scotland, the next
in Renaissance Scotland. You can let your imagination
run riot in dark romantic ruins or in magnificiently
furnished castles.
To visit the properties on the trail, simply follow
the distinctive blue and white Castle Trail road signs
which will lead you to the 7 castles and 3 historic
houses depicted below. The trail is approximately 150
miles long and can be followed in either direction.
At least one hour should be allowed for each property
visit. You can even stay in the noblest of northern
castles - Kildrummy Castle.
Those properties belonging to the National Trust for
Scotland are open during the period May-September with
some opening at Easter and weekends in October. Their
gardens and grounds are open all year. A few of the
Historic Scotland properties are open all year.
More about the Castle Trail
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