June 3/4 - Dunnottar Castle, Glenfiddich Distillery - on the road to Inverness

Dunnottar Castle, up the coast from St. Andrew's near Stonehaven, is one of my favourites.  You can see what a fortress it must have been with no easy access and stunning views. An excerpt from the website explains the history of this remarkable place. 

"As you wander around the extensive buildings - from the keep through the barracks, lodgings, stables and storehouses to the less-ruinous chapel and drawing room - you will discover the importance of Dunnottar, an impregnable Castle that holds many rich secrets of Scotland’s colourful past.

William Wallace, Mary Queen of Scots, the Marquis of Montrose and the future King Charles II, all graced the Castle with their presence. Most famously though, it was at Dunnottar Castle that a small garrison held out against the might of Cromwell’s army for eight months and saved the Scottish Crown Jewels, the ‘Honours of Scotland’, from destruction. Crown, sceptre and sword now take pride of place in Edinburgh Castle.
A darker chapter in the history of Dunnottar is that of the ‘Whig’s Vault’. The gruesome story of the imprisonment in 1685 of a group of Covenanters who refused to acknowledge the King’s supremacy in spiritual matters.
The Castle was the home of the Earls Marischal once one of the most powerful families in the land.  The last Earl was convicted of treason for his part in the Jacobite rising of 1715, and as a result his estates, including Dunnottar, were seized by the government.
The buildings were thereafter much neglected until 1925 when the 1st Viscountess Cowdray embarked on a systematic repair of the Castle.  The Castle was officially made open to visitors thereafter."

Always looking for the elusive puffin.  

The Whig's Vault gives me goosebumps. 

A couple of wenches. 

Little Wally can barely sit up with the brisk wind blowing through the "airy" ruins that day.

The town of Stonehaven's beautiful harbour was our lunch stop after visiting Dunnottar.  Lovely! 

And now to Glenfiddich!  I have been on a few winery tours but this was my first whiskey tour. I was surprised at how similar the experience was. A "nose" is very important in this tasting experience as well.  I realized this when we were asked to smell empty barrels and identify them and could easily tell them apart.  The taste of the whiskey improved considerably after the tour.  Once you know the process it becomes much more palatable.  

Glenfiddich is located in Speyside, the famous whiskey producing area by the River Spey.  There are many distilleries around here but we only toured this one.  Water from the river is used in the process and distilleries claim it is crucial to fine whiskey. 

I was surprised at the size of this distillery.  I guess I am a little naive when it comes to single malt.  But I have a new respect for it!  Just check out the washroom here!!  

A stag is a common symbol on many scottish whiskies but they are not all the same! 

Fergus, was our knowledgable guide and he was very entertaining.  

Bring it on! 

Ann was really going out on a limb.  At least I like the taste of scotch but she really doesn't.  She was a trooper! We tasted 3 single malts of different ages.  

Of course the store was the final stop on the tour.  Our tastings were free, so was the tour but here is where you can drop some serious poundage!

After leaving Glenfiddich we made our way to Inverness where we were booked into Craigside Bed and Breakfast.  This lovely place was booked for us by my cousin Stephen who is friends with Ewan and Amy, the owners of Craigside.  Ewan is a three time gold medal winner in the world curling championship and curled for Scotland in Vancouver Olympics.  Craigside is a gorgeous comfortable home in a great location. You can walk for a few minutes to "Castle Pub" or down town and Amy and Ewan are very welcoming and personable.  The Inverness Castle is right next door.  Loved our meal at Castle Pub!  We made a stop for the night here but would be back after visiting Orkney.  Looking forward to that!