As Scotland’s tourism sector begins to welcome visitors back, Scots planning a staycation can now factor in a trip to try a few drams, as a number of sites along The Malt Whisky Trail plan to gradually reopen from 15 July.
Scotland’s Speyside region is home to the highest concentration of distilleries in the world, and produces the highest volume of single malt globally with three out of five visitors to the increasingly popular region coming for whisky tourism.
One of the easiest ways to visit this region and experience a range of the whisky distilleries is to follow the Malt Whisky Trail.
The Trail, made up of nine iconic whisky sites through the picturesque Moray Speyside region, takes visitors on a journey to discover the best of Malt Whisky Country including its landscape, larder and whisky.
From visiting world-renowned to boutique distilleries, to learning a thing or two about the industry’s history from local whisky masters at sites such as the historic Dallas Dhu Distillery and the Speyside Cooperage, a variety of experiences are on offer.
Although tourists may not be able to take in the sights and sounds of a distillery tour just yet during the phased opening, they can still expect a warm welcome that Speyside is famous for, as well as whisky tastings immersed in the enchanting surroundings of Scotland’s whisky-making sites.
Sites along The Trail that have confirmed they will partially reopen to visitors from Wednesday 15 July include Glen Moray Distillery and Glenfiddich Distillery.
Iain Allan, Board Member of The Malt Whisky Trail and Brand Ambassador and Visitor Centre Manager at Glen Moray Distillery commented: “We’ve been preparing for our gradual reopening for a long time now so it’s really exciting that we can finally welcome visitors back to the distillery and some of The Malt Whisky Trail’s other sites for a taste of our whisky and Speyside in general.
"At the moment, we won’t be offering tours, however we’ll be conducting tastings for small groups and offering designated driver packs.
“Although our return to normality will be gradual, The Trail is still open to visitors who want to explore this global epicenter of distilling whilst enjoying the best of Scotland’s wide open spaces.
"We can’t wait to open our doors this week, and would recommend that those planning to visit any site along The Trail contact sites directly to check opening details and book in advance.”
For booking information prospective visitors should directly contact the sites on The Malt Whisky Trail ahead of travel.
