Not Illusive

Scotch Whiskey

As illusive as we might have found the Highland Cow to be, we had no trouble finding a whiskey distillery (Scotch). After all, in a country that is one-third smaller by population and land mass then Virginia, Scotland has 134 whiskey distilleries. That is a remarkably big number.

We toured one of the oldest and largest, Tomatin. They have been doing it since 1897 and exclusively make single malt whiskey. We liked the decidedly un-touristy nature of the tour; tight spaces, smelly rooms, and low head-bumping structures. We also liked the three tastings at the end of the tour, particularly their 12-Year Old. It is aged in ex-Bourbon and ex-Spanish Sherry casks.

Nice way to end the day after visiting the Cullodin Viaduct, 4,000-year-old burial cairns, Fort George (built 250 years ago as the largest fort in Europe at a cost equivalent to the entire GNP of Scotland, it is still active today), and, wait for it, seeing more Highland Cows.