Malt Whisky Trail

More than half of Scotland’s malt whisky distilleries are situated in Speyside

Weiroch Lodge is at the heart of Malt Whisky country and on the famous Malt Whisky Trail. The area has many of the worlds best known distilleries including Benromach, Cardow, Dallas Dhu, Glenfiddich, Glen Grant, Glenlivet, Glen Moray, Strathisla and Glenfarclas where you can visit each distillery, do a spot of tasting and learn how the barley is turned into whisky. Some modern distilleries are very hi-tech and resemble a chemical factory whereas other smaller establishments still use the traditional methods to produce an artisan product that will vary from year to year.

Further Information

Touring

Weiroch Lodge provides an excellent base from which to explore Morayshire, with castles, mountains, beaches and cities all easily accessible.

Often referred to as Castle Country, the historic Northeast of Scotland is home to around a thousand castles or castle ruins, providing a wealth of history to explore. The nearest is Ballindalloch Castle, just a few minutes drive away, the family home of the Macpherson-Grants who have resided there since 1546. There is also the Aberdeenshire Castle Trail which covers thirteen unique castles from Castle Fraser to Tolquhon Castle.

The Cairngorms National Park is the largest in Britain with thousands of acres of beautiful and unspoilt countryside. It is just a short drive from Weiroch Lodge and well worth a visit to enjoy the fabulous scenery, from wild moorlands and soaring mountain peaks to spectacular rivers and tranquil lochs.

The Moray Firth has some of the most beautiful and unspoilt stretches of coast with many beaches gaining Seaside Awards. It is possible to watch Bottlenose Dolphins from the shore at many locations all around the Moray Firth and there are many pretty fishing villages to visit.

National Geographic lists the Moray Firth amongst the top ten coastal destinations in the world

If you enjoy shopping and/or dining out, Weiroch Lodge is situated just 7-miles south of Aberlour and about 1-hour’s drive from the historic cities of Inverness and Aberdeen. Locally, the market towns of Dufftown, Huntly, Elgin and Grantown on Spey all have a variety of shops, pubs, hotels and cafes. Walkers Shortbread shop in Aberlour, Johnston of Elgin’s Cashmere Centre, Brodies Country Fare at Nairn and Baxters Highland village at Fochabers are all favourite places to visit.

Highland Games

The world famous Highland Games combine sport, tests of strength with music and dance. It is uniquely Scottish and popular with all ages. The games season runs from May until September with over 60 games taking place in towns, villages and cities across the country all with their own unique character and charm.

All the gatherings have a full range of activities in and around a central arena. These range from the traditional heavy events such as the hammer throw, caber toss and shot through to the light events such as running, tug of war, Highland dancing and piping.

There is always plenty of food and drink to try, from the ever popular burger vans offering venison burgers to freshly prepared Arbroath smokies smoked next to the stall and always a beer tent selling local brews and whisky. If its a nice day why not take a picnic?

Many of the games end the day with a procession of massed pipe and drum bands providing a unique and stirring sound which is hard to forget. Some, like our local games in Aberlour even end in a cèilidh with dancing long into the night.

Although tickets for some games can be bought in advance most people simply pay at the gate on the morning of the games and usually cost no more that £10.00.

Here are some of our favourites

Aberlour
1st Sat in Aug: www.aberlourhighlandgames.co.uk
Tomintou
3rd Sat in July: www.tomintoulhighlandgames.co.uk
Dufftown
Last Sat in July: www.dufftownhighlandgames.com
Gordon Castle
3rd Saturday in May: www.gordoncastlehighlandgames.co.uk
Braemar Gathering
1st Sat in September: www.braemargathering.org (Usually attended by Her Majesty the Queen).
Scottish Highland Games Association
www.shga.co.uk