Scottish Tour Guide's Blog

Birnam Hotel, Birnam, Scotland

Today, I ventured into central Scotland with trip aided by unusual sunny weather and blue sky.

Here there are two towns with an almost seamless join, namely Birnam and Dunkeld. Both of these towns are popular with visitors to Scotland. Birnam is, perhaps, most famous for its Macbeth connection with Birnam Wood and Birnam Oak. The latter can viewed on bank of the River Tay although unlikely to be a relic from Shakespeare’s time.

Above image shows the Birnam Hotel which dates from around 1850 and was probably built to accommodate the first wave of tourists to the area aided by a new railway and the fashion set by Queen Victoria of visits to Scotland.

The childrens’ author Beatrix Potter used to holiday in the locale in her teens and obtained inspiration for her series of books.

Dunkeld, Perthshire, Scotland

Above image shows the popular small town of Dunkeld which sits on the banks of the River Tay. Dunkeld means’ Fort of the Caledonians’ and trace its origins back about 1500 years, and possibly longer. The Cathedral  in centre of town, although part ruin, is a popular visitor attrraction and famous as an early Christian site dating back to the Culdees in AD 815.

The image below gives a perspective of Dunkeld in context of the mighty River Tay which comprises Scotland’s longest river system and is popular with anglers for salmon fishing.

Dunkeld and River Tay, Scotland

An interesting site nearby is Ossian’s Hall and the Falls of Braan. Today, following persistent heavy rain, the river was in full spate.

Falls of Braan at Ossian's Hall, Scotland

Overall, a worthwhile trip . In the distance snow capped mountains could be seen.

Dewars Whisky, Aberfeldy Distillery, Scotland

This evening, the focus of my blog post is Aberfeldy Distillery in Central Scotland. This is a popular visitor centre also known as Dewars World of Whisky. Aberfeldy, together with sister distilleries, Craigellachie (Speyside), Macduff, Royal Brackla and Aultmore, is ultimately owned by Italy’s Bacardi Group.

This distillery was founded in 1898 and is thus relatively young by Scottish standards. Output is a key constituent of Dewar’s White Label blend. Location is conveniently close to the birthplace of John Dewar who founded the eponymous spirits firm in 1846 in nearby Perth.
Whilst Aberfeldy output is mainly focused on blends, there is produced a 12 year old single malt (40pct), which is lightly peated and described as an all-round pleasant drink. 

Distillery Tour, Aberfeldy Distillery, Scotland

Fermentation occurs in large containers called washbacks.

Washbacks at Aberfeldy Distillery, Scotland

Here are three of the four stills. 

Wash and Spirit Stills at Aberfeldy Distillery, Scotland

Here are casks with maturing whisky. Aberfeldy uses both ex-sherry and ex-bourbon casks.

Maturing Whisky at Aberfeldy Distillery, Scotland

 
Aberfeldy is a pleasant country town on banks of the River Tay and is popular with visitors.

Falls of Dochart, Killin, Scotland

This evening, I am focusing on the Falls of Dochart at Killin in Perthshire.

Killin is a small but popular tourist town at the southern tip of Loch Tay. The Falls are one of the popular visitor attractions which occur where the River Dochart runs downs a rocky gradient and on into Loch Tay just a mile or so downstream. The video clip shows the falls in full spate but in the summer months the water can be subdued and allow visitors to scramble over te rocks in and around the water. 

Killin and environs has much to offer the visitor with many places of interest nearby including:

• Kenmore and the Crannog Centre.
• Ben Lawers (mountain hiking).
• Loch Tay itself with water related activities.
• Climbing and hiking in the nearby hills.
• Fortingall and its ancient yew tree.
• Glen Lyon

I usually include a stop to view the falls during my private tours of the area. Close by is a pub which offers good food and refreshment.