Planning your February half-term Short Break in Scotland? See our ‘Ten things to DO in Dornoch with Children’

There is so much to Do in and around the Dornoch area and across the Northern Highlands. Here are our top ten suggestions for you to enjoy whilst on your holiday in Scotland.

1) Grannie's Heilan' Hame

Embo boasts its very own holiday park, “Grannie’s Heilan' Hame”, with several facilities that are open to the public including a swimming pool, tennis courts, crazy golf and much more. There is also a bar, restaurant, live entertainment, a convenience store and takeaway. The park is right on the beach which boasts the best rockpools around!

2) Skelbo Woods Walk

Families love the variety in Skelbo, from dipping for mini beasts in the wildlife pond beside the car park to hunting out the chainsaw-carved woodland creatures along the trail. It's a fun forest full of interesting twists and turns, open views and fascinating features, including the remains of an iron age broch and some impressive drystone walls.

3) Natural Play area at Camore woods

Camore Woods has a natural play area which includes tunnels, dens, a fort and games for children and the whole family. Soak up the tranquility of the forest whilst watching out for buzzards hunting voles, roe deer flitting through the trees and woodland birds feasting on wild raspberries and blaeberries in summer. Hidden in the forest are more than 25 hut circles and chambered cairns.

4) Fishing at the Dornoch Lochans

At Dornoch Lochans there is open air recreation for everyone, novice and expert, young and old, in attractive surroundings with breathtaking views over the Dornoch Firth. You can fish, play golf, croquet or boule, or simply relax and enjoy.

5) History Links 5* Museum

Historylinks is one of the very few 5 star museums in the Highlands.  Dedicated to the history of Dornoch parish, current displays include a golf professional’s workshop where Donald Ross honed his skills, Carnegie at home at Skibo, the shameful burning of Scotland’s last condemned witch and the impact of the Picts and the Vikings. Films include Sutherland in 1950 and the Dornoch Light Railway. There are lots of games for children as well as costumes to dress up in. Visitor translations in German, French, Italian, Spanish and Swedish.

6) Dornoch Beach Treasure Walk

Dornoch’s safe, Blue Flag beach, is ideal for families with its gentle shallows, sheltering dunes and miles of golden sands. Perfect for paddling and swimming on warm summer days. Throughout the year it is popular for walkers taking a gentle stroll or carrying on north to Embo. The Dornoch treasure walk takes approximately 1.5 hours and is great way to explore the beach and learn a thing or two about the wildlife along the way! It is available on our app (Discover Dornoch) or as a booklet which you can pick up from the Visitor Centre or the beach carpark.

7) Natural play area and leaping salmon at the Falls of Shin

Follow the winding road through Achany Glen to a forest clearing where salmon leap and children play. You’ve reached the Falls of Shin, a wonderful starting point for a range of trails through beautiful mixed woodland and along the rocky banks of the Shin. It’s a great place to get out and enjoy the forest whatever your ability – there are natural play areas here and easy trails suitable for all users.

 

8) Seals and bird watching at Loch Fleet Nature Reserve

Loch Fleet, a sea loch, lies just north of Dornoch and is a haven for fauna and flora. It has a variety of species including otters and seals, wild fowl and sea birds, orchids and butterflies. The loch is a large tidal basin with sand dunes, coastal heath and pine woods. The woodland supports species such as Scottish crossbills, crested tits and pine marten.

9) Falconry display at Dunrobin Castle

Dunrobin Castle is the most northerly of Scotland’s great houses and the largest in the Northern Highlands.  Enjoy a  wonderful day out here exploring the house and its treasures, the gardens and museum. The bird of prey displays are always very impressive and contribute to an enjoyable visit for the whole family. Daily birds of prey flying demonstrations at 11.30am, and 2.00pm on the Castle lawn. See spectacular shows featuring golden eagles and peregrine falcons, both resident birds in the Scottish Highlands. Learn more about other local birds of prey as well as the ancient art of falconry. Additional attractions include more exotic species such as the European Eagle owl.

10) Cycling

The Dornoch area offers varied terrain for cyclists of all standards. There are many excellent road routes and recommended is the 34 mile trip from Dornoch to Spinningdale and then round by Loch Buidhe to the Mound and back to Dornoch via Embo. This route is hilly and passes through wonderful scenery. Cycle hire is available at Sam’s Bike Shed and Grannie's Heilan' Hame.

Download the Discover Dornoch App (from windows, apple or play stores) for more ideas on walks and activities as well as places to eat and stay.

See Full Article Here: Planning your February half-term Short Break in Scotland? See our ‘Ten things to DO in Dornoch with Children’

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Your short break in Scotland

Are you planning a short break in Scotland, then why not visit Dornoch in the Scottish Highlands? Only an hour north of Inverness with flights to London, Bristol and Manchester, but a world of difference! Get away from the hustle and bustle of the city and enjoy a leisurely stroll along the miles of sandy beach or play golf on Royal Dornoch Championship Course, rated #1 in Scotland and #5 in the world.

There are lots of things to do. If you are interested in handicrafts then come 11-13 March when Fibre Fest is running - and try machine embroidery, indigo dyeing or Fair Isle knitting.

Find our about the rich Scottish history by visiting the 13th century Dornoch Cathedral and exploring the 5 star Historylinks Museum.

There is a range of independent shops to browse including Jail Dornoch, Kingcraig Woollens, Simply the Best Fair Trade and Coast Candle Co (which runs candle making workshops). Enjoy locally sourced food and drink in the Dornoch restaurants, cafes, pubs and takeaways.

So start to plan your Scottish holiday by checking out the accommodation in Dornoch - select from the range of hotels, b & bs and holiday cottages.

Article Source Here: Your short break in Scotland

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December in Dornoch

The nights draw in, the log fire beckons and we look forward to crisp frosty walks on the beach. Time to think about the Festive Season and Christmas shopping. With over 20 independent shops to choose from and free parking, Dornoch is an ideal place to enjoy the experience!

We have a special Late Night Shopping event on Thursday 1st December, with shops and eateries open till 8pm.  Many shops are offering discounts that evening and serving complimentary seasonal goodies.

On 5th December the community holds the St Andrews Fair from 10-4, with a craft fair and Santa's Grotto in the Social Club, carols in the Cathedral and the Christmas lights are switched on. All the shops and restaurants take part in this annual Christmas Bazaar.

A special Christmas Community market is being held for the first time, on Tuesday 20th December from 9:30 - 1:30 in the Social Club - with local craft and produce for sale.

Links House at Royal Dornoch offers a sumptuous Sunday Lunch menu, prepared by award winning chef Jon-Paul Saint.

We are looking forward to welcoming visitors for our 3 days of New Year Celebrations centred on the famous Dornoch Hogmanay Street Party with the Red Reel Ceilidh Band, a lone piper at midnight on the Castle ramparts to herald in the New Year and a fabulous Fireworks Display. Check out our late availability page for acccommodation deals.

For More Information Go Here: December in Dornoch

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Christmas Shopping in Dornoch

Get into the festive spirit and start your Christmas Shopping in Dornoch on Thursday 1st December when shops and eateries are open till 8pm.  Kingcraig Fabrics will welcome you with wine and nibbles as well as are offering a 10% discount and free entry to a raffle with all purchases (for example handmade cards, scarves, throws & bags).  Staff in Mitchells Chemist will be sporting their Christmas jumpers and offering mince pies and coffee while you browse their gifts including Beauticology products for under £5. A free sample of Bruadar can be enjoyed at the Carnegie Whisky Cellars, with gifts ranging from £3.95 for miniatures to a Dalmore Gift Set at £64.95.

At Gordon House there is 20% discount on all items, including coasters, mugs, candles, jewellery and paintings -  and a great stop for coffee and cake. The Dornoch Bookshop is a fantastic place to browse at any time of year! A visit to Coast Candle Co awakens the senses, with a range of hand poured fragrant candles in all shapes and sizes, with a 10% discount. Mulled wine and sweet treats will be served.

