It’s no accident that the glorious landscapes that unfold from the Scottish Highland resort of Aviemore have laid claim to the annual Spirit Of Speyside Whisky Festivalwrites Clive Lewis
Now in its 10th year (May 1-10), the festival plugs into the very epicentre of whisky making in Scotland.
Auchindoun Castle: Speyside tower house pounded by an endless round of raids from the 15th to the 17th centuries.
Speyside or access to it, embraces many more destinations. Inverness (‘Capital of the Highlands’), Nairn, Elgin, Keith and Aberdeen are among the more prominent - with direct or indirect links with London and the Scottish centres of Edinburgh and Glasgow to the south.
On May 1, as the skiers depart the (higher) slopes and the walkers get out the muscle rub, a large swathe of ben and glen country to the east of Aviemore known as Speyside - after the 98ml/158km river which flows through it - becomes host to Scotland’s premier whisky festival.
The 50 or so smoke-stack puffing distilleries that make up the largest concentration of whisky stills in Scotland, are dotted around the glens and rural communities along the picturesque River Spey. The number also accounts for whisky makers tucked into the folds of the nearby Grampian Mountains and around the waters of the Royal Dee on its way to the sea at Aberdeen.
In rather than over a barrel.
Little wonder the festival has reached its 10th anniversary and, from last year, doubled its play time to 10 days – or 11 if you count an event-full festival eve on April 30. It’s a ‘major international event’ on the Scottish tourism calendar with a global reach sustained by the likes of whisky brands like Glenfiddich, Cardhu, Tamdhu, Glenfarclas, Strathisla, Glenlivet and Dallas Dhu.
And with it said of Rome being built on seven hills, Dufftown lays claim to being built on seven stills.
Run down the 400 events and you’ll find master classes for the cognoscenti, ceilidhs for the young at heart, with Scottish iconic pop group Capercaillie ending the festivities in the open air beside the Spey at Aberlour.
Sandwiched into the 10-day schedule are 180 whisky tours and tastings offered by some of the world’s leading brands. There are 21 whisky dinners, 12 whisky walks – including ‘dramblings’ or whisky ramblings, and 12 visits to cooperages (barrel makers).
The festival attracted 17,000 festival visitors in 2008. This year there is a target of 23,000. If the numbers follow the pattern of the past most will come from outside Scotland with the largest contingent coming from central and eastern Europe. Train rides, painting exhibitions, cookery demonstrations, Landrover tours and still more music from pipe bands to fiddlers gives a flavour of the backdrop to the festival.
Given that Speyside is located in relatively remote rural countryside, the festival organisers have wisely put together a subsidised passenger transport network which links all the events and locations by bus and taxi. An all-day bus ticket for £5 is one example.
It’s not every day of the week that you look out the window (above)* and see a group of diners tucking into a meal at a table hanging from the end of a crane. This is not Toytown but a slice of real life to be played out at Gateshead, North East England on May 8 and 9.
The hovering dining table is one of the high-points of EAT! Newcastle Gateshead, one of the UK’s leading food festivals. The celebrations form part of NewcastleGateshead’s world-class programme of festivals and events developed by culture10.
This sold-out event plans to lift diners 50 metres above Gateshead while they enjoy food from local chefs. At nearly three times the height of the Angel of the North, the iconic statue which marks the southern gateway to GatesheadNewcastle, diners will be served while seated at a open-air dining table.
The food will be plated and served in the air and diners opting for the two-course lunch or dinner will be surprised with a 70s twist. The first diners of the day will enjoy lunch with Mike Wilkinson of Windows at the Hilton. Dinner service will be held by Terry Laybourne of Café 21. On Saturday (May 9) lunch will be served by Joe De Giorgi of Secco and Dinner with Rhian Cradock of The Feathers Inn.
There will also be a 20 minute high tea by Belle & Herbs and Tyne beer tasting with Alistair Gilmour.
This is the first time that Belgium-based Events in the Sky has brought sky-high dining to the North of England.
Simon Preston, Festival Director of EAT! NewcastleGateshead said: "I believe that this year’s EAT! NewcastleGateshead can lay claim to be the most exciting and unique collection of food adventures taking place anywhere in the UK".
EAT! NewcastleGateshead started on May 2 and will run to the middle of the month. Upcoming events include the Food Heroes Tasting Market and Food Adventure Playground at Newcastle Civic Centre/Northumberland Street on May15 &16 and the first ever UK ‘paladares’ – the Cuban concept of restaurants in local people’s homes.
Tickets for EAT! NewcastleGateshead - and there is space at Botany of Gin,Extreme Beer and Secret Paladarescan be booked through www.newcastlegateshead.com/eat or by tel 0191 2305151.
• The picture above is taken from a 2008 ‘Events in the Sky’ diner demonstration at Amiens, France.
