The Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival

Some of the world’s most iconic whisky distilleries are lining up to celebrate one of Europe’s largest whisky festivals next month.

The impressive line-up for the Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival (Thursday, 29th April – Monday, 3rd May) includes distilleries such as The Glenlivet, Glenfiddich, The Macallan and Benromach - four of over 50 distilleries in the Speyside region of Scotland, and just a few of the many distilleries taking part in this year’s festival.

Visitors to the five day festival can tap in to over 230 different events ranging from distillery tours, whisky masterclasses, guided whisky walks and landrover tours to ceilidhs, a musical, canoe trip, cooperage tours, live music, poetry sessions, free events and locally organised family friendly activities.

Festival goers can also enjoy a rare peek behind the scenes at other well-known distilleries in the area, usually closed to the public, including Mortlach, Benrinnes and Tomintoul.

After discovering the delights of the dram, whisky lovers and would-be gourmets can take the opportunity to learn more about the spirit’s role as an ingredient or accompaniment. Workshops looking at the relationship between whisky and chocolate to whisky and sausages will run throughout the Festival, with a number of distilleries as well as local hotels and restaurants hosting lunches and dinners featuring menus carefully constructed to complement the contents of their casks.

And what better way to work off these indulgences than by joining one of the many walks through Whisky Country? Take a gentle “dramble” around the seven distilleries of Dufftown, or take advantage of one of several guided walks with the Speyside Rangers or a ‘hike’ with whisky expert Dave Broom to the summit of Ben Rinnes and enjoy the panoramic views across the Cairngorms north to the Moray Firth and south to Lochnagar. And there’s the chance of spotting mountain hare and ptarmigan on other guided walks and off-road trails in the wilder parts of the Cairngorm National Park.

Visitors can also follow in the footsteps of the Speyside smugglers - whose illicit stills were hidden in the hillsides and backcountry braes and whose existence echoes in the culture and customs of whisky communities today - where festival goers will be invited to join ceilidhs and concerts performed by traditional talents.

There’s more than just whisky on offer at the Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival - the added blend of music, food and fun is sure to guarantee that visitors will be immersed in the culture of Whisky Country and experience the true taste of the Speyside spirit of hospitality.

Visit spiritofspeyside.com for further information and on-line bookings.