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 Scotland
is more than men in kilts and the swirl of bagpipes.
It is full of history, good food, fantastic golf and
great scotch. You will find Scottish people more
than eager to you and help you have an enjoyable
vacation.
Scotland is divided into three distinct basic areas:
the borders, the lowlands and the highlands. Each
region has their distinct culture, history,
subdivisions and traditions. Most of the population
is multilingual and few people realize that Scotland
is an independent country and not part of England.
It is a member of the Commonwealth of Great Britain
along with England and Ireland.
I recently had the privilege to be hosted by Chivas
Brothers on a trip to Scotland. The Chivas Brothers
are a sub-division of the parent company Pernod
Ricard, and the third largest producers of scotch in
the world. According to Chivas Brothers Ltd, 40
percent of Chivas Regal is sold to the Hispanic
market in the U.S. and has budgeted 600 million
dollars on the Hispanic Market. John and James
Chivas founded Chivas Brothers in 1801. Chivas
Brothers are fine producers of uisge beatha (water
of life) which is Gaelic for scotch. Chivas live
includes Chivas Regal, which is the flagship brand,
but they also produce Aberlour, Allt-a-Bhainne,
Ballantine’s, Braeval, Caperdonich, Glen Grant, Glen
Keith, Glencllachich, The Glenlivet, Longmorn, and
Strathisla, all excellent scotches. You can also
tour each of the distilleries and sample a dram at
the end of your tour.
You can fly into Scotland at any of the three
international airports: Edinburgh, Glasgow, and
Aberdeen, all year round.
Our tour started in Edinburgh and our base of
operation was the Bonham Hotel. We toured the
historical Edinburgh Castle, which was built at the
start of the 12th century and is still an active
military barrack and the Royal Mile, which is
located between Holyrood Castle, the home of the
Royal Family. The Royal Mile is a must see for
anyone visiting Edinburgh. There are many unique
shops and several museums to visit, such as the
Writers Museum, amazing cathedrals such as St. Giles
Cathedral and traditional pubs. Other points of
interest are Grey Friars Abbey, the burial place of
the famous Bobby of Grey Friars Abbey and other
dignitaries. Another must see stop is Jenners
Department Store.
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Linn house |
Chivas
staff with tourist |
Our next step was to the
eastern highlands and to the Spreyside district.
Spreyside is home to the whiskey trail and The
Chivas Brothers in the town of Keith. Our stay was
at the Chivas Linn House. Which is a typical
Scottish nineteenth century baronial mansion – once
owned by Kynoch-Shands’s family who were wealthy
woolen mill owners. Chivas Brothers purchased the
Linn House in 1993 and proceeded with a two-year
restoration. The word Linn is derived from the
Gaelic word linne or lynnhe meaning a waterfall or a
pool at the foot of a waterfall. In other words Linn
House means, “house by the waterfall.”
Other than visiting the many distilleries in the
region, you can play a round of golf on a choice of
nine different golf courses all within 10 miles of
Keith. There are numerous castles that can be toured,
you can hunt or fish in Grampians or just take a
nature walk. Remember to close all gates! sheep and
cows always have the right of way. There are
numerous restaurants where you can enjoy everything
from Pub Fare to gourmet regional foods, which
include salmon, lamb and beef dishes. For those of
you who are adventurous you can try the national
food of Scotland, Haggis. If you want a fantastic
vacation for the whole family or just a romantic get
away try Scotland, a place you will never forget. |
