Speyside Way Malt Whisky Trail - Plan Your Trip Today!

There is no better way to dive into the world of Single Malt Whisky then to embark on a distillery adventure marathon along the Speyside Way Malt Whisky Trail. If one were so fortunate as to have unlimited time & money, one could easily visit all of the distilleries along the trail. However, with the number of distilleries spotted across Speyside, if you are the average walker with a deadline, you will have to make some tough choices & decide which distilleries are going to the make the cask.

There are many companies you can have organize your walk. They book your B&Bs, organize your baggage transfer, and provide you with maps and timelines (Check out Macs Adventure or Absolute Escapes). You still have to book & pay for all of the distillery tours but the logistics are all organized for you.  However, as I am a person who gets a kick out of planning trips my own way, I decided it would be best if we carried our bags along the way and saved some money.


Not having enough time to hike the entire trail,
the way  I wanted to, I chose a specific section of the trail based on the distilleries within it and planned our hike accordingly. Typically the trail is hiked from North to South as the terrain becomes more challenging as you work your way south towards the hills. However, with the distilleries we wanted to visit, the time we had available, and the tempting Whisky Festival at the end of our week, we decided to travel it in reverse working our way North. With the basics figured out we finally had it sussed, we deciding to hike from Glenlivet to Strathisla along the Speyside Way Malt Whisky Trail for 4 days, our goal was to stop at as many distilleries as possible on the way.

In pursuit of the ultimate Speyside distilleries experience, I got hard at work to plan accordingly, doing the maths and making the calls to determine what the best plan of action would be. The key to planning your own whisky hike is using the official Speyside Way Trail Map as a guide (be sure to buy the Harvey Map). This is the only way to accurately gauge your planned mileage for each day and book your accommodation (or pick your campsites) and distillery tours accordingly. Just don't forget to be generous with your time. Sitting at a desk planning a trip, it is easy to become over zealous with your estimated mileage and pace, making it challenging for you to actually enjoy the trail as you are constantly rushing to make it to the next scheduled tour.

Once the distilleries had been selected, I booked the Bed and Breakfasts (B&Bs), and then booked our tours with the distilleries. Luckily for us, three weeks out, the only tour that was fully booked was Balvenie, and now the only challenge would be putting in the miles to make it to each distillery in time for our tours!

Top 5 Tips for Exploring London (Affordably)

As a Brit, I know I am biased, but London truly is my favorite of the large metropolitan cities (with Paris following in at a very close second). London is so rich in history and culture I could happily just wander the streets with a smile on my face the whole time as I take it all in.

When convincing someone to visit London, one of my biggest selling points is that the public transportation is so good and the roads are so well signposted that it is a safe and easy city for anyone capable of reading a map to navigate.

Whether you have never traveled before or you have circumnavigated the globe countless times over, London needs to be on your tourist destination checklist.  Yet with that being said, there is no denying that while London has an endless possibility of things to do and see it is not renowned for being the world's most inexpensive city. So I have written for you this list of my top 5 tips for exploring London affordably to help you visit this glorious city within whatever budget you may be able to afford. (For tips on getting to London on a budget check out my tips for traveling without  breaking the bank)

Travel Using Either Big Bus Tours or the London Underground

• London in deceptively large and with everything there is to see it is easy to "over walk" yourself and end up exhausted, so do yourself a favor and take advantage of the public transportation!
• Hop on & hop off: A Big Bus Tour is a fantastic way to be a tourist in London because not only do you get interesting information along the way but one ticket will get you around the whole city as you can hop on & off the bus as often as you please.
• Looking for a fast way to get across the city? Grab a tube map and buy a day travel card and navigate the Underground lines for a fast and efficient way to get around the city.

Take Advantage of the Free Public Attractions!

• London offers countless free museum exhibitions across the city with fascinating things to see. Visit the National Gallery which boasts a stunning display of priceless works of art or head over to the British Museum and view a snapshot of our world's history through the astonishing artifacts housed there.
• London is a city with many old traditions which you can witness during your adventures. If you wander through Green Park to Buckingham Palace you may be able to witness my favorite age old tradition, the changing of the guard.
• For a full list of free attractions check out VisitLondon.com 

Get Up Early and Book Your Tickets in Advance!

• If you want to visit a popular museum that charges a fee, such as the Tower of London or the National Maritime Museum (which are both well worth the visit), book your tickets in advance! The lines grow long quickly and you can end up spending more time in line then at your destination. Skip the queue and beat the crowds for an overall improved experience.
• Hoping to see one of the many fabulous London productions in or around the West End? Book your tickets as early as possible, look on LastMinute.com or Timeout.com for some great last minute deals on theater tickets. 

Make a Plan...

