Speyside sits in the northern part of the Cairngorm Mountains. The wildest, highest part of the UK and, with its mountain landscapes, crisp fresh air and sub-Arctic climate, quickly detaches you from any feeling of being in the rest of the UK. Firmly in the highlands of Scotland, you can enjoy the surrounding hikes to the lochs and sample the most famous single malt whiskies in the world. The old cliché is so true – the taste and enjoyment of the alcohol completely depends on the location and context that you’re experiencing it in – sipping Champagne in the rural vineyards of the Champagne region, drinking the menu of wheat beers in an abbey in Belgium, learning about Rum on an island in the Caribbean – being in a Speyside lodge sampling whiskies with the mountains in the background and a fire nearby is right up there and about as good an alcohol experience as you can get
Top tip #1 – Stay in a lodge ideally just outside of Aviemore and one that offers whisky tasting. The town of Aviemore itself is nice, but a little touristy. If you stay outside, you will avoid the (small) crowds and be able to enjoy that mountain view around you that little bit more. In particular, find one that offers a whisky tasting session (most do) – doing so will allow you to really learn about the different types rather than only those shared by the individual distilleries. Plus, it allows you to ask a heap of increasingly slurry questions into the evening
Top tip #2 – visit either the Glenfiddich or Macallan distilleries. They’re much larger than the others, but they run the experience very well and have a great sample at the end to try. Glenfiddich you can just rock up without a booking, Macallan you need to book ahead
Top tip #3 – you can visit all year round, but need summer for the hiking. I’ve visited in winter and, although it is bloody freezing and very very dark, its quite atmospheric to be there. Summer is busier with fellow tourists, but the long days and warmer weather allows you to head off for a day hike up to one of the many lochs that surround Aviemore