In the small town of Dalwhinnie, just off the A9 in the very heart of the Scottish Highlands, you come across the picturesque Dalwhinnie Distillery. A trip to Scotland is hardly complete without a visit to the creating place of its world famous whisky (in case you're wondering, the spelling there is correct. Whisky made in Scotland is spelled with out the 'e' which is one of the distinctions between Scottish and Irish whisky. The other is in the distillation process, of which you will learn more about on the guided tour.) After having made several trips here, and lived in the country for almost 5 years, I've been more than a little shamefaced about not having been to one mys
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In the small town of Dalwhinnie, just off the A9 in the very heart of the Scottish Highlands, you come across the picturesque Dalwhinnie Distillery.
A trip to Scotland is hardly complete without a visit to the creating place of its world famous whisky (in case you're wondering, the spelling there is correct. Whisky made in Scotland is spelled with out the 'e' which is one of the distinctions between Scottish and Irish whisky. The other is in the distillation process, of which you will learn more about on the guided tour.)
After having made several trips here, and lived in the country for almost 5 years, I've been more than a little shamefaced about not having been to one myself. As we were heading right through the heart of the Scottish whisky trail on our way north towards Inverness, it was just a matter of picking which one to see.
Many visitors to the Highlands make a point of doing the entire whisky trail - and information can be easily found about all the distilleries on the official trail. They are also all easily marked along the road way.
I, however, just wanted to make a stop at one on this trip north - and because of its unique flavour, distinctive of the heather thick area from which it is distilled, we pulled off the A9 at Dalwhinnie and drove up for a tour of the distillery.
What we didn't realize when we arrived, is that we had picked what is the highest distillery in Scotland at 1,073 feet above sea level. It is also, because of its location, one of the coldest places on the British Isles and the distillery itself is used by the weather service. In the middle of July we got out of the car in coats, and so I have no doubt it would be extremely cold in the winter.
As it's the only distillery in Scotland I have visited, I can't compare it to the better known distilleries (like Glenfiddich or Glenmorangie) but I'm very pleased I picked this one. In a beautiful setting and location, it's a small, friendly distillery run by a total of 7 people. (I found that figure quite remarkable.)
The tour is very pleasant and informative, and well worth the £5 charge. (Which includes a £3 coupon for any 70 cl bottle of whisky.) Very well maintained, and well presented, this was a great stop and a very good whisky to sample as well. Known for its delicate taste, Dalwhinnie is a very warm whisky and much less harsh for the non-drinker than some of the more easterly brands. You get a small sample tasting (which in a whisky is more than enough!) after the tour, and they have a very nice gift shop as well.
Often hesitant about 'tourist stops’ I was very pleased I made this one a part of my trip. A worthwhile experience to undertake in Scotland.
Open from 9am to 4:30pm, Monday to Friday
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