• It would be easy to spend a week in London and still not see and do everything on your list. So make a loose plan to decide what you want to see and when so you can book whatever tickets you need to in advance.
• Some attractions need a whole day and others you can group together. The Tower of London or the National Maritime Museum really are full day excursions. The Victoria & Albert Museum on the other hand, is right next to the Natural History and the Science museum (all of which are free admissions), so if you are interested in visiting them all, you could plan to visit them on the same day or stay close by and spend a full day in each one. 

Dedicate some Time to Relaxation and Enjoy one of the Many Parks!

• When the weather is nice take the time to relax in one of London's beautiful parks. Stop in a Tesco Express,  M&S Simply Food or a corner-shop Waitrose to buy some lunch, and enjoy a picnic on the lawn. Sit back, relax, and enjoy people watching in one of the world's busiest cities. 

Autumn Speyside Whisky Festival

Having hiked 55 miles with the goal of ending up in Dufftown in time for the Autumn Speyside Whisky Festival, we were excited to find ourselves arriving in a festive little town bubbling with character.

The festival consists of an extensive list of exclusive activities for Scotch lovers from all walks of life to attend. From a tour of Glenfarclas featuring 7 whiskies from 7 decades to behind the scenes tours of the Speyside Cooperage, attendees are spoiled for choice (provided they can cough up the dough).

The Whisky Shop got the festivities rolling with a whisky tasting event to get the palate warmed up and the nose tuned to perfection. The Big Dram, aptly named for the 700ml dram poured right at the start, was lead by the owner of the Whisky Shop himself, whisky connoisseur Mike Lord. Lord is not only funny and intriguing but an absolute genius when it comes to Malt Whisky. Myself not the biggest whisky drinker in the world, I was expecting to get a bit of an education but I was so drawn in by the history and delicacies of each whisky it surprised me.

A huge success to start off the festival, we left warm and buzzing with excitement. Heading straight to the Stuart Arms with a new friend we had met at The Big Dram, we devoured some scrumptious fish & chips and called it a night.

Having slept like a dream at our quaint B&B Fournet House, we woke up to a mouthwatering breakfast to prepare us for our second and (sadly for us) last day of the festival. Having tasted a delicious dram of Mortlach at The Big Dram the night before our excitement to visit the Mortlach distillery was palpable. Mortlach Distillery is generally closed to the public, however for the lucky few that manage to make their way to Dufftown for the Autumn festival, there is an opportunity to have a guided tour complete with an uncommon dram to finish it off.

This exclusive tour of Mortlach was by far the best of all the tours on our trip. Each distillery has its own unique quirks and nuances but Mortlach had several features that made it unlike any other. One of the key tools required for making whisky is a still. Each batch of wort goes first through a wash still and then a spirit still before it can be put into casks to transform into whisky. A key reason why each distillery's whisky tastes so differently is because they all have specifically shaped stills. The wash stills are all identical and the spirit stills are all identical creating a consistent and unique base to their whisky. Mortlach however, has three wash stills and three spirit stills all of which are a different shape and size that work together to make their whisky, giving their new spirit an incredible depth of body and flavor.

Visiting a distillery and touring the grounds, warehouses, and production facilities introduces you to the soul of their whisky and helps you to understand the personality of the dram. Touring Mortlach was like getting to meet a celebrity and finally understanding what makes them who they are. This is the real charm of the Autumn Speyside Whisky Festival. It is about being introduced both to the whiskies that you love and the whiskies you have never met before in order to understand what makes them who they are and appreciate the flavors as they roll across your tongue.

With Love, From London

There is nothing quite so inspiring as wandering through London in the early hours of a Sunday morning as the city slowly come to life. In that first golden hour, as the majority are still recovering from their Saturday night shenanigans, one can find a tranquil escape wandering along the cobblestones and tarmac.

There is never a dull moment in London. The vibrant city feeds on the life buzzing within it, which is one reason why the quiet moments are likely to hold the most promise of excitement, for it is within these moments that the unexpected can and will occur.

Exiting Westminster Station to the stunning backdrop of the nation's most iconic image contains an element of magic in and of itself. The beautiful clear blue sky speckled with the occasional flirtatious cloud created an idyllic setting to take in the grandeur of the Palace of Westminster with its unforgettable Elizabeth Tower which holds Big Ben.

Yet the view, despite all its glory, was not the highlight of the moment. Walking towards Westminster bridge in order to cross over towards the London Eye, we noticed a commotion on the other side of the road. A massive Panavision crane was in motion focusing on a crowd moving on cue. We stood and watched as Rebecca Ferguson filmed a mini scene for Mission Impossible 5 in awe at the process unfolding before us. Though strangely surreal it was thrilling to watch this small frame of filming take place and it took us quite some time to pluck up the courage to give up hope of watching the next frame occur and walk away from the recurring scene before us.

