If you enjoy the experience of the Glenmorangie Distillery Tour you'll be drooling with delight when you are spoilt for choice in the shop.

Whisky distilleries have always been popular visitor attractions in Scotland, (maybe for the tasting) and none more so than Glenmorangie.

For a Scotsman who doesn't drink (unusual in itself) I really enjoyed this tour, and I would go back.

Glenmorangie Distillery is situated in Cadboll just outside Tain, the oldest Royal Burgh in Scotland, about 26 miles north of Inverness. Established in 1843, the Distillery has been producing its famous Glenmorangie malt on the shores of the Dornoch Firth, in the malt heartland, and a really nice part of the Highlands.

Glenmorangie whisky is available in a wide range of "finishes" - the whisky can be finished in sherry, port wine, madeira, and burgundy casks, illustrating the difference in taste the wood can make to the whisky.

Quality standards dictate that casks are made of slow-growth wood, specially selected, and then air-dried for two years. The Distillery uses only American ex-Bourbon oak for maturing its Glenmorangie whisky, and all barrels are discarded after the third refill stage.

The second largest and fastest growing single malt whisky in the UK was the first distillery in Scotland to steam heat the stills instead of using the customary coal fires, which could scorch, affecting the flavour. They also use the tallest stills in Scotland, at over 16 feet high.

Glenmorangie whisky is widely recognised as the best single malt in Scotland, and many have declared it to be their favourite tipple.

The Name Glenmorangie was taken from the Glen of the Morangie Burn which means "glen of great tranquillity". The company is unusual in that it sells virtually all of its product as single malt rather than producing for blending purposes, and their famous “Glenmorangie Elegance” is a 21-Year Old malt whiskey, one of the oldest to be released from the Distillery.

Amazingly, Glenmorangie is still a relatively small, family controlled business, owning three distilleries: Glenmorangie, Glen Moray and Ardbeg. They support an employee-nominated charity of the year, and raise funds for the charity through personal and company events.

No visit to Scotland would be complete without a distillery tour, and Glenmorangie will not disappoint. The distillery tour will let you see the skilled mashmen, stillmen and warehousemen as they go about their daily work. You will also see the fermenting room, filtering processes, bottling and labelling, the cooking of the preserves and sauces.

At the visitor centre you will learn about Glenmorangie's pioneering experiments on the effects of wood on whisky, which have led to the "Wood Finish Range" of malts. Guided tours start every half hour during the summer from 10.30am and the last tour starts at 3.30pm. In the winter the tours start at 10am and groups are welcome. If a Scotland whisky tour is on your agenda, you should try the Glenmorangie distillery tour.

Opening Times :

All year : Monday to Friday 9am - 5pm

June to August : Saturdays 10am -4pm, Sundays 12.00 - 4pm

Closed during Christmas holidays.

Glasgow Cathedral

One of the few churches in Scotland to survive the Protestant Reformation without being destroyed, is the impressive Glasgow Cathedral.

In Scotland, round about AD550, St Mungo, the first Bishop of the British Kingdom of Strathclyde, founded a religious community around a small church, in an area that was to become known as the city of Glasgow.

The present stone building was built in the 13th century, on the site where He is believed to have been buried in AD612.

St Mungo's tomb is located in the present building and there are also fragments of an old 13th century shrine to the Saint. Today it is Scotland's most important thirteenth-century building and one of the most impressive structures. As recent as the 20th century the area surrounding it was improved with the construction of a new visitor centre.

Located about a mile to the east of George Square, the Cathedral has one of the finest post-war collections of stained-glass windows in Britain.

Anyone visiting Glasgow Cathedral will be impressed with the stunning architecture and history. Just behind the Cathedral is the city's graveyard, known as the Necropolis, and to the west side is the oldest house in Glasgow, "Provand's Lordship". The title deeds of the house dates from 1562 when Mary Queen of Scots granted the lands of Provand to William Baillie, a canon of the Cathedral.

Although referred to as a Cathedral, there is no bishop, in keeping with the presbyterian constitution of the Church of Scotland. The Cathedral has a regular and active congregation, and if you are in Glasgow, you should not leave without visiting this magnificent building. It received a huge compliment in 1451, when the Pope declared that a pilgrimage to Glasgow Cathedral would carry the same standing as a pilgrimage to Rome.

The Cathedral is perhaps not as well known as it should be, and that's a great pity. Maybe it fades into the background somewhat, in the shadows of some of Glasgow's many other great attractions, but it's worth visiting.

Opening Times

The Cathedral is open all year :

April-September 9.30-5.30, Sunday 1pm-5.30

October-March 9.30-4pm, Sunday 1pm-4pm

Admission is free.

