Speyside Whisky Festival

The Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival is back

as good as ever! A multitude of fascinating whisky flavoured events are taking place this year, and there are still tickets available for many events at prices to suit all budgets on www.spiritofspeyside.com.

The 2022 annual celebration of Scotland’s national drink, the largest celebration of its kind in the world, runs from 27 April to 2 May 2022 at locations across Speyside, the heart of malt whisky country. Entertaining events will be staged the length and breadth of the region with the greatest concentration of distilleries in the world. Nearly every distillery in Speyside welcomes visitors from near and far with events for enthusiasts as well as novices.

Ticket holders have the chance to enjoy tours of distilleries with the operators who make the drams or the managers, to enjoy tastings with master distillers and master blenders, or see behind the doors which are normally closed to visitors and sample drams straight from the cask. You can learn how to raise a barrel under the eye of an expert. Tutored tastings led by industry experts will reveal a multitude of whiskies from different distilleries, at varying ages, and a range of styles of casks.

If you still have a thirst for knowledge, then you start the week with the Festival’s own 3-day Whisky School or the comprehensive EWA 2-day Certificate in Scotch Whisky. Fancy some food with your whisky? You will be spoilt for choice with breakfasts, lunches, afternoon teas and dinners galore! Taking place in distilleries, restaurants, hotels, and village halls throughout Speyside, they feature a variety of whiskies paired with almost every type of food – pizza, steaks, seafood, cheese and Spanish delicacies matched to drams matured in Spanish sherry casks. Chocolate and whisky events include tastings and a workshop dedicated to researching the best matches for craft chocolates with malt whiskies. If you would like a breath of fresh air, try guided walks, or trail runs, with a dram or two at the end. Enjoy the Speyside Way on an E-bike, or embark on paddleboard or canoe trips along the “Whisky River”. Go up into the hills in allterrain vehicles to discover the trails taken by illicit distillers and enjoy views across the entire Speyside region with a dram. A less energetic open-air event is the aperitif hour at Telford Bridge with fellow Festival-goers. Community events include the return of the Whisky Auction in Craigellachie and the free Scottish Theme Day on Elgin’s Plainstones. It will be busy with pipers & drummers, Scottish princesses, tartan stilt walkers, whisky tastings as well as the Farmers’ market. To get about Speyside, try the Keith Dufftown Railway and enjoy a distillery visit at either end or contact one of the transport providers whose details are on the Festival website www. spiritofspeyside.com. As well as tickets for all the events it has details of how to get to Speyside, how to get around the area, as well as sections on where to stay, where to eat and things to do.