Have a dram good time in Scotland this spring
Whisky festivals, new tours and whisky pairing galore this spring mean that visitors to Scotland will have a surprising number of ways to really get into the spirit of things this year.
The Inverness Whisky Festival is a brand new whisky festival, promising music and merriment aplenty this April. This is followed by the finale of Scotland's Year of Food & Drink in May with the Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival, as well as the Islay Festival of Music & Malt. The two festivals give visitors to Scotland an unrivalled opportunity to get up close and personal with two of the world's most famous whisky regions.
Marketing Manager at The Scotch Whisky Experience, Julie Trevisan Hunter commented:
"The sheer variety of ways for visitors to get involved with whisky this spring means that it's a really excellent time to get out and about in Scotland. From enthusiasts and experts to total whisky beginners, there's never been a better time visit Scotland and enjoy a dram."
The new Inverness Whisky Festival runs on 8 and 9 April and is a celebration of whisky from Scotland's Highlands and Islands. With a ceilidh band to open the festival and live music throughout, visitors to the festival will be able to enjoy a relaxed atmosphere to get hands on with the whiskies on offer. A collector's auction, workshops and talks will all be washed down with fine Highland food and, of course, whisky.
The Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival runs for five days from 28 April to 2 May and this year includes drambles (whisky walks), the opportunity to blend your own whisky, pair whisky with chocolate or even become a Benromach warehouseman for a day. Speyside has the greatest number of distilleries of all the whisky producing areas of Scotland.
With Scotland's Year of Food & Drink coming to an end in May, the Islay Festival of Music & Malt provides a great way of raising a farewell toast to it. Running from 20 to 29 May, this festival allows visitors to get behind the scenes in the Islay distilleries, which open their door to visitors for the week of the festival. There are plenty of ways to discover the characteristically smoky taste of the Islay malts and also to explore the island through its relationship with music in its packed programme of concerts and ceilidhs.
Visitors to the south of Scotland can also get in on the act with a several new tours and tastings of Scotland's water of life. A new bus tour of Glasgow's whisky bars offers informative tastings in an informal setting (glasgowwhiskytours.com), while two new tours from the award-winning Rabbies Trailburners take visitors to the key whisky regions in Scotland (rabbies.com). In Edinburgh, whisky expert and writer, Tom Bruce-Gardyne will guide enthusiasts through the different flavours of whisky in a tutored tasting using the largest collection of whiskies available for tasting in Scotland - over 1,300 bottles. (walkborders.com)
Foodies can also indulge in whisky this spring with a special food and whisky pairing taking place at Amber Restaurant in Edinburgh's Scotch Whisky Experience. With a team of whisky advisors on hand, the matching event will be a suitable way to celebrate the final month of Scotland's year of Food and Drink. (scotchwhiskyexperience.co.uk)
To find out more about these festivals or to find out how to surprise yourself on a trip to Scotland, see visitscotland.com/surprise (live from mid-March).
