Crombie Water and the Whisky Hills

Long before the coming of licensed distilleries, whisky was part of the economy of the Highlands. After the hard work of the barley harvest came the quieter occupation of mashing and distilling. The draff (dregs) from the mash-barrel went to feed the cows, while the spirit itself warmed the crofter through the snows of winter.

As rents came to be paid in money rather than in kind, whisky was an easily transported product for cash. It was also convenient to tax, but this simply meant that the Highlanders moved their operation into the hills. The barley fields of Strathspey, the clear mountain water of the Cairngorms and the convenient smuggling routes to Aberdeen and Inverness made Glenlivet a famous whisky country. Even as his redcoats were hunting the smugglers through the Ladder Hills, King George IV was demanding the illicit Glenlivet by name.

The old word 'Scotch' is only applied to whisky - the people are 'Scottish' and the language is 'Scots'. And whiskey with an 'e' comes from Ireland or the United States. Barley is the start-point. The grain is allowed to germinate in the warm, damp environment of the malting floor, which converts some of its starch to sugar. The malt is heated, under the pagoda-like copper roof of the malting kiln, then boiled and fermented into the 'mash', a kind of sweet insipid beer.

The mash is passed three times through the onion-shaped copper stills and stored in barrels for at least eight years. That's the technical process; the added mystery happens almost by accident. The killing of the malt, traditionally done over a peat fire, adds a smoky aroma, but it's the second-hand sherry barrels used for storage that add the golden colour, much of the flavour and the bite of the oakwood.

Blended whiskies, such as Bells, Teachers and Famous Grouse, are made of cheaper corn spirit with malt whisky mixed in. More serious are the 'single malts', each a product of a named distillery. From Glenlivet comes the Glenlivet itself, and also Tomnavoulin, Tomintoul, Cragganmore and Glenfarclas. These are Speyside malts - smooth and subtle. From the islands of the west come wilder whiskies like Lagavoulin and Talisker, with overtones of peat, seaweed and even old fish crates. An educational tasting session could start in the hotels and whisky shops of Tomintoul.

While you're there

Glenlivet was the first legal distillery in Scotland. Mechanisation and even computerisation have overtaken the ancient mysteries, but the smell remains the same. Look out for the small dent in one of the copper stills. The result of an unknown accident, it has to be carefully reproduced every time the still gets rebuilt - just in case it may be affecting the whisky.

What to look for

From the summit of The Bochel, you can see two of Glenlivet's six distilleries. In the north, the Tomnavoulin distillery makes a distinguished Speyside malt. Southwards, the white block of Braeval, currently not operating, used to contribute to blended whiskies. Behind it, faint green lines slanting up the Ladder Hills are the traces of smugglers paths, where the illicit spirit was carried over to Donside.

Where to eat and drink

At Tomintoul, the highest village in the Highlands, the air is fresh and scented with whisky. The Gordon Hotel's Cromdale Restaurant serves traditional Scottish food, and bar meals in the Grouse's Nest (dogs and children welcome). Closest to the walk is the Pole Inn at Knockandhu, but it's currently on the market.