A Whisky Hike
Today we decided to take one of the many hikes mapped out by the tourist info center. This hike cleverly passed by two Pitlochry-based whisky distilleries. The first stop, then, was at Blair Athol distillery. Established in 1798, it is one of Scotland's oldest distilleries, now owned and operated by Bell's. We had arrived early, so we practically had a private tour; there was only one other gentleman (an American from California) on the tour with us. I had a bit of difficulty understanding our guide John owing to his thick Scottish accent. We learned the basic recipe for whisky-making, the difference between a single malt whisky and a blend and got to see all the equipment used in the process. Best of all, we had a free sample of some 12-year-old Scotch at the end of the tour with John instructing us in the art of whisky tasting. I was surprised at how much I liked the Blair Athol single malt. It was smooth and mellow. Even so, it was a bit early in the morning to be drinking alcohol and I found the next bit of our hike a challenge as we climbed through Black Spout Wood, named after a small waterfall. Next stop was Edradour Distillery, said to be Scotland's smallest distillery. Due to that distinction, Edradour draws busloads of tourists. We took the tour along with about 20 other people. We were told that the entire process is carried out by hand just as it was a 150 years ago. Edradour produces a ten-year-old single malt which I found to be a bit harsh compared to Blair Athol.
We completed our hike, had lunch in town and set out for a drive to Cairn Gorm, the tallest point of a mountain range referred to collectively as the Cairngorms. During winter people ski on Cairn Gorm and there is a mountain railway that will take you to the 4,084-foot summit. The roads on the way to Cairn Gorm were incredibly twisty with blind summits and curves. The scenery was splendid; the mountains have a raw rugged aspect that I found very appealing. When we finally got as far as you can drive up Cairn Gorm we discovered we had missed the last train to the summit. As a consolation we walked for a bit along a trail that has been laid out on the mountain. It was a wonderful trail skirting on a level course around the top of the mountain. It was windy and quite cold but the views were rewarding. We left Cairn Gorm and took a leisurely route back to Pitlochry. Along the way we passed a field where some highland cows were grazing. They are such curious creatures -- stocky and shaggy with wide menacing-looking horns, broad noses and bangs that cover their eyes. We stopped off at the Insh Marsh Nature Reserve and hiked a trail to a bird hide. There we saw lots of curlews and roe deer. We even saw a heron catch an eel and struggle with its slippery prey.
Today we decided to take one of the many hikes mapped out by the tourist info center. This hike cleverly passed by two Pitlochry-based whisky distilleries. The first stop, then, was at Blair Athol distillery. Established in 1798, it is one of Scotland's oldest distilleries, now owned and operated by Bell's. We had arrived early, so we practically had a private tour; there was only one other gentleman (an American from California) on the tour with us. I had a bit of difficulty understanding our guide John owing to his thick Scottish accent. We learned the basic recipe for whisky-making, the difference between a single malt whisky and a blend and got to see all the equipment used in the process. Best of all, we had a free sample of some 12-year-old Scotch at the end of the tour with John instructing us in the art of whisky tasting. I was surprised at how much I liked the Blair Athol single malt. It was smooth and mellow. Even so, it was a bit early in the morning to be drinking alcohol and I found the next bit of our hike a challenge as we climbed through Black Spout Wood, named after a small waterfall. Next stop was Edradour Distillery, said to be Scotland's smallest distillery. Due to that distinction, Edradour draws busloads of tourists. We took the tour along with about 20 other people. We were told that the entire process is carried out by hand just as it was a 150 years ago. Edradour produces a ten-year-old single malt which I found to be a bit harsh compared to Blair Athol.
We completed our hike, had lunch in town and set out for a drive to Cairn Gorm, the tallest point of a mountain range referred to collectively as the Cairngorms. During winter people ski on Cairn Gorm and there is a mountain railway that will take you to the 4,084-foot summit. The roads on the way to Cairn Gorm were incredibly twisty with blind summits and curves. The scenery was splendid; the mountains have a raw rugged aspect that I found very appealing. When we finally got as far as you can drive up Cairn Gorm we discovered we had missed the last train to the summit. As a consolation we walked for a bit along a trail that has been laid out on the mountain. It was a wonderful trail skirting on a level course around the top of the mountain. It was windy and quite cold but the views were rewarding. We left Cairn Gorm and took a leisurely route back to Pitlochry. Along the way we passed a field where some highland cows were grazing. They are such curious creatures -- stocky and shaggy with wide menacing-looking horns, broad noses and bangs that cover their eyes. We stopped off at the Insh Marsh Nature Reserve and hiked a trail to a bird hide. There we saw lots of curlews and roe deer. We even saw a heron catch an eel and struggle with its slippery prey.
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