WHISKY
Golden opportunity
Whisky fans are in for a treat in May, with hundreds of events celebrating Scotland’s national drink
M
ay is set to be one of the best months in a long time for whisky lovers. As part of the Year of Homecoming, it
has been designated Whisky Month, and events scheduled to take place throughout Scotland are expected to attract a combined audience of about 70,000 people. The Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival
(1-5 May) marks the offi cial launch of Whisky Month and there will be over 350 events taking place in and around the region. The ‘Whisky Mountain’ tasting with Charlie Maclean, which involves a hike up Ben Rinnes and a dram at the top, followed by a full nosing and tasting once you’re back down the hill, looks like being one of the highlights. If you’re at Spirit of Speyside, keep an eye
out for any bottles of whisky you might fi nd lurking in unusual places – the organisers have hidden bottles all over Speyside and will be posting clues on social media with the hashtag #liquidtreasures to help us track them down. I was one of the judges of this year’s Spirit
of Speyside Whisky Awards. We’ve chosen our eight fi nalists, and it’s now up to the public to decide who wins. There are various roving judging panels happening throughout the region so if you get the chance, try the drams and help to decide the winners. The action is not restricted to Speyside,
of course. There’s the Whisky Stramash in Edinburgh (24-25 May), and the Feis Ile, Islay’s Festival of Malt and Music (24 May – 1 June). World Whisky Day (17 May), meanwhile,
is set to be the biggest yet, with major events in Edinburgh and Aberdeen this year. Have a look at
www.worldwhiskyday.com for what’s happening near you. Alongside these more traditional events
are lots of new and exciting ones. Many of these brilliantly combine Scottish food and whisky. If you want to get more in-depth and experimental, don’t miss Create:Eat:Whisky in Edinburgh (14-20 May) or Marry Malts and Molecules in Glasgow (24 May). They promise to be completely multi-sensory experiences that will reveal some of the fascinating science behind whisky and food.
WWW.SCOTTISHFIELD.CO.UK 153 Whisky Month isn’t all about drinking: there
will be some excellent music and theatre events happening too. Whisky Kisses, the musical, is being performed in Pitlochry (23-25 May), while Mull Theatre Company is touring a version of Compton Mackenzie’s much-loved Whisky Galore at various locations throughout the country (7-31 May). This combination of drama and drams is always a winner. Wigtown, Scotland’s national book town,
will be celebrating with its own month-long Whisky, Words and Wisdom Festival. For music lovers, there are special Jazz and
Dram concerts happening as part of the Isle of Bute Jazz Festival (3-4 May), while back up in the north don’t miss the Sprit of Speyside Sessions, a series of world-class performances celebrating the area’s rich traditional music heritage. The sessions will be held at whisky- themed venues throughout the area and will combine malt and music. With hundreds of events to choose from,
Whisky Month really does present an excellent opportunity to showcase one of Scotland’s greatest exports and bring in tourists to celebrate whisky. Even if you’re not normally a whisky
drinker, Whisky Month is a great reason to sample a dram. All the events will be suitable for beginners as well as connoisseurs, so what are you waiting for?
WORDS BLAIR BOWMAN
‘The Whisky Mountain involves a hike up Ben Rinnes and a dram at the top’
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