Scottish Tour Guide's Blog

St. Monans Church, Fife Coast, Scotland

This evening, I am focusing on St. Monans Parish Church which is located on an elevated position overlooking the Firth of Forth. This historic church is usually open and welcomes visitors.Some key historic and other facts:

• May be named after an Irish missionary Monanus or Monans who may have visited the area around AD 832 and is reported to have been slain by Danish invaders about AD 875.
• The church was commissioned by King David II ( 1329-1371) on site of a previous church. Building took place between 1362 and 1370 and cost 750 Scots pounds.
• Prior to 1477 the building was granted to Dominican Friars.
• Burned by English invaders in 1544.
• Became Parish Church in 1646.
• From 1646-1848 the choir alone was used for worship.
• Major restoration work undertaken in 1955.
• The interior now contains various piscinas, a vaulted stone roof over the choir with heraldic shields,a  fully rigged ship of 1800 and a plaque showing the arms of St Monans dating from 1792.
• Used for Presbyterian worship.
• The surrounding graveyard is of interest being the last resting place of many local families.

Here is the interior showing the model of a c 1800 ship.

Inside St Monans Church, Fife Coast, Scotland

Inside St Monans Church, Fife Coast, Scotland

This church is something of a ‘hidden gem’ which I try to incorporate in my tours of the Fife Coast whenever possible.

Castle Sween, Knapdale, Scotland

Castle Sween, Knapdale, Scotland

This evening, I am focusing on Clan Macmillan which has long association with Knapadale on the West of Scotland, Lochaber in the central west Highlands (around Fort William and the Great Glen) and Inverness.

Macmillan translates from the Gaelic Maolanach meaning the tonsured one. It may be that the Macmillans are descended from an official of the Celtic Church who followed the practice of shaving the hair from the front half of his head. 

The principal physical legacies of the Macmillans in Knapdale are:

• Castle Sween with its Macmillan Tower.
• Macmillan Cross at Kilmory Churchyard.

In the middle ages water power was key to control of the west of Scotland and in this context it was logical to construct a castle on the edge of Loch Sween which offered not only good defensive capabilities but also fine  navigation and beaching facilities for the war galleys of the time.

Castle Sween is a candidate for the oldest stone castle in Scotland. It may have been built before AD1100 albeit using latest military architecture from Europe. It is ironic that Castle Sween was probably built by an Irish war lord and destroyed by another one (Alasdair MacColla)  some 500 years later, in 1644 since when it has been a ruin.

The Macmillan cross is in memory of Alexander Macmillan and is about 12 feet in height ( 4 metres).

The Macmillans lost their lands in Knapdale and were ruthlessly cleared from Lochaber.

Knapdale and Loch Sween are pleasant, but relatively remote, spots to visit. I have visited there in the past in context of a Clan Macmillan tour.

Glenlivet Whisky, Speyside, Scotland

This evening, I am focusing on Glenlivet, a name which is synonymous with whisky making in Scotland and a distillery with a long and illustrious history dating back to 1824.

Glenlivet Distillery was founded by a farmer named George Smith who suffered financial difficulties in the early years. However, a combination of rescue package from the Duke of Gordon and the eradication of competing illegal distilleries saw the venture on a sound footing by 1834. From this time Glenlivet grew and prospered and by the time of the founder’s death in 1871 Glenlivet had become Scotland’s best known distillery. Along the way, Glenlivet was embroiled in various legal disputes over use of the name Glenlivet  which were ultimately settled, albeit on compromise terms.

Today, Glenlivet is owned by the French, Pernod-Ricard group  and is one of the world’s top-selling single malt whiskies with a very strong following in the United States. Increased capacity was recently installed and the distillery is now  capable of producing nearly 10m litres of spirit per annum.

Glenlivet is situated in a somewhat remote location on Speyside, some 30 mins from Grantown-on-Spey.

Tasting Glenlivet Whisky, Speyside, Scotland

Here are the washbacks where fermentation takes place aided by yeast.

Washbacks at Glenlivet Distillery, Speyside.

Here is a view of the stills where the ‘mash’, a moderately strong beer, is turned into a spirit with about 60pct alcohol content in a two-step distillation process.

Spirit Stills at Glenlivet Distillery, Scotland

After distillation the spirit is matured in oak casks for periods of three years  to twenty one years or longer.

Maturing Whisky at Glenlivet, Speyside

The major products of Glenlivet are:

• 12 year old (40pct.)
• 12 year old, French Limousine Cask Finish (40pct.)
• 12 year old American Oak Cask Finish (40pct.) 
• 18 year old (43 pct.)
• 21 year old ( 43 pct.)

Glenlivet matures its whisky in ex-bourbon and ex-sherry casks depending on the finish required.

Whisky Art, Glenlivet, Scotland

The distillery offers good value, free tours and sometimes features in my tours of Speyside distilleries.