Scotland 2.0, Day 3: Whisky Galore!

Today got off to a flat start, literally! Riding my bike the short distance to the car before the drive to Speyside, I noticed the front tyre was flat. Ah well, I thought, I'll sort that when I get to the car park. The drive to Craigellachie was really nice, pretty quiet roads and more beautiful scenery. Between Keith and Craigellachie I passed the first distillery of the day, Glentauchers, and just before Craigellachie I got a view of the huge brown warehouses that I guessed were part of the Macallan estate.

I arrived at the car park (bonus - it was free!) and set about changing the front tyre, only for it to go flat when I put air in! I checked the inside of the tyre again, and the wheel rim, picked out a small bit of gravel that may have been the problem, and tried again. Success this time, although I did think I could feel it lose a little bit of pressure, but that was just imaginary. The sun was shining as I set off, and I

Speyside Way, start of ride

hadn't gone more than a hundred yards on the Speyside Way before I had to stop for a photo, indeed I took a video as the chattering River Spey was just sensational. This happened a few more times in the course of the next mile, and I was thinking it was going to be a long day if I stopped this often. A long tunnel took me under the main road, and I came out and smelt an unmistakable air of sweetness in the air. Shortly after I found the source - Walkers, of the Scottish Shortbread fame, have their factory at Aberlour (Aberlour means "mouth of the chattering burn"), and it was this I could smell. Not long after that I came upon Aberlour station, which has a cafe and a huge open green space in front. Further on I left the Speyside Way to divert to the first distillery on my route, Aberlour. Aberlour has a sacred well dedicated to St Drostan, who coincidentally founded a monastery at Deer, near my B&B. The distillery was across a busy road, and there were road works ahead as well, all of which contributed to me missing riding onwards to my second distillery at Glenallachie. 

Returning back to the Speyside Way, and its firm gravel surface, I passed meadows and trees with tantalising glimpses of the majestic River Spey, sometimes opening up to show glorious vistas, and anglers trying their luck in the river. Another diversion off the Way took me up to the next distillery, Dailuaine (meaning the green vale), with its own Halt on the line. Shortly after I came to a large bridge

Spot the angler

over the river, and stopped for a photo with another angler chancing his arm. A little further on from this the track did a dog leg, and I was so occupied with ensuring I kept on track that I almost missed the next distillery, Dalmunach. The track got a bit bumpy and more off road after this, eventually turning out into a clear station area by Knockando distillery. This was closed for visits, but suggested anyone wishing a tour go to the nearby Cardhu, which was still open. Cardhu was on my plan anyway, so I nipped up (and it certainly was uphill to it!), and after doing the necessary photos I stopped for a bite to eat at a picnic table with stunning views, and buzzards playing overhead.

Dropping back onto the Way after the picnic, I picked up the next distillery, Tamdu. The surface was not so good by now, big lumps of gravel and stone on a hard pack base, making it difficult to ride through. At the wonderfully named Blacksboat station I had another divert up to Glenfarclas distillery (Glenfarclas means glen of the green grass). It warned to beware of red squirrels, but I didn't see any. Back on the Way, the surface briefly turned to a more manageable grassy track before becoming a mix

Old (rusting) bridge

of sections of brown packed shale and places where the track had been taken up to prepare for the new surface. It was god awful to ride on, and would deter me from ever returning. Just as I was thinking my last memory of the Speyside Way would be this awful let down, I was confronted with a gorgeous iron lattice work bridge, built 1863 by C McFarlane of Dundee. The track returned to grass after this and into Cragganmore station, where I ended my time on the Speyside Way.

The first thing I saw on the road was a couple of old farm buildings with old station names on them (Cragganmore and Ballindalloch) which were originally a cattle court, and were used to store goods before being put on the trains. A little further I came across my next distillery at Cragganmore, with a lovely ornate metal sign above the entrance gate. My next distillery was a former one, Tormore, although on reaching the road that should have led up to it, it was an overgrown grass track, and there was no sign of any distillery buildings. I took a photo of the track, and some buildings at the end of it, and called it quits. Opposite the track was a layby where I stopped for another bite and took another photo as it was quite high and overlooked more stunning scenery. After setting off again, the next

Scenic layby

distillery, Ballindalloch, presented itself and I took a photo on the road, which was a little scary as passing traffic came quite close, including a fair number of HGVs, carrying either grain, malt or wood. Further up the road, my route branched off right on an uphill hairpin bend, so being safety conscious I walked the short distance up and across.