Be sure to visit the Retail Park where Simply the Best has a variety of Fair Trade gifts from Angels at £4.99 to a chess set at £69.99. Why not pick up your real Christmas tree from the Dornoch Garden Centre?

For unusual and imaginative gifts made by local artists, ranging from Harris Tweed bookmarks at £4.20 to a Lopi Hood Sweater at £70, visit Scots Corner. Don’t forget a present for your pet at That Really Good Pet Shop, and a range of cushions, walking sticks and jewellery at Budding Genius. Enjoy a glass of bubbly or mulled wine with nibbles at Aspen Spa, while you check out their range of quality beauty products (Vita Liberata, Delilah, Voya, Image & Skinade), all of which will be discounted on the night!

No trip to Dornoch would be complete without a visit to Jail Dornoch, which offers a superb selection of unique Scottish gift ideas, jewellery accessories, luxurious cashmere and quality country wear and its sister shop Country Interiors, which is an Aladdin’s cave of beautiful decorative objects, gifts, soft furnishings and furniture.

Why not make a day of it and book into Links House for afternoon tea before you start your shopping? They also have an exclusive range of tweed products in their own tweed for that special gift.  Relax after your shopping in the Carnegie Tea Room with mulled wine and mince pies and don’t forget to pick up some great Scottish food from their deli section. Round off the night with a meal at The Eagle Hotel or sample the new gin cocktails at the Dornoch Castle Hotel.

To help plan your shopping trip, check out the suggested range of gifts on offer, sorted by price.

For More Information Go Here: Christmas Shopping in Dornoch

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The Great British High Street Judges visit Dornoch on Friday 18th November!

"The Great British High Street supports those working to revive, adapt and diversify high streets. Not for profit and government funded, we aim to provide resources for high street regeneration and celebrate innovative work going on in high streets across Britain."

We are looking forward to hosting the judges of the Great British High Street awards this Friday.

They will arrive on Thursday night and experience a Gin Tasting session at the Dornoch Castle Hotel where they will then spend the night.

The next day they will have a tour of the town and take in the Carnegie Tea Room whilst enjoying coffee with members of staff from the Royal Dornoch Golf Club and the Tearoom itself before going to the Visitor Centre to meet with staff and then heading over the Carnegie Whisky Cellars to meet with members of staff from the Whisky Cellars, the Dornoch Castle and Links House.

After that they will visit Historylinks Museum, the Jail Dornoch, Coast Candle, Kingcraig Fabrics, the Dornoch Bookshop and the Eagle Hotel before having lunch at Gordon House.

There is much much more to show them in Dornoch of course,  but in the short time they have here, this tour will give them a good idea of what Dornoch has to offer: independent shops, great food and entertainment, top class accommodation and a fantastic new Visitor Centre.

The winner is chosen by taking into account a combination of the outcome of the judges visit and the public vote. The voting closes at midnight on Friday night (so still a few days left to vote!)

The winner will be announced at a ceremony in London on the 12th of December. Fingers crossed for Dornoch!

 

Source Here: The Great British High Street Judges visit Dornoch on Friday 18th November!

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MP Paul Monaghan supports Dornoch’s campaign to win Great British High Street awards.

Dornoch has been shortlisted in The Great British High Street Awards, which celebrates the great work that is being done to revive, adapt and diversify the nation’s high streets. It is one of a number of initiatives to help champion high streets as the cornerstones of the community.

Local Councillor Jim McGillivray and Lou Rollason from DACIC (Dornoch Area Community Interest Company) were pleased to welcome Dr Paul Monaghan, MP for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross, to Dornoch last Sunday. He got the chance to see the new Carnegie Courthouse and Visitor Centre during his visit. Dr Monaghan has been very supportive of Dornoch’s campaign to win the 'Rising Star' Category of the Great British High Street Awards and has said “I am delighted that Dornoch has reached the final and will certainly do all I can to help encourage votes.”

Dornoch’s campaign to win is nearly at an end and the Great British High Street judges will be visiting this week. They are staying at the Dornoch Castle Hotel and will be taking part in a Gin Tasting event on Thursday night. On Friday, the judges will get the chance to meet with local businesses and soak up the atmosphere of the town. Representatives from DACIC will travel to London for a ceremony on the 12th of December where the winners will be announced.

If Dornoch wins, they will get £10,000 towards further improving their High Street and visitor experience. Businesses will also receive expert training from Google’s digital taskforce and a trip to Twitter UK’s London office to boost their social media skills.

Jim McGillivray says “The Dornoch renaissance continues onwards and upwards.  We never envisaged when we started out on the 2013 HIE Masterplan that so many valuable initiatives would emerge.  To reach the last 3 of this part of the Great British High Street Competition is an achievement in itself, and we can only hope that, as the only Scottish representative in the final, we continue to get as much support as possible and the Judges see Dornoch at its very best on Friday”.

Please continue to vote for Dornoch at: www.thegreatbritishhighstreet.co.uk/finalist-rising-star. One vote per email address per day until the 18th November.

Learn More Here: MP Paul Monaghan supports Dornoch’s campaign to win Great British High Street awards.

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Wonderful Whisky Festival Dornoch Scotland – Join us at our annual Scottish Malt Whisky Event

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Via Visit Dornoch YouTube Channel
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PINEHURST LIVING MAGAZINE write fantastic article about Dornoch

Royal Dornoch Story by Jim Moriarty.

It was The New Yorker’s Herbert Warren Wind who, in the 1960s, took to reminding footloose Americans about the forgotten wonders of Royal Dornoch, a playground that comes blasphemously close to being the soul of a tiny Scottish town an hour’s journey up the A9 from Inverness. It’s a drive dotted with North Sea oil rigs on one side and flocks of sheep and celebrated distilleries on the other. Inverness is the gateway to the Highlands, the city where the rondello was invented — a stringed instrument designed as an improvement on the violin but which was, in tonal quality, roughly the equivalent of the bagpipes being an evolutionary advancement over the French horn. For golfers, especially American golfers, Dornoch has never lost that sense of romance, far enough in the distance to be an ideal, yet not so remote as to be unattainable. It’s the hometown of Donald Ross, the man who grew up on St. Gilbert Street but wound up scattering bits of his homeland across America like Johnny Appleseed. To hear some talk about it, you’d think Dornoch was as hard to reach as Ice Station Zebra, though the town is only about a five-hour drive from Glasgow. In the states, eight college kids in a car will drive three times that distance on Spring Break to reach a beach in Florida they’ll forever associate with Jell-O shots. It’s hard to imagine a town being remote when its main intersection has a pair of painted stalls reserved for tourist buses.

In 2016, Dornoch marked its 400th anniversary of golf. Well, four centuries since the game’s existence there appeared in a document. Only St. Andrews and Leith predate it. In 1616, Sir Robert Gordon, in his capacity as tutor to the 13th Earl of Sutherland, turned in an expense report seeking reimbursement for, among other things, “My Lord’s Golf Clubs and Golf Balls — £10 and £12”. Today the bean counters would kick that one back but, apparently, Gordon was able to get it past ye olde green eyeshades. Construction on the Dornoch Cathedral was begun in 1224, and from its completion until the Reformation in the 16th century a bond existed between clergy in St. Andrews and Dornoch. If they were playing golf in one, they were probably swatting it around in the other, too. Four hundred years, plus or minus, seemed excuse enough to throw a party.

One of the charms of Dornoch is that it does big things in a small way. The cathedral has been sacked, burned and used to stable horses but is, in its restored glory, nothing short of stunning. The championship golf course (there is a second course, the Struie) is beyond dispute one of the finest on the planet. The refurbished Royal Golf Hotel is just to the left of the first tee and right behind the clubhouse is Links House, owned by a couple of Chicagoans. It has as many stars as Italian marble and gourmet food can get you. The dual themes are golf and fishing. The eight bedrooms (some in the old, 1843 house, others in a newer addition) are named after the area’s salmon fishing rivers. The interiors are plastered with original oil paintings by original Scots. You can fall out of bed onto Royal Dornoch’s first tee or walk up Golf Road from one of the town’s B&Bs or other boutique hotels with your bag over your shoulder or a pull cart behind you and it’s as normal as the sight of blood pudding at breakfast. Dornoch is far away enough that it attracts the kind of people who seek out places that are far away enough.

