And finally the whiskey

Aw yes the whiskey, well let's just say that it is indeed an acquired taste and word of warning to anyone planning on visiting Scotland don't ever suggest to a Scotsman that adding a splash of lime to the whiskey will result in a more enjoyable taste, unless you are Usain Bolt. 

Despite the fact that I didn't discover a love for the brown nectar of the Scots while in Malt Whiskey Country I did find the distillery fascinating. First off you can't photograph or use your mobile in the actual distillery because apparently it could blow up! No lies people, at first I was like come on my camera is not a potential fire hazard but after doing a tour through The Glenlivet Distillery I too would be cautious. That whiskey starts out SUPER potent - alcohol not even Chuck Norris could handle it. 

Being a South African who has visited Cape Town numerous times I am quite familiar with the amazing wine farms that we have and was intrigued to discover the similarities being the maturing of wine and whiskey. Well I am not going rattle on about the intricate way in which whiskey is made as you have to experience all the intense smells, heat and huge boilers yourself. So make if ever you see a sign for a distillery that you stop and check it out. Most of them give free tours that conclude with a free whiskey tasting, in case any of you require more incentive.   

'The single malt that started it all'

What do castles, whiskey and dolphins have in common? the madness continues...

After leaving the Firth of Moray we decided to take a longer route back to Aberdeen and just see what adventures we could find. I as always was on the lookout for a castle - I seem to have quite a addiction to exploring them at present. So I considered it an early birthday present when on our way to the Glenlivet Distillery for some whiskey tasting that we noticed a castle on the map not far from the distillery. And that was us decided! It was off to the castle we went. 

Situated high on a bluff is the now ruined tower house known as Drumin Castle. With it's naturally strategic position and the fact that it overlooks the confluence of the Rivers Livet and Avon (pronounced A'an) makes it likely that there was some sort of fortification dating from the Iron Age located on this site. But Drumin Castle itself dates back to the 14th Century and has a rather unknown past, with what little is known being under question. 

Walking up the stairs from the rivers below you begin to catch glimpses of the house through the trees. 

It is thought that Drumin Castle was granted to Alexander Stewart on the 17th July 1372 by his father King Robert II. Alexander who was referred to as the 'Wolf of Badenoch' was known for his temper and is remembered for his sacking and burning of Elgin Catherdral. Although according to historians it is more likely that Alexander resided at one of his other estates and that Drumin Castle was held by one of his sons. 

Not much remains of the castle as it fell into despair around the early 1700's. 

As we were the only people at the castle and that it is not very big as much of it has been removed over the years we decided to play in the castle for a while (as you do). Hence Ceri, Luke and even myself feature in some of the photos. You can see through this gap in the wall that the walls were roughly 3m thick at the base.  

It had a single barrel vaulted cellar. 

Half of which is now gone, so when you stand in the cellar and look up you can see the railing from the first floor. 

Drumin Castle was rectangular in shape and consisted of four levels. 

Don't worry I'm not on the fourth floor, but it was snowing! Yes snowing, even though the sun was shining. For all the South Africans reading this is was the Scottish equivalent to a monkey's wedding (when the sun is shining but it rains). 

The cellar and first floor are the only two floors that are still semi intact. A small staircase allows you to climb to the first floor. 

A single placard on one of the only walls still standing states the castles name and echoes its undocumented history and lost memories.