Rainfall in the night....good sleep...wake to good breakfast, listening to two fishermen compare notes. The Spey and the Dee rivers are the best salmon fishing in Scotland. Below is the dining area...Isla was quite cute with her white chef's hat. Regretfully, I did not get a picture.
A "one night stand" and on the road again. For all my whining, it was a nice stay. But I still stand by my statement that Grantown-on-Spey is dying.
The Glenlivet Estate totals 58,000 acres. Being a Crown Estate means that the Royals own a piece of it. We don't know how big a piece, but guarantee that there is a tax advantage there somewhere. Within the estate many diverse activities are available: biking, walking, equestrian, fishing....even a few rental cottages!
The Glenlivet Estate is located in the Cairngorms National Park. National Parks are quite different here, but similar to what we learned in NZ. There are private homes, restaurants and other privately owned residences/enterprises within the boundaries of the Park. Don't know if they pay rent, preceded the park....or just what the story is.
Barley for whisky?
Approaching the distillery property...
Look like a chemical plant and is. The chemical is nicely flavoured ethanol.
Glenlivet started the whole distillery tours thing. Before they started doing tours in the '60s, all the distilleries were closed to the public. Now many distilleries offer tours and tastings as a marketing tool.
We did not see these flags flying elsewhere, but these are the Scotland flag (on the left), the Pernod Ricard (in the middle), and the French on the right.
It is THE GLENLIVET. It is the name of the very small town and the area, hence the name of the scotch.
Nicely landscaped grounds
The visitor centre/tasting area is very warm and inviting. Can only imagine how "warm" these places would be in the dead of winter when the fires are burning in the hearth and down your throat with a single malt!
A nice store with a good selection.
They offer a free 1-hour tour and longer tours for considerably more than free... a nice tasting room too.
Chivas, a blended whisky, is also available -- the power of the home office.
But not the one that we are seeking, the Tomintoul which Isla gave us last night.
We have wanted a picture of these highland cattle. They have hair in their eyes but it probably comes in handy in the highland winters.
On the way out, we get a picture of the distillery from the other side -- and from a distance..
The patchwork fields are beautiful.
We head on to the town of Tomintoul. After a few false starts, we learn that the Tomintoul Distillery is in town but is closed to visitors even though it falls under the Glenlivet umbrella. Not to be deterred, we go on to Plan B -- The Whisky Castle. After tasting a couple of options provided by a nice young lass, we settle on a bottle of the Tomintoul 15 year old.
Back on the road to Ballater. We head high into the Highlands.
The weather does not look promising.
Starts to rain....
then clears off....remember that saying "You can experience four seasons in Scotland in one hour"
Guess we were driving a wee bit too far to the left????
Don't like the looks of that post leaning way to the left....someone hit it coming this way! These roads leave me white-knuckled day after day....and they change in an instant!
FINALLY, we arrive at Ballater, our destination for the next two nights. Ballater is located in Royal Deeside. Never heard of it till we planned this trip. Didn't even want to come here...that is until we started researching it. It is called Royal simply because this is where the Royal Family has been spending their summers for the past 166 years!!!
It's a "crash landing". Ready for some R and R.....our room is clean and spacious
This is the original key to our room. It is 124 years old....
so is the door...notice the lock....now you see it....
Now you don't!!
Green tartan plain carpet
An inviting library....I finished a book I bought last week, "Calum's Road". A true story about the small island of Raasay, off the coast of Skye, which was so impoverished that it lost its total population, save Calum McCleod and his wife. Calum built a road from the port to his home....alone, single-handedly....because the government would not do so. Anyway, all that being said, I traded "Calum's Road" for "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time". That will have to follow, however, another true story about Scotland's history.....while Tom has already finished one about Scotland and now is starting on one about Ireland....another of the perks of an extended journey...
The sunroom/conservatory where we will have breakfast
or just socialise....it is so hot in here that I cannot possibly eat dinner here....which we have reserved for 7 pm.
That library has just become a battleground of Scrabble....a pre-dinner competition which Tom won.
The conservatory from the back of the house....
Gordon, our host/owner/chef, kindly agreed to set the table outside for us....
Starting with "Coqui-leeky" soup....absolutely delicious!!! Root veggies in a very rich chicken broth...chunks of chicken.....excellent!
Possibly the best lamb we have had since we arrived. It was a shoulder cut, fell off the bone, melted in your mouth. It was surrounded by roasted potatoes, lamb confit and underneath it all was a huge slice of parsnip....all smothered in a savoury gravy.
I have been craving the sticky toffee pudding which has been listed on nearly every menu since we arrived. Since dessert was included, I finally got my taste of it. Basically, just caramelised sugar atop raisin bread....but VERY rich and hardened almost immediately. I couldn't get it off the fork, the plate or my mouth....delicious, but once is enough.
Tom opted for rhubarb crumble.....fresh and good
Back to our room to collapse....good night and thanks again for your interest!
