Introduction on May 1st 2013
‘Whisky is a great industry in Scotland. Whisky is a great pleasure in
the rest of the world’ ~ so said Belgian, now Haig-based whisky writer
Jean-Marie Putz.
In its long, rich and colourful history, the Scottish Whisky
Industry has never been stronger. In Scotland over 10,000 people are employed
in the production and sales of Scotch whisky, with around another 40,000 linked
to the whisky trade. You only have to travel mid-week on any section of the A95
between Aviemore and Keith to witness, what I assume to be, a large percentage
of that 40,000 figure ~ driving the multitude of malt-lorries and whisky
tankers between Speyside and the Scottish Central Belt.
Whisky exports account for over 20% of Scotland’s overseas
earning and contributes annually more than £3 billion to the Scottish economy.
Every year ~ over 300 million litres are sold ~ and
presumably drunk ~ with pleasure!
The sentiments shared by Jean-Marie Putz are very much in
evidence throughout the annual ‘Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival’ ~ now in
its 13th year of existence and gaining strength and momentum every
year.
With well over 300 different events available to visitors,
feedback from this year’s Whisky Festival speaks very much of the warm welcome
guests experience from their Speyside hosts. Accommodation & activity
providers, retail outlets ~ simply everyone with connection to Speyside tourism
~ in particular the tourist-drawing whisky industry, really pulls out the stops
to ensure the best of the area is showcased throughout the 6-day festival ~
normally taking place during the early part of May ~ this year 2nd
to 6th May.
My involvement in the 2013 Speyside Whisky Festival was in
the form of filming and an interview with a BBC Alba News team on the afternoon
of Wednesday 1st May. I had set up my tipi just upstream of the
beautiful Thomas Telford Bridge by Craigellachie and after a (very) wee dramming
session, shared with some anglers, the News team were very pleased with their
footage of our paddling on the river ~ back-dropped by the Telford bridge,
framed with blue skies ~ a typical Speyside day!! (The news item was screened
on BBC Alba ~ 7.30pm, Friday 3rd May.)
As a pre-curser to the main Festival on May 1st
at the lovely Malt-Barn restaurant in Glenfiddich distillery there took place
the first of 4 tasting-event for ‘Roving Whisky Awards’. At various times
during the Festival and at different locations throughout Strathspey 6 fine
malts were judges by visitors to the Festival. At the conclusion of the voting
on the penultimate day of the festival, at a special lunch at Knockando
distillery, a winner was announced from each of the three age categories.
(Whisky Award Results 2013: 0 to 12 y.o. ~ The Aberlour A’Bunadh;
12 to 20 y.o. ~ The Balvenie Doublewood 17 y.o.; 20+ y.o. ~ Glenlivet 25 y.o.)
Following my tasting and casting of votes at the Malt Barn,
I spent that clear and frosty night of May 1st into 2nd under
the stars, cosy in my tipi. I felt an affinity with that great engineering-genius
Mr Telford, as I slept by the castellated walls of his amazing bridge ~ one of
the few spanning the Spey to survive the ‘Muckle Flood’ of 1929. I wanted some
quality sleep in order that I might be fully prepared to meet and work on the
river the next day with my clients ~ coming from various country, as I have
come to expect at the Speyside Whisky Festival.
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