Holiday Cottages:

Whisky Distilleries, Whisky Nosings and Tastings in Speyside

Bluefolds cottages are located in the centre of Speyside amongst the highest concentration of Whisky Distilleries in Scotland. In Glenlivet alone there are 4 distilleries including the Glenlivet, the No 1 selling malt whisky in the USA.

On Speyside, there are a number of the distilleries with visitor centres where you can tour. A number have free entrance, some make a small charge normally partially redeemable against the purchase of a bottle of whisky at the end of your tour and some are accessible by appointment only.

Free tours are available at The Glenlivet, Glenfiddich and Glen Grant distilleries. Those that make a small charge are Balvenie, Glenfarclas, Macallan, Cardhu, (photo right) Aberlour, Glen Moray and Strathisla . Those by appointment only include Tomintoul, Tamdhu and Glenrothes distilleries. If you need help in planning any distillery visits, you only have to ask.

Steve (photo left) is a bit of an expert on malt whisky and regularly gives talks and tastes during the 2 Speyside Whisky Festivals in May and September and can extend this service to guests who stay at Bluefolds cottages. Talks can be tailor-made to your requirements or you can leave the selection of whisky to Steve. The 2 most popular themes are "Around Scotland" and "Secret Speysides"

"Around Scotland" takes you on a tour of Scotland sampling whiskies distilled in the Lowlands, Speyside, the Highlands and the Islands giving you the opportunity to discover the regional differences between whiskies.

"Secret Speysides", As the name suggests, introduces you to whiskies from Speyside that you may have never tried before and explore how whiskies distilled using similar water sources and malt can produce very different flavours. (Ben Rinnes distillery right) You will also discover one of malt whiskies secrets that occurs while the whisky rests and matures in the bonded store, which is the affect the oak barrels have on the maturing spirit. Whisky nosings and tastings really help you to understand the subtle differences in the malts.

There is a small charge of £7.50 per person for the above talk and tastes. Tailor-made nosings and tastings may cost a little more.

Barley, grown locally, is an essential ingredient in the distilling process and can be seen in the fields around Speyside. It is wonderful to see the golden fields of barley in late summer as they ripen and then to watch the combine harvesters entering the fields and making short work of cutting it.

The Cooperage (photo left) is a fantastic place to learn about making and repairing barrels and why the barrel has to be fired before whisky can be stored in it. In the photo the barrel is being fired ready for storing whisky.

Visitors nosing one of a selection of Balvenie whiskies before enjoying a "wee dram" during the whisky festival. Balvenie is one of the few distilleries where you can still visit the maltings. The specialist nosings after the tour allows you to sample 5 drams.

Balvenie Distillery - the malting fire being attended.

Dufftown, the self-proclaimed "Malt Whisky Capital of the World," boasts 6 working distilleries including the world's best selling Whisky - Glenfiddich. The Whisky Museum in Dufftown shows how whisky has moved from illegal stills to a world wide business and is used for nosing and tastings during the Whisky Festivals. Photos from 2007 Event.

There are 2 Whisky Festivals in Moray each year. The Whisky Festivals in 2008 are: spring; Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival 1-5 May and autumn; the Speyside Whisky Festival in Dufftown from 26-29 September 2008 . To read about the events or to plan your visit view the Spirit of Speyside Website.

Water is the other essential in whisky making as shown by the River Spey near the Penny bridge, Aberlour (photo left). One of the secrets of the taste of malt whisky in different areas of the country is to do with the water used in the production.

There should also be time to walk on the Glenlivet estate in the Cairngorm National Park and tour the castle and coastal trails of Moray and Grampian. Or join a ranger led walk on the trail of the illicit whisky smugglers in Glenlivet or follow the river Fiddich from Dufftown to the River Spey at Aberlour.

Far left photo at Daluaine Distillery, Aberlour Speyside (not normally open to the public) during the 2007 Whisky festival. The group are enjoying a Daluaine after touring the distillery. Left photo of Illicit Still of the type found in the hills of Glenlivet at the Open Day at Glenlivet distillery at the 2007 festival.