The Castle Hotel, originally the cathedral bishop’s castle, has a pub where you’re as likely to run into a novelist who doesn’t play golf at all as you are to run into say, Ben Crenshaw, who played Dornoch for the first time in ’80 and is building a new course nearby with his partner, Bill Coore, the restorers of Pinehurst No. 2. The novelist, on the occasion I was there, was John Dodds, whose first crime thriller was “Bone Machines.” An excerpt: “Striding along one of these alleyways now, in the hour after midnight, confident as only an experienced native can be, it didn’t occur to Ray that he might be mugged or battered to death with a crowbar for no reason whatsoever.” Dornoch’s timeline includes Vikings fighting Picts in 850; Janet Horne burned at the stake for witchcraft in 1727 (the stone marker by the golf course indicates the spot of Scotland’s last such execution but with the wrong date, 1722); and Madonna’s visit in 2000. Make up your own witch joke.

The repurposed jail is an upscale gift shop with fine woolens over here and a vicious caning table over there. While it’s Donald Ross who brings the Americans by the busload, it’s the golf that takes them prisoner. Though Ross didn’t outright transplant Dornoch’s second green — a par three with a target shaped like the Devils Tower in “Close Encounters of the Third Kind” — pretty much everything else made the voyage to America after he was talked into leaving his post as the professional and greenkeeper at Royal Dornoch in 1899 by a Harvard professor. Blame the Ivy League for all those demonic, inverted saucer greens that demand just the right shot. Pinehurst No. 2 owes everything to Dornoch from its greens to its natural areas. Incidentally, some of the local Scottish folk weren’t amused when Donald up and left. They’d paid good pound sterling to have him study under Old Tom Morris in St. Andrews. More than a century later, this is their payback: Yanks making pilgrimages to a builder’s blueprint.

Jim Moriarty moved to Southern Pines in 1979 to join the staff of Golf World magazine, a publication founded in Pinehurst in 1947. He worked for Golf Digest and Golf World as both a contributing writer and photographer for 35 years

For Article & More News Go Here: PINEHURST LIVING MAGAZINE write fantastic article about Dornoch

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What’s On in Dornoch in November

The clocks have gone back and the nights are drawing in but in Dornoch and the surrounding area,there are still loads of great events taking place throughout November.

See here for the first 2 weeks and here for the second 2 weeks. Enjoy!

....And don't forget to Vote for Dornoch in the Great British High Street awards!

 

 

See Full Article Here: What’s On in Dornoch in November

What’s On in Dornoch in November posted first on http://visitdornoch.blogspot.co.uk

Visit Dornoch this Hogmanay!

Dornoch is well known for welcoming in the New Year in style! Join us to welcome in 2017 with dancing, dinners, candle making, treasure hunt, cocktails and more!

The Whole Hog – Saturday 31st December

10:30 to 14:30 pm Drop-in candle making workshop Coast Candle Co. (01862 811333) – £20
4:00 to 6:00 pm A moment’s calm in the Cathedral  Experience the Labyrinth Dornoch Cathedral
6:30 to 10:30 pm Family Hogmanay Ceilidh Grannie’s Heilan’ Hame (food served from 3pm)
8:30 to 10:30 pm Ceilidh Dancing,  Beginners welcome, BYOB, Dornoch Social Club (silver collection)
7:00 pm Dornoch Castle Hotel 5 course Gala Dinner with champagne and canapés on arrival
£65 per person, booking essential (01862 810216)
7:30 for 8pm Links House Hogmanay Dinner.Booking Essential (01862 810279) £65 pp
10:30 pm Dancing in the Street! The Famous Dornoch Hogmanay Party with The Red Reel Ceilidh Band. Dornoch Square. Lone Piper on Castle Battlements at midnight, followed by Fireworks Display  – Bucket Collection – all donations gratefully received!

First Foot Forward – Sunday 1st January

9:00 am to 12:00 noon Eagle Hotel. First Foot Breakfast. Full Scottish Breakfast £7.50
11:45 am Gather for 12:00 noon Splash Watch the brave ones doing the Dornoch Loony Dook
Soup & Porridge available! Dornoch Beach
12:00 to 2:00pm Links House. Sunday Lunch – Winter Warming offerings – Spiced Flavours! Booking Essential (01862 810279) £30 pp
12:00 to 4:00 pm Grannie’s Heilan’ Hame. Steak Pies for First Footers. Free steak pie with your first drink of 2017 in the Boston Bar!
7:00 pm Dornoch Castle Hotel Gourmet Buffet with sparkling wine and canapés on arrival and live music in the Castle Bar £37.50 per person, booking essential (01862 810216)
9:30 pm Eagle Hotel – live music with Bugsy Maclean

Spirit of the 2nd – Monday 2nd January

*All day Family treasure hunt around Dornoch. Free entry forms in shops and hotels. 1st Prize is a £50 voucher for Kingcraig Fabrics*
9.30 am ROYAL DORNOCH GOLF CLUB East of the Burn v West of the Burn golf competition £10 per person. The course will be open to members and visitors to play an individual Stableford competition. Players must nominate which team they are playing for. Local residents will do this by using their home address and visitors with the address of their accommodation. There will be prizes for individual scores as well as the overall team prize.
1:30 to 3:30 pm Links House – Festive Afternoon Tea. Booking Essential (01862 810279) £20
3:00 to 5:00 pm  Gin Tasting Eagle Hotel
7:00 to 8:30 pm Traditional Scottish Music Concert Dornoch Cathedral. Tickets £5 at the door.
9:00 pm Dornoch Castle Hotel Cocktail Night. Enjoy some fantastic cocktails made from the new Dornoch Distillery Gin as well as some light nibbles. £25 per person – booking essential (01862 810216)

See the full leaflet here

For Article & More News Go Here: Visit Dornoch this Hogmanay!

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Angus Macraild reports on the Dornoch Whisky Festival 28-30 October 2016

I had certain expectations about the Dornoch Whisky Festival while driving up the A9; helping to build a distillery, however, wasn’t one of them. Well, when I say ‘building’, really it was lifting stills into place. I arrived at Dornoch Castle Hotel and was promptly greeted by Phil and Simon Thompson who were in the midst of putting the finishing touches to the new Dornoch Distillery. All that remains is to wait for the official documentation from HMRC to arrive before distillation can finally commence.

Once concluded there was barely time for a tweet and a pint before getting the coach down to Balblair distillery for a tasting and screening of the Angels’ Share in the sage-like company of Charles Maclean. The first dram was a 2002 Balblair direct from a fresh bourbon barrel in the warehouse. If you’ve never tasted whisky from the cask it is one of life’s most supreme and decadent pleasures. To stand amidst all the must and thick dankness of an earthen floored dunnage warehouse watching as whisky is drawn - sloshing and frothy - direct from the cask into your waiting glass is a remarkabl and memorable experience. The whisky was fragrant and redolent with Balblair’s typical coastal zing and notes of gorse, wild flowers and green fruits. Walking out of the warehouse back towards the distillery, dram in hand, under the shimmeringly cold October skies I was reminded by just what special distillery Balblair truly is.

We enjoyed further drams from the distillery’s range, paired with chocolate while we gorged on the Angels’ Share. A film I’d only seen once before so it was a pleasure to watch it again in the place where so many of its key scenes were filmed. Afterwards it was back on the coach for the return trip to Dornoch; the taste of Balblair 1983 still echoing on our palates.

The distilleries of the north easter highlands are somewhat scattered, which is fitting in many ways as a festival such as the Dornoch Whisky fest needs a home - a nerve centre if you like. Undoubtedly that place is Dornoch Castle Hotel with its epically stocked whisky bar. I chatted, drank and dined with whisky enthusiast friends from Norway and new acquaintances from the industry itself. The food at Dornoch Castle is something too few people talk about in reference to the hotel in my opinion. If the whisky bar has one drawback it is only that it somewhat overshadows the restaurant. I’m not sure where else in this neck of the woods you can eat so well as Dornoch Castle Hotel. The execution and preparation using abundant local and seasonal ingredients is just faultless every time I eat here.

