Scottish Tour Guide's Blog

This morning, we departed our lodgings in the pleasant Scottish Borders town of Annan and then drove 6 miles to our first destination of Kirkpatrick-Fleming where we explored the burial ground and successfully located the grave-marker of John Gilchrist and other family members.

Annan Town Hall, Annan, Scotland

Gilchrist Ancestry, Kirkpatrick Fleming, Scotland

Nest we headed north with first stop at the quaint heritage village of Luss on the banks of Loch Lomond. We had lunch here and visited the small church which has a Viking era burial in the churchyard.

Ben Lomond, Loch Lomond, Scoitland`

Next we continued north via Rannoch Moor and Glencoe. At the latter we called in at the Visitor Centre.

Piper at Rannoch Moor, Scotland

View from Rannoch Moor, Scotland looking South

View of Glencoe, Scotland

Next, we continued north,past Fort William and up the Great Glen tracking a string of lochs to our destination for the night of Fort Augustus on the southern top of Loch Ness. After checking into our lodgings we had  an enjoyable meal at the Bothy Restaurant.

Caledonian Canal,Fort Augustus, Scotland

Ben Nevis Distillery, Fort William, Scotland

This evening, I am focusing on Ben Nevis Distillery near Fort William  on the West of Scotland and as such sits in the ‘Highlands’ region for whisky classification purposes.

This distillery has a history dating back to 1825 when is was founded by one ‘Long John’ Macdonald. Key facts:

• Four large stills produce 2000 litres of spirit per annum.
• Most of the output goes for blending. Produces own blend  ’Dew of Ben Nevis’.
• Single malt is a medium peated  10 year old. Well regarded but not aggressively marketed.
• Uses water from the Allt a Mhuillin Burn (Mill Burn) which is sourced from two lochans 3000 feet up Ben Nevis which is Britain’s tallest mountain.
• Owned by Nikka Distilling Company

Inside Ben Nevis Distillery, Fort William, Scotland

Whisky Stills, Ben Nevis Distillery, Scotland

Distillery tours are available to the public. Good value.

Street Scene, Fort William, Scotland

 This evening, I am posting information on Fort William in the Scottish Highlands. The name is derived from a British military fort originating in the 17th and 18th centuries which was built to control the Highlands. Specifically, it is named after King William (1650-1702).

Fort William has a reputation as a centre for outdoor activities including hiking, climbing, skiing and mountain biking. It is a good base for touring the area and provides access to Glenfinnan and Skye, Glencoe, Glen Nevis  the Great Glen to Loch Ness , the Caledonian Canal and the ‘Harry Potter’  train. Close by is Ben Nevis, Scotland’s tallest mountain (4406ft.) which is accessible to most able bodied persons.

In the immediate vicinity can be found Inverlochy Castle, Loch Linnhe, Ben Nevis Distillery and Glen Nevis. There is also Aonoch Mor  chair lift which provides a 15 min trip up into the mountains with the reward of stunning views.

Here is Inverlochy Castle.

Inverlochy Castle, Fort William, Scotland

 Here is Ben Nevis Distillery. Tours are available.

Ben Nevis Distillery, Fort William, Scotland

 Here is a view of the Nevis range of mountains which include Ben Nevis

Nevis Range, Fort William, Scotland

Fort William invariably features in my tours of the Western Highlands.