Melrose Abbey

Melrose Abbey, now a ruin, is considered one of Scotland’s most beautiful, and it’s history provides the visitor with a sense of romance.

The Abbey, burial place of Robert the Bruce’s heart, was founded by King David I around 1136, and construction work began with one abbot and 12 monks from Rievaulx Abbey in Yorkshire.

Attacks by English Monarchs saw the church being pillaged and burned by Edward IIs army in 1322, and the Abbey was set on fire in 1385 by Richard II, when many monks were killed and David II was forced back to Edinburgh.

The Abbey was rebuilt over a period of about 100 years, and one person instrumental in the reconstruction was King Robert the Bruce.

(When Bruce was dying he requested that his heart be taken into battle, as he was unable to go on crusade. His wish was granted and his heart now lies in an unopened lead casket in Melrose Abbey).

The final attack came in 1545 with the Earl of Hertford bombarding the site with cannon. The town of Melrose also suffered from English invasions and the Abbey came to an end with the Reformation in 1560. Following the last attack the Abbey was never properly restored, but some extensive restoration work did take place in 1918 when the abbey was gifted to the nation by the Duke of Buccleugh.

Throughout its working life Melrose Abbey was a favourite of royalty, and just prior to the Reformation it was home to around 120 monks.

Today, Melrose Abbey, under the care of Historic Scotland, comprises the almost complete ruins of the Abbey Church. The chapel features a magnificent stained glass window and a full pipe organ.

Although Melrose is now mainly an agricultural market town, some stunning scenery is to be found here, and visitors are enthralled with a range of attractions including the Trimontium Exhibition, which is the starting point for a five mile walk to celebrate Roman heritage.

On the walk, from Melrose to Leaderfoot and back, you will be viewing Roman sites and stopping for tea and biscuits at Newstead Village Hall.

For sport enthusiasts, the second week of April each year sees the Melrose Sevens, a seven-a-side rugby tournament which has been running since 1883. Teams come from all over the world to play here.

Melrose is one of the enchanting towns in the Scottish Borders.

Opening Times & Entrance Fees

1st April - 30th September Monday to Sunday, 9.30 am to 5.30 pm

1st October - 31st March Monday to Sunday, 9.30 am to 4.30 pm

Adult £5.20

Child £2.60

Concession £4.20

Edinburgh's Royal Mile

One thing visitors to the capital must do is to walk Edinburgh’s Royal Mile, the streets that connect the Old Town to Edinburgh Castle.

Here you will follow the city’s history, from Holyrood Palace at the bottom, to Edinburgh Castle at the top, a journey taken by many Kings and Queens of the past. There's so much to see, it may take a week to walk this mile.

Holyrood Palace was the main residence in Scotland for many of the Royals, the first being King James IV in the early 1500's.

Following his death in 1513, his son and heir, James V carried out much work on the Palace, during times of conflict with England.

His daughter, Mary Queen of Scots, who also lived here, continued the restoration work until the conflict ended in 1603 with the Union of the Crowns, and the Palace is now the official residence in Scotland for the present Queen Elizabeth. Edinburgh’s Royal Mile got it's name for two reasons : because of its Royal connection and also because it actually is just over one mile long. The Mile boasted the world's first skyscrapers, and expanded with many great buildings and fine architecture, and is now one of the world’s most famous streets.

Many attractions are to be found on the Royal Mile, including the Scottish Parliament building and Giles Cathedral, which make it a busy place all year round, but even more so in August, when the Edinburgh Fringe Festival has the high street bustling with tourists and street performers of all kinds.

August is the best time to visit as you would also have the opportunity of seeing one of the world’s most famous events, the spectacular showcase Edinburgh Military Tattoo, staged at Edinburgh Castle.

Mercat Cross is also on the Mile, and this is where important royal proclamations are read and where the calling of a general election would be announced. Near the top of the Mile is the Scotch Whisky Heritage Centre, where you can see how whisky is made. The Centre is believed to have a resident ghost, but maybe that's something to do with the whisky.

The Old Town has a huge variety of shops catering for all tastes, but you will not find the usual high street chains, you are more likely to find a selection of specialist shops, small restaurants and friendly bars.

More conventional shopping can be found in the New Town, mainly along Princes Street, which has a good selection of department stores.

As one of the oldest streets in the city, the Royal Mile is part of the Old Town conservation area, and not surprisingly is listed as a special area of architectural interest. The Old and New Towns are distinctly separate, which is good news as it provides choices for all visitors to Edinburgh, and the city centre is small enough to be seen on foot, which allows more time to appreciate the attractions and admire the picturesque buildings.