The second oldest distillery in Scotland, and the oldest on Islay, Bowmore is one of the most prestigious in all of Scotland and producer of one of the world's broadest and most distinctive ranges of Single Malt Scotch Whiskies. Bowmore Distillery has been perched boldly at the edge of the rugged Hebridean Island of Islay since 1779. This distillery's location on this dramatic, wind-swept isle has been integral in determining the legendary smoky, rich character of the fine single malt scotch whiskies it crafts. The distinctive character of Bowmore's world-revered range of single malts is the result of a stubborn adherence to time-honored tradition, imbedded in the land and people of the Island of Islay. Bowmore Single Malt is produced using the pure waters from the nearby Laggan River -- waters that have spent 2,000 years percolating through the ancient rock of the hills of Islay. As the river flows to the Distillery, it gathers the flavors of the rich Islay peat that then fires the malt-drying kiln. One of the only distilleries that has maintained the tradition of malting its own barley, Morrison Bowmore's maltman hand-turns the barley with a traditional wooden malt shovel -- exactly as his father, grandfather and great-grandfather did before him. The final character of the Bowmore Single Malts is developed in the famous seaside vaults, where their whiskies spend anywhere from 12 to 40 years. There the Bowmore Single Malts rest quietly below sea level in the finest Spanish and American oak casks, maturing to perfection with the help of the salty, sea-laden air.

For 300 years the Easter Elchies House, spiritual home of The Macallan, has stood on the banks of the Spey as a symbol of Scottish fortitude, a monument against the ravages of time. Dating from 1700, the Jacobean Manor is the same house that is depicted on The Macallan's packaging. Outside Easter Elchies House, a holly tree flourishes. Amazingly this tree dates back to the earliest days of the house. "Elchies" sounds as if it should derive from the same Gaelic root as the dividing, flinty or windy bit of Craigellachie, and there are historians who say that is the case. However, Mr Matheson has a different idea, which really appeals to us. He maintained that "it is one of the few words of Basque origin left in this country" and translated it as "el" - a town or residence and "che" - a hill. Thus, the residence on the hill. Not far from the house lies a small, walled graveyard. This graveyard remains from the days when there was a church on the site - the church was destroyed by fire during the 15th Century and was never rebuilt. In addition to the church, we know that there was a farm and a mill on the Easter Elchies Estate and it would have been on the farm that whisky making first started on this site. Farming still continues on the estate, indeed, in late summer the fields around Easter Elchies grow rich and golden with their own harvest. Golden Promise Barley, one of the vital ingredients in the creation of our spirit, continues to be grown on Macallan land to this day.

The Glenfarclas distillery stands on Rechlerich Farm in a valley close by the river Spey. The Rechlerich Farm lies on the slope of the mountain Ben Rinnes west of Dufftown and south of Rothes. Glenfarclas means ‘glen of the green grassland’. Officially Glenfarclas was founded in 1836 by Robert Hay, although some people claim it was founded already in 1797. In fact, a painting of the distillery hangs in one of the office rooms which is dated 1797. In 1965 the distillery was bought by John Grant for £511.19, a tidy sum at the time. John Grant was a successful man who owned several farms and was known for his prize cattle. He saw the potential in the booming whisky industry, and acquired Glenfarclas. Five years later he formed the J & G Grant Company together with his son George. The distillery remains in the Grant family to this day. Glenfarclas was ideally placed between the market at Elgin and the many farms in Glenlivet. The distillery therefore became a natural stop where the farmers fed their cattle and ‘quenched their thirst’ with Glenfarclas whisky. As a result the Glenfarclas whisky quickly became widely popular. The success also depended on the marketing both John and George did on their many salejourneys. In 1898 the distillery was renovated and expanded after they went into partnership with the large blending firm Pattison of Leith a few years earlier. However, that venture proved to be unsuccessful and the creditors filed a bankruptcy petition against the company. Eight hard years followed for the Grant Family but they prevailed and managed to pay off all their debts and keep the Glenfarclas distillery in the family. The distillery’s capacity was expanded in 1960 when the number of stills was increased from two to four. In 1974 two more stills were installed which meant that the production capacity had tripled in only fifteen years. A large and modern visitor centre was opened in 1973. The distillery currently has 30 employees.

The Famous Grouse has truly become the Scotch Whisky against which the discerning drinker judges all others. Its overall balance and rich appearance are expressions of its subtlety. A smooth, medium peated, and well-rounded, famous grouse whiskey, has a touch of dryness that allows the complexity of the blend to show through. The care and skill that goes into making The Famous Grouse the finest of Scotch Whiskies may be measured by the fact that it is the most popular Scotch Whisky amongst the people who know about whisky - the Scots themselves. The Famous Grouse, Scotch Whiskey Every Scotch Whiskey reaches the peak of its quality at a different age - some are younger and some are much, much older. Because The Famous Grouse carefully selects only the Finest Scotch Whiskies from the widest choice of ages available, only those at their peak are blended together to create a balanced and well-rounded whiskey of the highest quality.