Back Roads Great Britain (Eyewitness Travel Back Roads)

251

producing single malt whisky since
1887, using water from local springs.
Visitors can join an informative tour of
the buildings, see the shiny copper stills
and the warehouses where the whisky
is stored in traditional oak barrels.
Tours end with a delicious free dram.
Whisky buffs might prefer to join a
connoisseurs’ tour (with an entry
charge) which includes a tutored
tasting of more whiskies.
ª Continue through Dufftown on
A941, then bear left on A920 to Huntly,
to pick up the A96, then A97 south.
Follow this through fertile farmland,
eventually turning left on the B9002.
After 1.6 km (1 mile), look out for Leith
Hall, with parking, on the left.

make a lovely place for a picnic on a

fine day. There are also several easy

walks to follow. In the grounds, visitors

can see an old sycamore tree known

as a ‘dule tree’ (gallows tree) – said to

have been used to hang criminals.

ª From Leith Hall continue along

B9002, then turn right at the crossroads

onto B992. Head south to A944 and turn

right to Alford. Park by the museum.

EAT AND DRINK

DUFFTOWN

A Taste of Speyside moderate

This is the place to come to try classic

Scottish dishes made from fresh local

ingredients. There is cullen skink (a fish

soup), fillet steaks and fresh salmon.

Desserts include a fruit dumpling with

Glenfiddich liqueur cream.

10 Balvenie Street, AB55 4AN; 01340 820

860; http://www.dufftown.co.uk; closed Mon

La Faisanderie moderate

There is a strong French influence at this

restaurant in the centre of Dufftown –

try loin of venison with a red onion and

strawberry relish, or steak served with

seared peppers.

2 Balvenie St, AB55 4AD; 01340 821 273;

http://www.dufftown.co.uk; closed Tue & Wed

Below Impressive Leith Hall, home to the Leith
family for 350 years Below right Whisky barrels
at the Glenfiddich distillery, near Dufftown
Bottom right The pretty gardens at Leith Hall,
perfect for a picnic

0 Grampian Transport

Museum

Alford, Aberdeenshire; AB33 8AE

This excellent museum (Apr–Oct: open

daily; http://www.gtm.org.uk) contains a

fascinating variety of vehicles, ranging

from a horse-drawn mail coach to the

electric “car”, the Sinclair C5. There are

early bicycles and motorbikes, an

eccentric steam tricycle built by a

postman in 1895, gleaming vintage

cars and a green Jaguar from the

James Bond film Die Another Day, with

a missile launcher in the front grille.

Visitors even get the chance to sit in

the saddle of a penny farthing bicycle.

Great fun for all ages.

ª Leave Alford on A944 west, soon

bearing left on A980, then at the

junction with the A93, turn right to

Banchory. Take B974 off the High

Street to Bridge of Feugh car park.

9 Leith Hall
Nr Kennethmont, Huntly; AB54 4NQ
This 17th-century mansion house
(grounds open daily) has been home
to the Leiths – a family that long
supported the Jacobite cause – for
hundreds of years. Although the
house (reputed to be haunted) is now
closed to the public, the gardens

DRIVE 25: On the Highlands Whisky Trail

Eat and Drink: inexpensive, under £25; moderate, £25–£50; expensive, over £50

Above Glenfiddich Distillery – the name

means “Valley of the Deer” in Gaelic

SHOPPING IN DUFFTOWN

For a genuine whisky education visit

The Whisky Shop Dufftown (1 Fife

Street, AB55 4AL; 01340 821 097; http://www.

thewsd.co.uk) for “talk and taste”

sessions. The shop will also help

organize whisky tours and tell

prospective buyers everything they

need to know about Uisge Beathe

(The Water of Life).