Whisky Galore
There is no denying that whisky is a popular drink in Scotland and one of our most famous exports. There are several famous brands of whisky which are produced exclusively in Scotland and in recent years the world seems to have woken up to the wonder of single malts. As the tourist trade has grown whisky sales have kept pace and the distillery tour has become an essential part of visiting Scotland for a lot of people.
Interestingly enough there were over 200 distilleries in Scotland back in the 19th century but many closed during the harsh economic conditions post World War II. After the war sales began to rise again but it was blended scotch that was popular with the masses at home and abroad. There was another crash in the industry in the 1980’s and more distilleries were lost forever but as people learned a new appreciation of single malts the industry took off once again. The boom in single malts is a relatively recent development.
The Scotch Whisky Association estimates that sales of Scottish whisky bring in over £2 billion a year. The association was founded in 1917 in London bizarrely enough but by the 1940’s the Scottish branch had become the principal office and they dedicated themselves to representing the interests of the industry and promoting the drink worldwide.
The number of distillery tours you can now go on is massive and many of them are highly regarded tourist attractions. They show visitors how the process works, what makes their product unique, how the flavour is captured and of course each tour is accompanied by a few samples. A few drams is guaranteed to make the whole experience more enjoyable and many people return from distillery tours a wee bit the worse for wear.
If you search on the official Scottish tourism website you’ll get a list of 51 distilleries and breweries that offer tours. They produce a mixture of products and can be found scattered throughout the country. Let’s have a look at a few of the best.
The Glenmorangie distillery and visitor centre features a museum and guided tours. This is the most popular single malt in Scotland and the distillery is located in a tranquil glen (in fact the name Glenmorangie is supposed to mean tranquil glen) overlooking the Dornoch Firth.
The Glenfiddich distillery is still owned and operated by the Grant family and they not only distil and mature the whisky there but also bottle it. It is highly rated and well worth a visit.
The Oban distillery visitor centre is another place that it is worth stopping in at and many tourists will pass through Oban on the western coast of Scotland on their way to the islands.
The Strathisla distillery was founded back in 1786 which makes it the oldest distillery operating in the Highlands. It is seriously picturesque and located in the North about four hours drive from Edinburgh or Glasgow. They produce a single malt and also contribute to Chivas Regal.
There are loads of other examples worth stopping in at so check out the full guide via the link above.
