FOOD / TRAVEL SPECIAL.....WHISKEY: INTOXICATING HIGHLANDS

WHISKEY: INTOXICATING HIGHLANDS

 

Tain, the home of the Glenmorangie distillery, offers some fascinating insights into the world of whiskymaking. And if that does not interest you, there is a lot of history and architectural splendour

    Tain has a population of less than 4,000 people. For those tired of city lights, this little burgh — Scotland’s oldest going by the 1066 royal charter — in the Highlands offers a dose of total tranquility. Hidden in its country lanes and narrow roads are treasures that yield much when probed.
    With the sea on one side and rolling green fields on the other, Tain with its friendly folk and friendlier dogs is the kind of place that makes you wonder why you have to settle for the tedium of a routine life. But for scores of tourists, local and international, Tain is synonymous with more intoxicating thoughts, for it is home to the famous Glenmorangie distillery.
    Loved by millions around the world, the Glemorangie Distillery is the area’s biggest tourist attraction. Large groups descend on the visitors centre for a peek into how barley and mineral spring
water — Glenmorangie’s water source is the Tarlogie Springs — get turned into an extremely flavourful, silkysmooth amber liquid, all for five quid. And the fact that you can sample a dram of the 10-year-old Original plus taste any edition from the entire Glenmorangie range at the distillery shop, for extra, just makes the deal sweeter. The summer season can get busy so pre-booking the tour is a good idea.
    The distillery runs 24 hours a day, seven days a week with a little break around Christmas but with the company targeting a staggering six million litres of scotch a year, the distillery is busy and whirring with sounds and smells.
    It is said that the production of alcohol started at Morangie Farm in 1738, when a brewery that shared the farm’s water source, the Tarlogie Spring, was built. A former distillery manager William Matheson acquired the farm in 1843 and converted the brewery into a distillery, equipped with two second hand stills.
    Today, 180 years later, the number of shiny copper stills has gone upto 12, six wash and six spirits. Standing at 5.14 metres high, they are the tallest in Scotland and also one of the reasons for the whisky’s unique finish. The tall stills ensure that only the purest, most delicate vapours are condensed into spirit. Sixteen men of Tain brought out the first ever batch of Glenmorangie whisky. Now there are 24 mashmen, stillmen and warehousemen who work round the clock.
    Even if you are not a whisky aficionado, the tour is a good option because it offers fascinating insights into the traditional process of whisky-making. Like how 48,500 litres of wort — a sugary liquid produced from washing barley grist with hot water — and yeast take 52 hours to ferment in the steel washbacks. A whiff from one of those washbacks is a quick cure for any nasal blockage. Or that the whisky is matured in casks that were previously used to mature bourbon or wine, port or sherry.
    For those willing to make a weekend of the whisky experience, the Glenmorangie House is a haven of hospitality if you are lucky enough to find a room here. Bought by MacDonald and Muir, owners of the Glenmorangie distillery, in 1989 to entertain guests, this 17th century house in Cadboll has been renovated and revived and is now sometimes let out to the public. The whisky and scrumptiously fresh food is just one of the attractions of the house, for the area is steeped in history.
    Near Cadboll, at Fearn, is the site of one of the oldest Christian churches in Scotland, which dates back to the 6th century. On site is an early 18th century Doo’cot — a structure common to large estates where meat and eggs were stored. If you want to stretch your legs then a stroll down to the sea or even to the village, Hilton-by-Cadboll, is much recommended.
    If you feel like taking your nose away from your glass, there’s plenty around Tain that can hold your interest. The Dunrobin Castle in Sutherland is a 45-minute ride from the centre of Tain and is the family seat of the Earl of Sutherland. There are 189 rooms within the house, making it the largest house in the northern Highlands. The castle, which was featured in Stanley Kubrick’s Barry London, is another example of how opulently the royals lived. The breakfast room seems too large for the purpose, only to be dwarfed by the drawing room. The library has over 10,000 books.
    The Dornoch Cathedral is a 13th century church and has some stunning stained glass work on the 28 windows. The church also has a fully functional organ, which was installed in 1893, renovated in 1908 and completely rebuilt in 1979. This is also where Madonna’s son Rocco was christened in December 2000, the day before her wedding to British director Guy Ritchie in the nearby Skibo Castle.
    Shopaholics always looking for that exclusive find will find themselves running short of money in the tiny town and seaside resort of Dornoch. Delicate pottery and fragnant soaps shout out for attention and the tweed jackets and tartan scarves would keep you warm and looking smart anywhere in the world. There are plenty of traditional pubs and chippie shops to give you the quintessential Scottish experience but here in the Highlands there’s always something extra waiting to be discovered.

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