On leaving the main road the traffic calmed down, and the road itself became undulating but never really difficult. That was until I turned off downhill, never a promising option, as you will almost certainly end up going back uphill. Sure enough, just after crossing the River Avon (pronounced A'an) I had to climb uphill for a short stretch, after which I turned left and eventually after some more rolling roads came across the Glenlivet distillery. I waited for some bloody tourists who were sat at the sign, taking their photos, and then took my own bloody touristy photo. Another steep climb gave me an opportunity to take a photo of the distillery in its glorious setting, and I also noticed an old castle back downhill, which I couldn't be arsed going back to have a look at! More

Tamnavulin (in Tomnavouln)

rolling roads took me ultimately downhill to my southerly terminus at the Tamnavulin distillery, which calls itself "the mill on the hill". My return was northwards now, and I had been nervously casting glances at possible routes back as it all seemed surrounded by mountains. I did seem to remember that my route was generally climbing for the first two thirds, with the final third being generally downhill, certainly after the next distillery. Well, there was only one way to find out!

Leaving Tamnavulin, I stopped for an energy bar in a layby, with the sounds of buzzards again in the air. Not surprising really, as the environment of forests and wheat fields is made for them. I turned off the road at the junction for Dufftown, and headed at a steady uphill gradient where I came across wet roads and the unmistakeable smell of recent rain in the air. Fortunately it hadn't fallen on me, although the spray from my bike was giving me a bit of a shower. The next distillery, Glenrinnes, technically shouldn't count, it being a gin distillery, also it looks like a boring farm barn! The distillery after that

Seventies house anyone?

though, Allt-a-Bhainne, was nothing like any distillery I'd seen before, looking more like a funky 70's block of houses rather than a whisky distillery. I had an energy gel here and knowing (thinking / hoping) that it was all generally downhill from here I set off in a good frame of mind. 

Further down the road I turned right and immediately went downhill (see previous point re downhill) and sure enough found a steep uphill to get back to the level of the road I'd left. This then became a gently rolling road, although at one point near a feature called Giant's Chair turned quite steep. I also disturbed what I think was a kestrel at one point - it made a change from all the nervous pheasants anyway. Entering Dufftown I came across some buildings that looked like warehouses, then came across Dufftown distillery on my right. Mortlach distillery followed soon after that, spreading across the two sides of the road. Further along, the Glendullan distillery appeared through the trees on the other side of the road, alongside the River Fiddich, and yet further I came across the former Parkmore distillery, which is now used as a storehouse I believe.

I retraced the road from Parkmore into Dufftown and passed the massive complex that is Glenfiddich distillery. It was obviously the end of the shift as workers were flooding out to their cars. Turning right onto the Craigellachie road, I spotted a brown tourist sign for the Keith and Dufftown railway, so being

Keith & Dufftown Railway

a bit of a gricer (look that one up) I popped in for a nosey. I had a look at the platform, and noticed the Balvennie distillery across the fields. Also spotted a couple of DMUs and carriages, but I'm sure no-one's interested. Leaving the railway I followed the fairly busy and undulating road to Craigellachie, where my attention was grabbed by what seemed like large beehives on the hills. Looking further, they were stacks of whisky barrels, after all with all that whisky being distilled it's got to go somewhere. This was Speyside Cooperage, and just down the road was my last distillery of the day, Craigellachie, and then back to the car park and the start of my trip.

A long, but rather satisfying day, hard work again (but I haven't found anywhere flat in Scotland yet) but very enjoyable. Quiet roads, vast amounts of stunning scenery and plenty of wildlife - makes you very glad to be alive.