After dinner the local musicians played traditional music into the night. It’s a touch that just lifts the whole atmosphere of an already crowded and joyful bar to new levels. All in all it was a night full of merriment with an abundance of remarkable drams scattered throughout the evening. When I finally ascended the stairs to bed I was tired and met my pillow gratefully but still with a gladness that Saturday was still to come with more of the same sure to follow...

I can think of few other occasions where you could sit in the company of Charlies Maclean and eight other fellow whisky enthusiasts nursing a dram of Gordon & MacPhail’s 1974 Millburn Old & Rare. There are always interesting tastings to attend at any whisky festival of course, but to have such an intimate setting with such fine whiskies is a rarity indeed. On Saturday I arrived at the tasting for 3pm as scheduled, the line up was six whiskies - all quite exceptional whiskies. Over two hours later we still hadn’t made it to the sixth and final dram. Tastings are usual quite rigidly times affairs but this one was luxurious, stately in pace and generous in depth and variety of conversation. To have the opportunity to sit and discuss all things whisky in such depth over such fine whiskies in Charlie’s company was a real treat and certainly the highlight of the festival so far for me.

The main event on Saturday though, was the Gala Tasting. A lively, and at times very busy, marquee tent on the grounds of Dornoch Castle Hotel was packed full of highland distilleries and local producers selling and showcasing their wares. For me the opportunity to taste such a multitude of whiskies in the company and tutelage of the people that make them is always welcome. However, what struck me was also the quality of the other produce on offer; delicious vegan home cooking; home baking all made using an old fashioned Aga; some exceptional chocolates and home made truffles - there was no shortage of delicious and decadent food and drink on offer.

Come the evening I disappeared up the road for dinner with friends before returning to the Castle for the Ceilidh. Sadly I didn’t get a chance to do much dancing given I was again cornered in the bar by friends old and new. There isn’t much more to say except that drams were had, stories told and laughter flowed loud and free. It’s hard to overstate what a great setting it is for a festival. To have a single hub at night around which everyone coagulates and comes together to share in whiskies and chatter is a very bright cherry on the cake.

Sunday was the final day of the Dornoch Whisky Festival. People were tired but the sun was out and we were still smiling. We caught the coach at 12.30 from Dornoch to Clynelish distillery for what was to prove the undoubted highlight of the festival for many of us: tasting several truly beautiful Broras in the old Clynelish distillery. It’s hard to explain just how special a place the old Clynelish distillery is. It’s not even a particularly attractive distillery. The grey stonework has an industrial feel to it, interspersed with steel and concrete structures and a fading brick chimney rising above the old pagoda. Walking around the muddle of buildings what makes it so special is that this sprawl of industrial buildings created such an immense and legendary distillate for the entirety of its lifespan. Looking around now and seeing the disrepair of the still room and the spreading lichen, grass and moss which is overtaking everything, it’s sad to think of the whole distillery just sitting there and rotting away.

It does, however, make for a remarkably good place to contemplate and enjoy the whiskies that were produced there. We are led by our guide, the tremendous Jacqueline James-Bow, around the various accessible buildings of the old distillery - stopping for a dram in each one. We began with the filling store, then onto the warehouse before finally stopping for a taste of three different Special Releases Brora - by way of a quick glance in the old still room - in the old distillery office. It was a wonderful way to spend a quiet Sunday afternoon, the air cold and crisp but the sun out and dazzling.

Upon departing Brora it was back to Dornoch Castle Hotel for a few hours of relaxation and recuperation before the finale tasting that evening. We reconvened around eight o’clock for the Balblair tasting hosted by Phil and Simon Thompson. Six old and rare - mostly independently bottled - Balblairs. It was exactly what everyone wanted, a lazy, relaxed and informal but entertaining run through six terrific whiskies. An experience which once again highlighted just what a consistently great distillate Balblair is, and what a uniquely perfect setting the Dornoch Castle Hotel is for such a festival.

After the tasting a few of us remained in the bar - a far quieter place than the previous two nights - and relaxed with a few of our own bottles scattered on the table. As someone remarked: “Where can you get a session like this with these kinds of quality whiskies?” It’s a question you might ask of the whole weekend and one to which the answer remains: not many. Roll on the 2017 Dornoch Whisky Festival.

(Angus Macraild is a writer for www.scotchwhisky.com and Whisky Online Shop)

 

 

 

 

For Article & More News Go Here: Angus Macraild reports on the Dornoch Whisky Festival 28-30 October 2016

Angus Macraild reports on the Dornoch Whisky Festival 28-30 October 2016 posted first on http://visitdornoch.blogspot.co.uk

Dornoch has been shortlisted for The Great British High Street Awards!

Vote for DORNOCH in the Great British High Street Awards!

We are delighted to announce that Dornoch has been shortlisted in the Rising Star category of the Great British High Street Awards!

Dornoch's application has been made to celebrate the various initiatives over the last three years of community, business, private and public partnership to attract more visitors to our Highland village, and to ensure a warm welcome once here.

The aim is to encourage longer stays in Dornoch, especially out of season, by promoting events and activities through the new Visitor Centre, on social media and via visitdornoch.com.

This year’s competition saw a record 900 entries across all 14 categories, including the new categories for individuals and shops. Now the shortlist has been drawn up and the public has the chance to vote directly for their best-loved high street online.
DACIC now invite people to vote in support of Dornoch's bid at thegreatbritishhighstreet.co.uk from 18th October to 18th November, during which time everyone will be entitled to cast one vote per person per day.

If Dornoch wins, not only will they get a share of prize pot worth £100,000, but they’ll win expert training from Google’s digital taskforce for shops, bars and restaurants and a trip to Twitter UK’s London office to further boost their social media skills. High Streets Minister Andrew Percy said: “Our high streets are the life and soul of towns, villages and cities across the country and the record number of competition entries, this year is proof of their continued importance to local life. “From North London to Northumberland, great work is underway to adapt the high street to the needs of modern life. “I want to wish all who’ve entered the very best of luck.”

The Great British High Street Competition 2016 celebrates the great work that is being done to revive, adapt and diversify the nation’s high streets. It is one of a number of initiatives to help champion high streets as the cornerstones of the community. The Government is helping local business communities adapt to the changing face of high streets, with a £6.7 billion package of business rates support, to cut the rates for 900,000 businesses – with 600,000 now paying none at all. The second Great British High Street competition last year saw 230 entries and attracted over 200,000 public votes, with Bishy Road in York, a former finalist, crowned Britain’s best. Bishy Road found that winning not only boosted town pride, but also had a tangible economic impact with retailers reporting increased footfall.

Joan Bishop, Chair of DACIC, says "Our success in Dornoch is due to the support  of the whole community.  But to win this national award we now need everyone to vote daily. Help us make sure our small town packs a big punch!"

Alongside the public’s votes, shortlisted towns will also be inspected by the judging panel – made up of industry leaders from across retail, property and business – including British Land, the Post Office and Holland and Barratt.

To go online to cast your vote, visit the Great British High Street website and follow @TheGBHighSt on Twitter. Voting closes on November 18th. (Don't forget that everyone can vote once a day!)

 

Learn More Here: Dornoch has been shortlisted for The Great British High Street Awards!

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What’s on at Dornoch Whisky Festival- Charles MacLean

 

We are delighted to welcome Charles to the Dornoch Whisky Festival and you can be assured of some entertaining and informative company over the weekend! Charles Maclean was trained in 'the sensory evaluation of potable spirits' by the Scotch Whisky Research Institute in 1992 and has presented numerous tastings and talks in the U.K. and abroad for whisky companies, corporations, universities and clubs, and on radio and TV. He is a member of the Judging Panel (Spirits) of the International Wines & Spirits Competition, and was runner-up as 'Communicator of the Year' in the 2003 IWSC Awards.

