Walking, Whisky and Wildlife

A hiking journey through the whisky and wildlife highlights of North East Scotland.

Day of arrival: arrive at Aviemore station or Inverness airport in the afternoon where you will be met by your guide and host for the week, Andy Bateman. After a short transfer to your accommodation for the duration of the tour, you'll be free to explore before dinner. We'll all eat together over a meal of local and home-grown produce.

Itinerary:

• Hike through the Cromdale hills along routes which smugglers must once have followed before taking a tour of the distillery and finally a tasting of one of their famous “expressions”.
• Visit the Cooperage where the barrels which flavour the whisky are made, then take a hike up the magnificent viewpoint of Ben Rinnes, which overlooks most of Speyside. We’ll also stop in at the Craigellachie Hotel to experience their amazing whisky bar.
• Explore the Ladder hills before stopping in at the Whisky Castle in Tomintoul, arguably the best independent whisky shop in the Highlands.
• hike through the vast mountain moorland area of the Monadhliath where we'll try to spot red deer and mountain hare. After one of Rebecca’s delicious home cooked meals and as dusk beckons we head to a local wildlife hide to see reclusive pine martens and Highland badgers.
•  ome to over 4500 different species, the forest of the RSPB Abernethy Reserve feels as if little has changed in the last 10,000 years. On the way back we pop into the RSPB Osprey Centre for the latest comings and goings of the Loch Garten Ospreys. In the evening we’re off to Anderson’s, our fantastic local restaurant a few doors down the road.
• From 2000ft (600m) up we ascend a further 500m amongst dramatic mountain and cliff scenery to the Cairngorm Plateau. After an early dinner it’s off to a local hide to watch Otters and Ospreys fishing.

At the end of the trip we'll drop you back at Aviemore station or Inverness airport. We'll be sad to see you go but hope that the memories you have will last you a lifetime.