Tuesday, May 17, 2022

Barging in Scotland - Places to Visit

Places to Visit Along the Caledonian Canal
 
The Caledonian Canal bisects the Scottish Highlands from Fort William in the south west to Inverness in the north east, passes brooding castles and connects dramatic, deep-water lochs.
 
Cruise the Caledonian Canal between Banavie and Muirtown
(Click map to enlarge in new window)
 
 
Culloden Moor
 

On 16 April 1746, the Battle of Culloden Moor was the last pitched battle ever to be fought on British soil. It marked the end of the Jacobite struggle for the British throne that had started in 1688. Determined to reclaim the throne for his father, Bonnie Prince Charlie, son of James VIII, marched as far south as Derby before realizing that his cause was hopeless and turned home to ultimate defeat at Culloden.
 
 
Glencoe
 
Glencoe is one of the most infamous places in Scotland
 
Perhaps the most infamous and melancholic place in the Scottish Highlands is Glencoe. On the morning of 13 February 1692, a regiment of Campbells, under orders from the Secretary of State for Scotland, the 1st Earl of Stair, fell upon their hosts the MacDonalds and “put all to the sword under seventy”. About 30 members and associates of the MacDonald clan were killed by the government forces billeted with them. They left countless others to die of exposure in the winter snows because they had not been prompt in pledging allegiance to the new monarchs, William III of England (II of Scotland) and Mary II.
 
Although in terms of numbers, this was by no means the worst of the massacres that marked the Highland feuds. The Glencoe Massacre takes on a peculiar notoriety because of the collusion of the Crown and the cold-blooded way the honored guests committed such heinous “murder under trust”. Glencoe was the perfect setting for a dark and treacherous deed. Even on summer days, it is a grim, forbidding place; a great cleft driven through the black, sullen mountains bereft of warmth or sunlight.
 
 
Old Inverlochy Castle
 
Old Inverlochy Castle is a ruined, 13th-century castle near Inverlochy and Fort William. The castle, the site of two major battles, is unusual as it remains largely unchanged since its construction during the reign of King Alexander III. Built on the site of an earlier Pictish fortification, Viking forces destroyed the castle. Its simple layout comprises a quadrangular courtyard surrounded by a wall up to 2.7m thick and up to 7.6m high, with round towers at each corner. The main entrance was to the south, with a “water gate” facing the river to the north and defended by a portcullis and an interior gatehouse.
 
 
Eilean Donan
 
Eilean Donan is one of Scotland’s most photographed castles
 
Possibly the most photographed monument in Scotland, Eilean Donan is everything an ancient Highland fortress should be. Less than 100 years ago, it was nothing more than a pile of stones, having been blown to pieces by Royal Navy warships during the Jacobite uprising of 1719. At that time, it housed a Spanish garrison supporting the Old Pretender. Home of the MacRaes, Lieutenant-Colonel John MacRae Gilstrap restored Eilean Donan at great expense between 1920 and 1932. It has since appeared in many films, most notably the 1986 film Highlander, as well as the MI6 Headquarters in the 1999 James Bond film, The World is Not Enough. Eilean Donan is one of the best visits along the Caledonian Canal.


Loch Ness

Loch Ness fills the northern half of the Great Glen that divides Scotland. It is 22.6 miles long and has an average depth of 427 feet, making it not only the longest lake in Britain but having the greatest volume of water of any lake in Britain. Loch Ness has more water than all the lakes and reservoirs in England put together. In fair weather, the unrivaled beauty of Loch Ness and its setting sometimes disappoints visitors to the Caledonian Canal who are expecting black, icy waters, lowering mists and monsters. In 595, St Columba was the first person to sight the infamous Loch Ness Monster, now affectionately known as Nessie, while he was traveling north to convert the Pictish King Brude at Craig Phadrig. The modern legend began in 1933, when the Loch became more accessible thanks to roads constructed along the northern bank. A local couple were driving home along the new road, when they were alarmed to see “an enormous animal rolling and plunging on the surface”. The editor of the Inverness Courier headlined the story with “monster” and since then, despite hundreds of sightings and photographs, theories and scientific expeditions, no one has proved the monster’s existence.