See below to find out what events Charles will be attending!

Friday 28 October

The Dornoch Whisky Festival opens this year on the 28 October at 5pm with a tasting at Balblair run by well known whisky writer and taster, Charles MacLean. He starred in the film 'The Angel's Share', based at Balblair Distillery. You are invited to take part is the unique opening event with Charles leading a welcome tasting prior to the viewing Angel's Share! See the Angel's Share trailer here. This exclusive event is limited to 16 places. Booking in advance is essential. The costs is £80 per person, which includes transport from Dornoch.

After the tasting and film, Charles will be hosting a dinner at Links House in Dornoch. This has now sold out but there are other venues around the town who are holding opening night dinners including the Royal Dornoch Golf Club and the Dornoch Castle Hotel.

Saturday 29

On Saturday 29, Charles will be attending the Gala Tasting event at the Dornoch Castle. He will be drawing the tombola for the Chocolate and Whisky Paring Masterclass and be around all afternoon to chat to the attendees and join in with the fun! Charles has described the Gala Whisky Tasting as a 'rolling party'! See Charles talk about the Gala Tasting here and come along and join in the fun!

After the Gala Tasting, Charles will be doing a Taste of the Highlands masterclass at the newly opened Carnegie Whisky Cellars in the old Courthouse building.  The atmospheric tasting room is housed in the 200 year old original court record vault - complete with steel security door and Caithness slab flooring. 16 places are available at this exclusive event, at £150 per person

For all of the above events and more: www.dornochwhiskyfestival.com

Start planning your weekend now!

Source Here: What’s on at Dornoch Whisky Festival- Charles MacLean

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Halloween and Bonfire Night events!

The summer season may be drawing to an end but it doesn’t mean that everything stops in Dornoch. We are really excited for Hallowe’en and Bonfire Night so keep reading to find out what's on in and around Dornoch!

Halloween Craft workshop
History links is running a craft workshop on Friday 14th October. Open to all School children.
P1-P5 at 10.30am and P5- P7 at 1.30pm. £1.50 each,
To book ring Lynne at Historylinks (01862) 811275

Hallowe'en Party for Kids
We bet your child has a great costume this Hallowe’en, so make sure they show it off at the Hallowe’en Party for Kids on Friday 28th October between 6:15pm—9:15pm at the Dornoch Social Club. They’ll be a disco for all the little witches and wizards!

Live Music at The Dornoch Inn
You can’t say hello to the Hallowe’en weekend without some live music so join us on Friday 28th October at The Dornoch Inn with live music from The Black Rock Ceilidh Band. For more information:

The Trentham Hotel Hallowe’en Party
To get into the Hallowe’en spirit of things, head along to the Trentham Hotel on Saturday 29th October at 9pm where they’ll be hosting their annual Hallowe’en party! Guaranteed good fun but if you need more information call: 01862 810551

Spooky Halloween Walks at Timespan and Brora Heritage
If you’re feeling very brave, then join in on this walk at the Timespan Museum on Monday 24th October at 6:30pm with storyteller Lorna Jappy. Or if that’s too scary for a school night, Brora Heritage Centre is also doing a spooky walk on Friday 28th October at 6:30pm to 7:30pm. It will include a short walk around the Heritage Park, with Lorna Jappy and her scary ghost stories – both events are suitable for all ages.

Dornoch Bonfire Night
Remember, remember the 5th of November and remember that Dornoch will be hosting its annual Bonfire Night at the Meadows Park! They’ll be fireworks, sideshows and refreshments from 6:30pm until 8pm. If you need some more details just call: 01862 811263

 

 

Original Post Here: Halloween and Bonfire Night events!

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Looking for accommodation for the Whisky Festival?

Our accommodation providers are offering some great deals over the Whisky Festival.

See the link below and get your accommodation booked!

http://www.visitdornoch.com/late-availability

 

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What’s on in Dornoch this October?

The October holidays are nearly upon us! There is so much happening in and around Dornoch for children and adults alike this autumn! A knitting festival, arts festival, harvest dinner, live music, cinema, guitar festival, ballet, a food festival and plays and much more! Come and visit us this October and get involved!

See here and here for a full programme of what's happening.

For Article & More News Go Here: What’s on in Dornoch this October?

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The Gala Tasting at the Dornoch Whisky Festival

Want to taste Whisky from 16 local distilleries all in one place? Like good food and a great atmosphere? Then book your tickets now for the Gala Tasting event at the Dornoch Whisky Festival!

Set in the grounds of the historic Dornoch Castle Hotel, The Gala Tasting is sure to be popular with Whisky connoisseurs and novices alike! This grand tasting event is the heart of the Dornoch Whisky Festival and will be taking place from 12pm unitl 4pm on the 29th October. Tickets are only £25 so it is an affordable day out for all whisky lovers.

Come along and sample a wide range of malt whisky from local distillers including Balblair, Clynelish, The Dalmore, Glenmorangie, Glen Ord, Old Pulteney & Wolfburn, as well as Gordon & Macphail, Benromach, Glen Scotia, Glenturret, Annandale and Douglas Laing. And we are very excited to announce that our very own Dornoch Distillery will have gin to sample!

Our very special guest Charles Maclean will be attending the tasting and be meeting and greeting everyone who comes along. Charles has written many books on Scotch Whisky and runs tastings and masterclasses world wide. He is very knowledgeable will be a fantastic person to spend the afternoon with!

Tickets are £25 each which includes 20 vouchers to be used on the drams of your choice as well as a plate of cheese, bread and grapes to be enjoyed at your leisure! You will receive a Goody Bag with a voucher card to be exchanged for drams (with option to purchase more) a Glencairn tasting glass, pen, program and a bottle of water. You will also receive a tombola ticket which enters you automatically into a draw for a place in the Chocolate and Whisky pairing masterclass run by Whisky Corner. We are very excited about this event and Whisky Corner are working with local distilleries and Cocoa Skye, a local chocolate producer, to create a very exclusive Chocolate and Whisky pairing workshop. Only 25 lucky people (chosen at random by Charles Maclean) will get a chance to attend this 45 minute workshop which will take place a 2pm. We can’t wait!

Alongside the Whisky tasting stalls we will also have chocolates, cake, Whisky flavoured candles, Gluten free beer and Gin!

In the evening after the Gala Tasting the Castle are hosting there a BBQ followed by a Traditional Ceilidh

Book your tickets now: www.dornochwhiskyfestival.com

 

 

For More Information Go Here: The Gala Tasting at the Dornoch Whisky Festival

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Dornoch Whisky Festival by Angus Macraild

Tell someone you’re going to Dornoch and you can expect one of two responses: “I didn’t know you played golf?” or “Where?”. I’ve been coming to Dornoch and Sutherland for a number of years now for work (and more than a little pleasure to boot) and if there’s an unsung whisky nook of Scotland then it’s here among the sprawling coastal headlands and the seemingly distant mountains that heave suddenly from the earth as you move inland.

The idea of a ‘Dornoch Whisky Festival’ is one of those notions that might make you scratch your head at first but on further rumination makes you wonder why you didn’t think of it yourself. That northern vertebrae of the A9 from Muir Or Ord up to its termination in Wick boasts a scattering of some of Scotland’s most famous distilleries; as well as some of its most respected ‘under the radar’ and newer names. Indeed, in Dornoch itself with it’s fledgling eponymous wee distillery - currently undergoing finishing touches at Dornoch Castle Hotel - you’ll find one of Scotland’s most exciting and ambitious new distilling projects; one driven by ideology and smart economics rather than brute efficiency.

