Entries about dalwhinnie distillery

The trip from Edinburgh up to Inverness and the Highlands is dotted with small opportunities to see samples of Scottish history. It is also a ride through ever-changing scenery that is green and hilly, then shifts to a brown and gray moonscape as you move out of the Lowlands across the fault line up into the Highlands. Layered over everything are clouds, mist, fog, and broody skies that can shift from dark to light as quickly as you cross a road. A road that gets slimmer the higher you climb and eventually becomes one narrow lane with small, paved sections that enable you to pull over so vehicles coming in the other direction can pass you on the curved mountain roads. Did I mention there was fog?

One stop is the historic town of Dunkeld on the River Tay where you can wander into the Dunkeld Cathedral, walk along the River, admire the town garden, shop a bit and get a wee snack in one of cafes.

Another stop is the Folk Museum in Newtonmore. This reproduction village shows how Scottish Highlanders lived from the 1700s on. You can wander in and out of buildings that show how they built their homes, farmed, how they dressed, how they wove wool, and made their clothes. Set in a one mile long, 80 acre site, the scenic working farm has restored buildings that brings Highland history to life. There is a lovely trail to hike.

No Scottish road trip would be complete with a stop at a whiskey distillery. There are around 120 distilleries in Scotland, so pace yourself. The Dalwhinnie Distillery is known for pairing single malt whiskey with chocolate, so it has double appeal if you are a fan of either, or both. You can take a tour and learn how whiskey is made, or simply sample from 1 to 6 drams of different whiskeys, each served with a chocolate. For 5 pounds you can get a cup of hot chocolate that is so thick it is more like pudding.