Whisky galore

Some of Scotland's best whisky is found in the Lowlands and the islands. Dominic Roskrow acts as tour guide

You're going to have to have a great deal of energy and a considerable amount of time if you're planning to visit the distilleries in the Lowlands of Scotland and the islands: with the exception of one special whisky island, the distilleries making up these broad groupings are not concentrated as they are in Speyside, and they take some getting to.

For all that, though, the effort is surely worth it, for a comprehensive journey to the distilleries of these regions takes you to a wide variety of Scottish scenery, much of it breath-taking, and there are historical landmarks just as stunning as those in the north and Highlands.

We have often argued that too many visitors arrive in Glasgow and Edinburgh and look directly north for their entertainment and by doing that they're missing out because to the south a great swathe of Scotland is just waiting to be explored.

What better way to make your travels all the smoother than a visit to the few remaining Lowland distilleries?

Historically this was the region with the best land for growing crops such as barley on, and the nearest to the major ports, cities and rail links. And so it was that while the Highlanders were distilling whisky illegally in small hidden stills, the Lowlands became the home of the bigger whisky producers.

The big stills traditionally employed in this area made for a lighter whisky because the longer the distilled spirit is in contact with the copper, the more impurities are removed and the lighter the whi...

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• By : Dominic Roskrow
• In : Drinks
• Issue : 29
• Page : 68
• Words : 1,583