So given the wealth of local tradition, product and knowledge, it’s sort of odd this is only the second year of the Dornoch Whisky Festival. Looking over the event pages you can see the sheer scale and versatility of the events and people that will be involved, from local bars, shops and distillers, to international whisky figureheads such as Charles MacLean. The festival features dinners, Ceilidhs, all manner of tastings, lunches, tours and walks. One of the central highlights of the festival - and one which I’m particularly excited about - is the Gala tasting on Saturday 29th at 12pm in Dornoch Castle Hotel. Of all the events this is probably the key place for people to come and get a thorough understanding and overview of all the various malts that this region of the Highlands has to offer. The chance to meet, taste and talk with the people that make these great drams and garner some first hand knowledge is the key to a deeper appreciation and understanding of whisky. And for anyone who fancies a break from the drams or just wants a wee refreshment, I hear you’ll be among the first in the world able to sample the new craft gin from Dornoch Distillery at the event.

There is something about Scotland when you travel north of Inverness - beyond the wall if you will - the character of the land, the people and the produce changes. Whenever I drive up the A9 there’s a feeling when you get over Kessock bridge and into the smaller towns and villages that you’re somewhere with its own identity. I’ve always looked forward to heading north but to head up to a festival that gathers together some of the best local produce and the people that source and make it - that’s a special occasion, one worth the effort of the trip and one not likely soon forgotten. I look forward to sharing, and discovering, a few great drams with even greater people.

(Angus Macraild is a writer for www.scotchwhisky.com and Whisky Online Shop)

Read More Here: Dornoch Whisky Festival by Angus Macraild

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Ten things to DO in Dornoch: Whisky

Lovers of single malts or those keen to learn about Scotland’s national drink are spoilt for choice when visiting Dornoch and the surrounding area, Dornoch is the perfect centre point for your Whisky Tour of the area. You can visit 6 famous distilleries within an easy drive of Dornoch. Clynelish, Balblair, Glenmorangie, Dalmore, Glen Ord and Old Pulteney are all close by so there is every opportunity to raise a glass to your holiday in Scotland. Sample and compare a range of malts on this 'Whisky Trail' by participating in distillery tours and tastings as well as visiting famous Whisky venues in Dornoch itself.

1) The Dornoch Castle Whisky Bar

The award winning Whisky Bar is renowned for its selection of incredible vintage malts and rare bottling, with their vast selection at hand there is a whisky to suit every palate. The Thompson brothers, Simon and Phil, host regular Whisky Tasting for groups who wish to find out more about their favourite drams.

For more information visit: www.dornochcastlehotel.com 
Email: enquiries@dornochcastlehotle.com
Telephone: 01862 810216

2) Dornoch Distillery

Simon & Phil from the Castle Whisky Bar are now onto their next venture. Having successfully developed one of the best Whisky Bars in Scotland they are now putting their vast knowledge and experience to the test and have begun the process of building their very own distillery on the grounds of the Dornoch Castle Hotel.

The construction has begun on the old “Fire House” which was built in 1881, situated in the rear of the Castle’s garden. Although the building is small it has plenty of room for the boys to create their own hand crafted ‘old style’ whisky and organic gin from scratch.

For more information visit: www.dornochdistillery.com
Email: info@dornochdistillery.com
Telephone: 01862 810 216

3) Dornoch Whisky Festival

Our annual Whisky Festival is held in October every year. It includes Tastings, Distillery Tours, Amazing menus throughout the town, a Ceilidh and more. Take a look at our website for more details of the next festival and ‘like’ our Facebook page to keep up to date with the latest news.

For more information visit:www.dornochwhiskyfestival.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/dornochwhiskyfestival

4) Carnegie Whisky Cellars

The Carnegie Whisky Cellars is situated on the Carnegie Courthouse on the ground floor in the former Royal Burgh of Dornoch. Opened in 2016 this new Whisky shop focuses on local distilleries, as well as stocking  a unique range of malt whiskies from across Scotland. We also offer a great selection of Blended Whiskies, Independent Bottlings, Liqueurs and other spirits.
The Carnegie Whisky Cellars gives customers the opportunity to get involved with one of our vibrant tastings. These include Malt and Blended Whiskies, Gin, Local Beers and Cocktails.

For more information visit: www.thecarnegiecourthouse.co.uk/whisky-cellars/
Email: info@thecarnegiewhiskycellars.com

5) Clynelish

Clynelish Distillery is located in the popular coastal holiday town of Brora, around half an hour north of Dornoch. The Distillery has beautiful views of the North Sea and the hills to the North. The Clynemilton burn runs over seams of gold in the rock and with this water, the distillery produces a fruity, waxy, slightly smokey single malt Scotch whisky using six traditional copper stills. A warm welcome awaits every visitor to Sutherland's only distillery and they offer a variety of tours including private and group bookings. Tours, tastings and distillery shop available all year. Please contact Clynelish for more details or to book and see the webiste for opening times: www.discovering-distilleries.com/clynelish

Address: Clynelish Distillery, Brora, Sutherland.  KW9 6LR
Email: clynelish.distillery@diageo.com
Phone: 01408 623000
Time from Dornoch: 30 minutes

6) Balblair

 

Balblair is situated on the beautiful Dornoch Firth in the village of Edderton. It was featured in the film The Angel's Share, directed by Ken Loach. Each Balblair Vintage captures the essence of its year in a bottle. They are only ever selected at the absolute peak of perfection and hand picked to represent the very best the Distillery has to offer. Balblair offers 3 tours: Experience tour - £7 (tasting one vintage), Vintage tour - £20 (tasting 3 vintages), Enthusiast Tour - £45 (Extra tastings including wort and wash). The Balblair Distillery tours are intimate and personal – an insight into their pursuit of producing the finest quality Vintage Malt Whisky, using methods that have changed very little over the years. Tours, Tastings and distillery shop available all year. Please contact Balblair  for more details or to book and see the website for opening times: www.balblair.com

Address: Balblair Distillery. Edderton, Tain, Ross-Shire. IV19 1LB
Email: jross@inverhouse.com
Phone: 01862 821273
Time from Dornoch: 15 minutes
7) The Dalmore

Dalmore Distillery sits on the banks of the Cromarty Firth overlooking the Black Isle, the "big meadowland" from which it takes its name. This award winning distillery creates a number of whiskies that are produced in a combination of different stills of various sizes which give the whisky a complex character. Take a tour  to get a rare insight into the skill, expertise and craft that goes into each precious drop of The Dalmore.  Tours, Tastings and distillery shop available all year. Contact for more information or to book. Please contact Dalmore for more details or to book and see the website for opening times: www.thedalmore.com

Address: Dalmore Distillery, Alness, Ross-shire. IV17 0UT
Email: shaun.jennens@whyteandmackay.com
Phone: 01349 882 362
Time from Dornoch: 30 minutes

8) Glen Ord

Situated on the edge of the Black Isle, an hour south of Dornoch, Glen Ord continues to malt its own barley and to use the long fermentation and slow distillation methods followed there for generations.
The soil, the barley, the sea air and the marvelously soft water that imparts Glen Ord Single Malt Whisky with has earned it the name the “Richer Malt”.
Take a tour of the distillery and watch the distillers at work creating a magical malt whisky which is sweet, malty and dry on the palate. Tours, Tastings and distillery shop available all year. Please contact Glen Ord  for more details or to book and see the website for opening times: www.discovering-distilleries.com/glenord

Address: Glen Ord, Muir Of Ord, Ross-shire. IV6 7UJ
Email: glen.ord.distillery@diageo.com
Phone: 01463 872004
Time from Dornoch: 1 hour

9) Old Pulteney

The Pulteney Distillery is the most northerly on mainland Scotland. Made near Wick's historic harbour, the quietly maturing spirit lies in hand-selected oak casks, slowly capturing the unique character of this stunning landscape with its long seafaring history. Old Pulteney is the embodiment of history, people and place: the Genuine Maritime Malt. A tour is the ideal way to experience this craftsmanship first hand. You can try a complimentary dram and discover the taste of this award-winning whisky for yourself. Tours, Tastings and distillery shop available all year. Please contact Old Pulteney for more details or to book and see the website for opening times: www.oldpulteney.com

Address: Pulteney Distillery, Huddart Street, Wick. KW1 5BA
Email: mwaring@inverhouse.com
Phone: 01955 602371
Time from Dornoch: 1 hour 30 minutes

