The new movie ‘Glenrothan’ has been described as a “love letter to Scotland. It is a poignant, funny and powerful story about the universal themes of family and heritage, set against the stunning backdrops of Scotland and steeped in the world of whisky!
In Glenrothan, Donal (Cumming) returns to the Scottish Highlands after 35 years in Chicago, reluctantly facing the past he left behind. His estranged older brother, Sandy (Cox), is at a crossroads—either Donal takes over the family’s whisky distillery, or it must be sold, ending generations of tradition. As the brothers reunite, long-buried tensions resurface, forcing them to confront old wounds and the true reason Donal walked away from Glenrothan all those years ago.
There are so many great distilleries to visit in Central Scotland. such as the Glenturret Distillery, Tullibardine Distillery, Stirling Distillery and the Dewars Distillery.
Glenturret Distillery
If you’re looking to enjoy fine handcrafted whisky, why not visit the Glenturret Distillery, Scotland’s oldest working Distillery. Situated within the lower glen, overlooking the River Turret, the Distillery sits at the heart of the picturesque area known as the Hosh. The Distillery is known as the hard-working home of traditional, handcrafted spirit production and has a visitor centre where you can experience great tours, explore their amazing shop and indulge in their lovely coffee. The Glenturret Tour takes visitors through the traditional art of creating the Glenturret single malt whisky through using hand-operated, time-honoured methods. Throughout the tour, the host will bring to life the history and heritage of one of Scotland’s most iconic whisky brands. At the end of the tour, visitors can experience a Glenturret tasting session from their whisky range. After the tour, you can wander through the Glenturret Distillery Shop, which offers a wide selection of Single Malts alongside various locally sourced and handcrafted gifts, unique to the distillery. There’s also The Lalique Boutique which showcases exquisite crystal and glass and The Glenturret Café which provides delicious food prepared from using the finest ingredients.
Tullibardine Distillery
The Tullibardine Distillery is located in the village of Blackford, considered the gateway to the Highlands. The Tullibardine Distillery is a family owned distillery that have been producing handcrafted, single malt Scottish whisky for decades. The distillery offers a range of fine drinks from their “Marquess Collection”, their signature ranges to their “Custodians Collection.” Visitors are also able to go on a tour which gives valuable insight into the art of distillation. The tours are hosted by one of their experts and offer the Classic Tour and Bonded Tour. The Classic Tour is a 45-minute tour which showcases the whisky making process from start to finish, which ends with a taste testing of two single malts. The bonded tour is a 90-minute tour which depicts the process in more depth alongside offering additional visits to their warehouse, a taste testing of three single malts and a Tullibardine Gift Bag.
Stirling Distillery
If looking for a high-quality drink in the Stirling area, check out the Stirling Distillery. The Stirling distillery operates in the shadow of Stirling Castle and are putting whisky back on the Stirling map. The distillery is a family fun business that create hand-crafted spirits within the historic ‘Old Smiddy’ building. The distillery offers a range of whiskies which range from whisky casks to limited edition whisky sets. The distillery is also known for their award-winning London dry gin which is made from foraged Stirlingshire nettles. Their gins range from classic to eclectic which celebrates local history and folklore. Visitors can also book various tours which are wheelchair accessible and offers 10% off shop with all their tour bookings. Some example of these great tours include the “Jubilee Tea Party Experience”, “The Old Smiddy Gin School”, “Stirling Distillery Gin Experience” and the “Stirling Distillery Whisky Experience.”
Dewars Distillery
The Dewars Distillery’s journey in producing the perfect scotch whisky first began in 1898, where they produced the first single malt whisky at the heart of the Dewar’s blend. The distillery offers a fully licensed bar which provides visitors with a wide range of scotch whiskies and tasting flights. The Dewars Distillery also offers an interactive heritage exhibition and a distillery shop which showcases a full range from John Dewar & Sons Fine Whisky Emporium, to their exclusive single cask ‘fill your own’ bottle. There is an array of whisky tours to embark on such as the “Aberfeldy Distillery Tour”, “Whisky & Chocolate Tasting Tour” and the “Whisky Connoisseur Tour.” After discovering the wonders of the whisky tours, end the day within the Whisky Lounge and café which serves freshly made lunches such as soup, sandwiches and afternoon tea.
Deanston Distillery
Deanston Distillery in Doune is a former cotton mill turned whisky distillery. Built in 1785 as Adelphi Cotton Mill in the picturesque village of Deanston, our story has deep roots in the industrial history of Scotland. In 1965, after almost 200 years of trading, the cotton mill closed for good. It seemed the community’s days of trading were over.
Enter Brodie Hepburn. A true pioneer, he saw potential in the battered old cotton mill. Nestled along the banks of the River Teith, he saw water soft enough for whisky-making with the strength to power a distillery. He saw a passionate community and an honest work ethic to become true whisky makers. And so, Deanston Distillery first opened its doors in 1966.
