Speyside Distillery - one of the best-kept secrets in Scotland’s most prolific whisky producing region - is about to open its doors to the public for the first time. The small boutique distillery is taking part in the Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival this Spring, and will be hosting a series of exclusive behind-the-scenes tours, tastings and events.
As a brand new participant to the Festival – a five day celebration of Scotland’s national drink taking place from April 30 to May 4 – visitors have been quick off the mark to snap up tickets and see first-hand the home of the SPEY brand.
The distillery, which is located near Kingussie in the southern part of the Speyside region and set against the backdrop of the Cairngorm mountain range, is not usually open to the public. However, it may be familiar to television viewers as it was used as the location of the fictional Lagganmore Distillery in the BBC television show, Monarch of the Glen.
Distillery manager Sandy Jamieson says the Festival offers the ideal platform to let visitors to see the venue for themselves and learn about how SPEY whisky is created by a small and dedicated team.
He adds, “We are a relatively small distillery, but the secret is now out and we are starting to grow in reputation. Tickets have been in high demand as people want to be the first to see where SPEY is created, and because they want to discover more about our whisky.
“Tickets for tours are limited because we are a small venue, and also because we want to be able to take the time to allow visitors to meet the people who are the heart of the distillery and SPEY malt whisky.
“We are very excited to be taking part in the Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival for the first time, and to be the southern gateway to the event. Lots of the activity for the Festival takes place in central Speyside so we are keen to show visitors what this part of the area has to offer.”
Speyside Distillery, which has been producing malt whisky since 1990, will be hosting a programme of events each day of the Festival. During the distillery visit and tour, priced £30, Sandy will lead a nosing and tasting from four specially selected single malt expressions with varying vintage and cask finishes. The ticket price includes light bites, and a complimentary pick-up from Aviemore.
The Cairngorm Hotel in Aviemore will be the venue for a daily nosing and tasting session. Participants will be able to enjoy four different expressions, as well as two special limited editions that are being released to celebrate the distillery’s debut appearance at the Festival. Tickets for this event cost £5.
Visitors will be able to hop aboard the steam train from the Strathspey Railway for an afternoon tea with a difference – sandwiches, scones, cakes, tea and coffee, and a dram or two of SPEY. Passengers will enjoy an on-board nosing and tasting of the four different expressions and the two limited editions, all while relaxing and enjoying the stunning scenery of the Cairngorms. Tickets are priced at £35.
The final event being staged at Speyside Distillery is an Artist in Residence from May 1 to 4. During the free event, visitors will be able to watch Aviemore-based artist Joanna Miller at work. A former student of the Prince’s School of Traditional Arts, Joanna specialises in print making and has an interest in screen printing.
Tickets for all of the events at Speyside Distillery are available to buy now through the Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival website. This year, the Festival comprises over 400 different events, including distillery tours, whisky tasting, food events and music.
Speyside Distillery, home of the SPEY brand of malt whisky, has been in production since 1990 and is operated by Speyside Distillers Ltd. For further information about Speyside Distillery, visit www.speysidedistillery.co.uk. Follow Speyside Distillery on Twitter @SpeySingleMalt and on Facebook at facebook.com/speysidedistillery.