Urquhart Castle

Hotel Barge Scottish Highlander cruises past Urquhart Castle

The romantic ruins of Urquhart Castle sit on the shores of Loch Ness on the site of a much earlier medieval fortification. Founded in the 13th century, Urquhart Castle played an important role in the Wars of Scottish Independence of the 14th century and was subsequently held as a royal castle. Granted to the Grant Clan in 1509, the MacDonalds raided it on several occasions. Despite being strengthened to defend against raids, they largely abandoned the castle in the mid-17th century. In 1692, Urquhart was partially destroyed to prevent its use by Jacobite forces and subsequently decayed. By the 1770s, the castle was roofless and regarded as a romantic ruin by 19th-century painters and visitors to the Highlands. In 1913, the castle was placed in care as a scheduled monument and is today open to the public, being one of the most visited castles in Scotland.


Cawdor Castle

Cawdor Castle
 
Cawdor Castle is magnificent and moody with its deep dry moat, brooding square tower, portcullis and the only surviving drawbridge at a private castle in Scotland. Though Macbeth may not have actually killed Duncan here, it feels like the sort of place where he might have done, and certainly in a much earlier building. The Keep, the oldest part of what remains today, only dates from the 15th century. The original name of the land and the castle was Calder, and the family was the Calders of Ilk. Pronounced Cawdor by the locals, it was by this name that Shakespeare would have heard the castle called when he visited Scotland to research his new play.
 
Legend has it that, in the 14th century, a local Thane (an Anglo Saxon nobleman) treated himself to a fortress. A dream guided him to load a donkey with a chest of gold, let it go free, and build his castle where the donkey lay down to rest. If he did this, he was told, his family would prosper. The beast wandered for a while before finally resting under a holly tree, and the obedient Thane erected the Keep around the tree. The ancient holly tree, now dead though still standing, can be seen growing out of the floor of the dungeon and up through a hole in the ceiling. Modern science has proven the tree to date from 1372. This visit is a must when cruising on the Caledonian Canal.
 
 
Balnuaran of Clava
 
 
Balnuaran of Clava is one of the best preserved Bronze Age burial sites in Scotland. The site primarily comprises what appear to be three circular piles of rocks approximately 50 feet in diameter, encircled by standing stones. Approximately fifty Bronze Age circular tomb chambers have been discovered around the area of Inverness. Scientific research has unearthed little about the origin of the structures, leaving them as monuments to the mysterious life of Scotland’s early inhabitants.
 
 
Fort George
 
Fort George is a large, 18th-century fortress near Ardersier, based on a star design and built to control the Scottish Highlands in the aftermath of the Jacobite Rising of 1745. The current fortress has never been attacked and has remained in continuous use as a garrison. Work on the fortresses started in 1748 and by 1757, the primary defenses were in place before being finished in 1769. Though the barracks are still in use as a military establishment, the site is open to the public with various exhibits and reproductions showing the fort’s use at different periods.
 
On the afternoon of Monday, 19 August 1745, Bonnie Prince Charlie stepped out of a small rowing boat at Glenfinnan, at the head of Loch Shiel. A troop of 50 MacDonalds awaited him. While the Prince took shelter in a barn, more MacDonalds, Camerons and MacDonnells arrived, swelling his ranks to some 1,300 men. Charles climbed today to the top of one of the smaller hills, raised his father’s standard, gave a small speech, and distributed brandy all round. The Glenfinnan Monument, commemorating the event, was erected in 1815 and is now in the care of the National Trust for Scotland. The statue at the top of the monument is not of Bonnie Prince Charlie himself, but represents all the Highland clansmen who gathered there to fight.
 