Walking on past the London Eye and crossing back over the Thames on the Millennium bridge, we watched the street vendors prepare to open for the day and the taxis begin to prowl. Passing the old home of Scotland Yard, we eventually found ourselves at Trafalgar Square where police were holding back traffic for an approaching military parade. Brass band trumpeting away at full force they marched towards us from Buckingham Palace passing through Admiralty Arch and disappearing off down the road.

Passing under Admiralty Arch, we were soon in the heart of St. James' Park and tummies rumbling ready for breakfast we were happy to find we weren't far from one of my favorite stops. Just nest to the waterfowl pond, sits a little restaurant called Inn the Park. Here we sat down for some heart warming tea and a scrumptious breakfast which disappeared quickly. Sitting outside, admiring the fountain and watching the number of people in the park quickly multiply we  finished off our drinks and headed back into the busy city of London we know so well.

London is a magical city which is heaving with people 85% of the time, so if you find yourself lucky enough to be exploring London, make the effort to wake up early on a Sunday morning to experience the city in its true glory and maybe even experience some of the unexpected magic that will undoubtedly occur.

Walking on Ice

Standing in the middle of a massive glacier watching your helicopter rise up into the air before disappearing down the side of the mountain, life becomes serenely surreal as you listen to the ice below your feet groan in response to its ever changing facade. Alone on a glacier with a guide and a group of 5 other explorers we were left with a pair of crampons each and time enough to trek across the glacier in search of the architectural wonders of our magical ice palace.

Luckily for us we were blessed with not only a small group for our heli-hike but hands down the most fantastic guide! Pete Ross, our fearless guide who paved the way for our adventure, was incredibly knowledgeable about the glacier, teaching us about the enormous slab of ice while weaving the ancient legend of the glaciers deep into our hearts.

Stomping around on the ice, making sure to dig our crampons in as deeply as possible, we trekked towards the edge of a glacial waterfall, slid through an ice cave and were even able to taste the cold dry glacier water forming pools both deep and shallow across the surface of the glacier.

Looking back at the photographs it almost doesn't feel real. Taking a scenic helicopter ride up the side of a glacier in order to hike across the ice and find the latest formations all while listening to the ice groaning beneath us. I still can not believe this wasn't a dream!

The Franz Josef Glacier sits in the Westland Tai Poutini National Park on the Western coast of New Zealand's South Island and is an absolute must on any nature-loving-adventure-seeker's bucket list. Young or old, male or female, kiwi local or tourist, this is an absolute must while in New Zealand. The Heli Hike was hands down the best experience I have ever had while on my travels and it has given me memories I will cherish forever.

Interested in Your Own Franz Josef Adventure?

The glacier is quickly disappearing and will likely be nothing more than a legend in 50 odd years, so do not delay! Make your plans and head out there before it is too late!

Logistics: Why not take a road trip? There are buses and tour groups you can book with to get down there from any of the large cities in the South Island but renting a car and driving there truly is a fabulous way to go! That way you are on your time and can enjoy the amazing drive into and out of Franz.


Accommodation: Franz Josef is definitely a tourist town so there is no shortage of places to stay, from hostels to hotels you can take you pick but my personal suggestion would be the Scenic Hotel. Not only did we have a stunning view, but I had the best nights sleep of the whole journey. The bed was like sleeping on a cloud and even the complimentary shampoo, conditioner, and soap left you feeling cleaner than ever before.

Exploration: There are a few different options for experiencing the glacier but my recommendation is without a doubt the Heli Hike with the Franz Josef Glacier Guides. The scenic tour followed by the two hour hike is enough to satisfy without overwhelming anyone. Flying half way up the glacier and hiking across it while learning the history behind it is fascinating and truly a once in a lifetime experience. While other helicopter tours will take you up for a snow landing, this one allows you to really experience the glacier in all of her glory!


Wanting to explore the world of the Kiwi's for yourself? Read about the rest of my adventures in New Zealand to learn from my experiences and get some great tips!

Walking trail in Franz Josef

Arriving at the Helipad 

Scenic Helicopter Tour

View of the Glacial Waterfall from Above

Finally Landed and Standing on the Glacier!

Our Awesome Guide Pete Scoping Out a Path

Taking a Shortcut by Sliding Through the Ice

Traces of the mountain below the glacier beginning to surface as the glacier melts.

Standing in front of an amazing ice cave with my 'fella' explorer.

Heading back down the glacier towards the landing site to await the helicopter.

View from the chopper on the flight back to Franz, Notice the path formed by the glacial melt on the bottom left!

Stars in the Night Sky over the Glacier