10) Glenmorangie

Glenmorangie Distillery sits on the shores of The Dornoch Firth, just north of Tain. It is in this peaceful setting, this most beautiful of natural environments, that the Glenmorangie whiskies are created. Alongside the classic ‘Original 10 year old’, Glenmorangie produces a range of other whiskies including the limited edition ‘Dornoch’. The stills are the tallest in Scotland, which means that only the very lightest and purest vapours make it to the top, giving a smoother, more elegant whisky. There are 3 different distillery tours available, all of which include tastings. Tours, tastings and distillery shop available all year  (tastings and distillery tours by appointment only Nov-March) Please contact Glenmorangie for more details or to book and see the website for opening times: www.glenmorangie.com

Address: Glenmorangie Distillery, Tain, Ross-shire. IV19 1PZ
Email: tain-shop@glenmorangie.co.uk
Phone: 01862 892 477
Time from Dornoch: 15 minutes

 

 

 

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What’s on at Dornoch Whisky Festival- Saturday 29th October

The second day of the Dornoch Whisky Festival 2016 includes our main tasting event, The Gala Tasting, at the Dornoch Castle Hotel, a Ceilidh, BBQ, tastings, tours and amazing menus throughout the town.

You can book online now here: www.dornochwhiskyfestival.com. All events outside of Dornoch include return transport.

Independant Bottling Masterclass, Carnegie Whisky Cellars: 11am, £50pp

The Carnegie Whisky Cellars opened in May this year. Not only do they run fantastic tasting sessions, but they also have a whisky shop selling a wide range of whiskys from around the world. Join them for a preview of 6 of the showcased northern distilleries at the festival. We'll be opening some very special independent bottles for your enjoyment. Starting at 11am, places are limited to 16 only, at a cost of £50 per place. Book now to sample some aged and exciting single malt whiskies.

The Dalmore Discovery Distillery Tour: 11am, £30pp

The Dalmore Distillery sits on the banks of the Cromarty Firth overlooking the Black Isle. Dalmore means the "big meadowland" from which it takes its name.
This award winning Highland Single Malt is renowned for its rich sherry cask finishes and rare expressions. The Dalmore Discovery Distillery tour gives a rare insight into the skill, expertise and craft that goes into each precious drop of The Dalmore.
The tour is £30 per person, which includes three drams and transport from Dornoch.

Signet Tour of Glenmorangie: 11am, £30pp

Glenmorangie Distillery sits on the shores of The Dornoch Firth, just south of Dornoch.
To complement your Distillery Tour a visit to our Signet Room is included, where you can sample Glenmorangie Original and Glenmorangie Signet which is one of our rarest expressions and undoubtedly the richest whisky in our range. A complex vatting of our oldest whisky stocks combined with whiskies matured in the world's most expensive designer casks we bring alive Glenmorangie Signet's rich dark layers of flavour with a very unusual and alluring sonic tasting experience.
The Signet Tour of Glenmorangie is £30 per person, which includes transport from Dornoch.

The Gala Tasting: 12pm, £25pp

Come along and sample a wide range of malt whisky from local distillers including Balblair, Clynelish, The Dalmore, Glenmorangie, Glen Ord, Old Pulteney & Wolfburn, as well as Gordon & Macphail, Benromach, Glen Scotia, Glenturret, Annandale and Douglas Laing. And we are very excited to announce that our very own Dornoch Distillery will have gin to sample in this year! There will be a FREE cheese and bread table, chocolates, cakes and even a Chocolate and Whisky pairing Masterclass run by Whisky Corner (only available to people attending the Gala Tasting, £15 per person) There will also be food available ranging from Tapas to Burgers!
Tickets are £25 each for which you will receive a Goody Bag with pen, bottle of water, Gala Tasting brochure,  voucher card to be exchanged for drams (with option to purchase more) and a Glencairn tasting glass.

A Taste of the Highlands Tour: 3pm, £150pp

Charles Maclean was trained in 'the sensory evaluation of potable spirits' by the Scotch Whisky Research Institute in 1992 and has presented numerous tastings and talks in the U.K. and abroad for whisky companies, corporations, universities and clubs, and on radio and TV. He is a member of the Judging Panel (Spirits) of the International Wines & Spirits Competition, and was runner-up as 'Communicator of the Year' in the 2003 IWSC Awards.
We are delighted to welcome Charles to the Dornoch Whisky Festival and you can be assured of an entertaining and informative "Taste of the Highlands". The venue is newly opened Carnegie Whisky Cellars in the old Courthouse building. The atmospheric tasting room is housed in the 200 year old original court record vault - complete with steel security door and Caithness slab flooring.
16 places are available at this exclusive event, at £150 per person

Dinner Service at Links House: 6.30pm, £55

You can always expect wonderful food and wine when you visit the award winning Links House.  Their head chef's focus is on seasonal delicacies, locally sourced from a selection of speciality suppliers.
We offer a small choice menu constructed daily dependent on our chef's network of specialty suppliers. Whether fresh Dornoch mussels, Langoustines from nearby Scrabster or game from Bonar Bridge, you will find it delightful. Dinner is priced at £55 with an appetiser. Reservations are from 6.30pm. Complimentary dram/ Prosecco and canapés upon arrival.

BBQ and Ceilidh at the Dornoch Castle Hotel: from 7pm

After an afternoon of whisky tasting, sit back, relax and enjoy a Barbeque to recharge your batteries and get ready for a traditional Ceilidh! The Barbeque runs from 7pm and is £8 per person. The Ceilidh starts at 9pm so stick around and finish off the evening in true Highland style- Get your dancing shoes on and dance to the music of the Red Reel Ceilidh Band - with Magnus Orr on the pipes.

Start planning your weekend now!

Read This Article & More Here: What’s on at Dornoch Whisky Festival- Saturday 29th October

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What’s on at Dornoch Whisky Festival- Friday 28th October

The Dornoch Whisky festival 2016 begins with a fantastic evening jam packed with tastings and amazing menus throughout the town and in local distilleries. You can book online now here: www.dornochwhiskyfestival.com. All events outside of Dornoch include return transport.

Balblair tasting and Film with Charles Maclean: 5pm-7pm

The first event is a tasting at Balblair Distillery hosted by Whisky legend Charles Maclean. Charles Maclean is a well known whisky writer and taster, who starred in the film 'The Angel's Share', based in at Balblair Distillery. You are invited to take part in this unique opening event with Charles leading a welcome tasting prior to the viewing Angel's Share! This exclusive event is limited to 16 places. Booking in advance is essential. The costs is £80 per person, which includes transport from Dornoch.

Dinner in the Castle Bistro: from 6.30pm

Enjoy dinner in the informal setting of the Castle Bistro with its centre-piece a roaring log fire in the 11ft fireplace that was formerly the Bishop's kitchen in the 1500's.
Select a dram at the Whisky Bar that features 15th Century stonewalls, completed with oak paneling and Caithness slab flooring.
The chefs at the Dornoch Castle Hotel have been working exceptionally hard maintaining, for six years running, an AA Rosette Status. Using locally source produce to highlight all that Scottish cuisine has to offer. Our food and beverage team have crafted a wine and whisky list especially to compliment the chef's menu.

Gala Dinner at Links House: 7.30pm- THIS EVENT IS NOW FULLY BOOKED

Join us at Links House for our 4 course tasting menu carefully created by our Head Chef Jon-Paul Saint and complimented by four of Balblair's finest Single Malt, including an exclusive bottling.The evening will be hosted by world renowned whisky expert and writer Charles MacLean. The evening begins with complementary canapes and a wee dram, to enjoy beside a roaring fire in the lounge, dinner is served in our Orangery Restaurant at 8pm. You will taste the very best of the Highland's seasonal fayre and our exceptional team will ensure that you have a memorable experience in wonderful surroundings.
There are 12 places at the Gala Dinner, at £95 each, so please book today to be part of this exclusive event.

The Dalmore Masked Dinner at the Royal Dornoch Golf Hotel: 7.30pm

Since 2010 the Royal Dornoch Golf Hotel's Head Chef, Saminda Mavilmada and his loyal team, have consistently produced exciting and seasonally changing dishes with the emphasis on fresh local ingredients. Here in the Highlands we are blessed with an abundance of quality produce especially Scottish beef, fish, shellfish and game.
The Dalmore Masked Dinner is a three course meal, followed by a cheese board, each beautifully paired with a Dalmore Expression.
Cigars will be served on the patio accompanied by The Dalmore Cigar Malt Reserve. Guests will each receive a signed copy of Richard Paterson's book “Goodness Nose".
There are 20 places at the Dalmore Masked Dinner, at £75 each, so please book today to be part of this special event.

Glenmorangie Masked Dinner: 8pm

Start the Dornoch Whisky Festival by enjoying a splendid meal in the Royal Dornoch Golf Club, currently celebrating 400 Years of Golf. Our team, under the guidance of Head Chef Helen Needs, continually develops dishes of taste and style, the quality of which has met with worldwide approval.
Here in the Highlands we are fortunate in that our local produce is of the highest quality, much sought after and exported around the world. Almost all of our dishes are locally sourced and all their menu items are freshly prepared in house.
The Glenmorangie Gala Dinner is 3 course dinner with coffee, each course matched with selected Glenmorangie whisky.
The cost is £45 per person, 40 places are available and booking in advance is essential.

Live Music at the Dornoch Whisky Bar: 8pm

Enjoy Traditional Live Music whilst sampling The Whisky Bar's vast selection of rare and unique vintage malts.

Live Music in the Dornoch inn: 9pm

Enjoy a meal and at the Dornoch inn and settle down for an evening of Live Music from 9pm. Free entry.

Live Music in the Eagle Hotel: 9.30pm

Enjoy an evening of music in The Eagle Hotel. Free admission.

 

Start planning your weekend now!

Originally Published Here: What’s on at Dornoch Whisky Festival- Friday 28th October

What’s on at Dornoch Whisky Festival- Friday 28th October posted first on http://visitdornoch.blogspot.co.uk

Looking for a short break or weekend break in Scotland? – find it all here…

Watch on YouTube here: Looking for a short break or weekend break in Scotland? – find it all here…
Via Visit Dornoch YouTube Channel
Looking for a short break or weekend break in Scotland? – find it all here… posted first on http://visitdornoch.blogspot.co.uk

The Other Side to Culzean Castle….

A Visit to the Culzean Castle Caves

We do love a bit of spooky don't we? Never mind ghost tours – grim dark pits under ancient castles that are shrouded in mystery and intrigue win every day for me and they don't come any better than the Culzean Castle caves. While the opulence and grandeur of the Culzean Estate speak of centuries of the good life for those fortunate enough, there is no escaping the significantly darker past of what lies beneath…..

The Culzean Castle caves tucked under the foundations pre-date the fortress above and, staggeringly, likely have origins from the 9^th Century. With an external appearance reminding me of my adventures in Petra, the caves are cut into the rock directly beneath the castle and still stand in hauntingly ever-lasting condition. But first, a word about the castle itself.

Records show that a towerhouse at Culzean can be traced back as far as the 1400s, while the castle we see today began its long development in the late 16^th Century. Under the ownership of multiple generations of the Kennedy family, Culzean grew into a stunning mansion in the 18^th Century thanks largely to the architectural guidance of Robert Adam. Dramatically located on the coastline amid a massive estate, Culzean is home to numerous gardens, beaches and wildlife species – making it one of Scotland's most loved tourist destinations today. The views from the castle over the Firth of Clyde and to the island mound Ailsa Craig are magnificent and it's worth getting down to the water to get the best vantage points.

Personally, I like to think I have an interestingly imaginative mindset, prone to the dramatic and far-fetched. Drifting somewhere between hyperbole and nonsense gets me through the day. Which made for some interesting fiction in my early travel writing days too (nothing got published, go figure). There can be few better places in Scotland to let this, shall we say, colourful creative streak run riot. The history of the Culzean Castle caves are riddled with speculation and guesswork but it's fairly clear that there were some dubious/lethal goings-on at various points.

What appears certain is that the Culzean Castle caves were used as a smuggling hideaway in the 1700s, whereby contraband from the Isle of Man was brought ashore and clandestinely stored along the Ayrshire coast. It seems unlikely that this carry on could be conducted completely unbeknown to the castle occupants and there may have been some dodgy deals done to the benefit of all. Tax avoidance at its best. Dubious as it may be though, this is a positively cheery period in the caves' history compared to its other, darker, presumed chapters.

One includes mention to the infamous Sawney Bean. Nasty piece of work this guy. Cannibal extraordinaire, this charmer set up camp in Ayrshire sometime in the 1500s and is said to have utilised the coastal caves to, well, eat his victims. Along with his small clan of family supporters, they terrorised the region with numerous abductions under cover of darkness. Eventually they were rooted out and unceremoniously dismembered, hanged and torched by an understandably edgy local populace. Could the Culzean Castle caves have been one of their lairs? Quite possibly.

There are several 'rooms' within the cave system, with the furthest inside having a clear low level door. Almost crawling in to this increasingly damp underground mystery, we learn that the door was built to only be closed from the inside – meaning that someone would have sealed themselves into this pit-like space voluntarily! That's a real head-scratcher. With seemingly no other way out, why on earth would someone do that? Cue frantic speculation. Katie and Eric are excellent guides and play on the groups' growing unease brilliantly once we are inside. We all switch out our headlights and take a few moments to embrace the total blackness. More eerie and thought-provoking than actually scary, the thought of being locked away in such a place with, at best, the odd candle to keep you sane is utterly incredible. Logic says there must be more to the caves and that they perhaps connect up to the castle somehow. An escape tunnel? A cellar? A dungeon? It would appear not based on the exploratory radar and laser work already carried out here, but can we ever be completely sure?

The plot thickens with the revelation that, early this century, police were called in after the discovery of remains within the caves. Quickly establishing that they were ancient and that the potential murder investigation could be called off, it adds an astonishing new aura to the place. Did people live here? Were they murdered? Was it Sawney Bean's doing? And then there's the tale of the piper that went into the caves never to return but who, some swear, can still be heard playing in and around the area. This story goes something along the lines of the piper, and his dog, heading into the cave booming out his tunes to exorcise the ghosts and evil spirits (apparently they are not fans of the 'pipes). Problem was that he didn't come out again and that only his dog returned, trembling with fear and completely hairless. Picture the scene as we are all being told this while inside a cold, almost black murder pit with the sound of the wind whistling by off the cliffs outside. Seriously spooky stuff.

Home alone and researching/writing this at midnight's not good for my nervous system and it's time to call this one a night. Armed with a Talisker under each arm, I'm off to bed. Spare a thought for me as I hesitate slightly before flicking that last light switch, won't you?

Culzean Castle and Country Park makes for one of the best days out in Scotland. Easily one to fill a full day when the sun's out, there's something for everyone here. It's important to note there's a reason it's taken me this long to finally take on a tour of the Culzean caves – they only run a couple of times per month over the summer and need to be booked in advance. You'll be provided with appropriate headgear and the expertise of experienced ranger guides, costing an additional £10 (£5 children) to your entry price to the Estate. Some of the spaces are highly confined so the heavily claustrophobic may want to think twice and be prepared to get a bit muddy. The tour lasts an hour or so and are run in small groups of around a dozen.

Disclaimer time. My recent, much-anticipated, visit to the Culzean Castle caves was at the invitation of The National Trust for Scotland, partner to the Scotlanders bloggers. As any regular readers will be well aware, I am a huge fan of the Trust and regularly promote their properties as, in my view, they make a vital contribution to our tourism sector. A conservation charity, the great work they do relies on the support of its membership so, if you are interested in joining, here's a special discounted offer for you.

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The post The Other Side to Culzean Castle…. appeared first on Locomotion Scotland.

The Other Side to Culzean Castle…. posted first on http://visitdornoch.blogspot.co.uk