 
Glenfinnan Viaduct
 
The Glenfinnan Viaduct was featured in Harry Potter films
 
Overlooking the shores of Loch Shiel and the Glenfinnan Monument is the Glenfinnan Viaduct which carries the West Highland Line between Fort William and Mallaig. Built in 1897, the railway viaduct comprises 21 arches over the River Finnan and has featured in several films, most notably Harry Potter. This is a popular visit for families when cruising the Caledonian Canal.


Inveraray Castle

Inveraray Castle was the first major neo-gothic castle to be built in Britain. Home to the chief of one of Scotland’s most powerful clans, the Campbells, Dukes of Argyll. The second Duke was one of the British Army’s first two field marshals. It is said the fifth Duke married one of the Gunnings sisters, considered to be the most beautiful women in Europe. The castle’s State Dining Room, completed in 1784, is considered the finest painted room in Britain, as well as the only surviving work anywhere of the French painters Girard and Guinard.


Dunrobin Castle

Dunrobin Castle resembles a Bavarian castle

Dunrobin Castle is one of the most extraordinary sights in Scotland; a vast, flamboyant fairy castle of pinnacles and turrets set high on a cliff overlooking the North Sea. Hidden within all this extravagance is the ancient 13th-century family seat and one of the oldest continuously inhabited houses in Britain. The Earldom of Sutherland dates back to 1235, when the Scottish Kings took these northern lands back from the Norse and scattered titles and territories to their friends and supporters.

The original keep was built in 1275 and was added to over the centuries, mainly during the reign of Charles II in the 18th century. The architect Sir Charles Barry of Houses of Parliament fame designed the ocean-facing façade that greets the world today. Barry also laid out the formal gardens, which were inspired by those at Versailles and remain virtually unchanged since their creation.

The castle has 189 rooms and is the most northerly of Scotland’s great houses and is the largest residence in the northern highlands. The upper floors are rumored to be haunted by the daughter of the 14th Earl who fell to her death, climbing from an attic window while attempting to elope.


Brodie Castle

Brodie Castle was home to the Brodie family for more than 800 years

The Brodie Castle, originally built in a Z-plan in 1567 by the Brodie clan, was destroyed by fire in 1645 by the Gordon clan. In 1824, the architect William Burn was commissioned to convert the ruins into a large mansion house in the Scots Baronial style. They did not complete these additions. James Wilson later remodeled the castle in circa 1845. The Brodie family called the castle home until the early 21st century. The Brodies have been associated with the area since the 12th century, when the land was given to them by King Malcolm IV. Since 2017, the castle and its surrounding gardens have been owned by the National Trust for Scotland. Its well-preserved interiors contain fine antique furniture, oriental artefacts, and painted ceilings dating from the 17th-19th centuries.


Beauly

The land around Beauly is very fertile. Historically, corn was extensively grown in the area, though today fruit is successfully farmed. The town is the site of the Priory Church of the Blessed Virgin and John the Baptist, also known as Beauly Priory, which was founded in 1230 by John Byset of the Aird for Valliscaulian monks. Following the Reformation, the buildings, except for the church (which is now a ruin) passed into the possession of Lord Lovat.


Beaufort Castle

Beaufort Castle

Beaufort Castle, near Beauly, is a Baronial style mansion built in 1880 incorporating older building work, on the right bank of the River Beauly. The traditional seat of the Lords Lovat, there has been a castle on the site since the 12th century. In 1815, Thomas Fraser of Steichen inherited the estate and was reinstated to the Lordship of Lovat in 1854. He commissioned William Burn to extend the house and also improve the grounds and surrounding estate. His son, Simon Fraser, the 13th Lord Lovat, built the present Beaufort Castle to designs by James Maitland Wardrop, incorporating part of the 18th-century house. In 1994, the castle was sold to Anne Gloag, director of the transport group, Stagecoach.


Spean Bridge

On a windswept plateau above Spean Bridge is the striking Commando Memorial, unveiled by the late Queen Mother in 1952. In the summer of 1940, during Britain’s darkest hour, Prime Minister Winston Churchill called for the raising of an elite force of men to take on the Axis powers in Europe and regain the initiative for Britain. Only the best fighting men earned the right to wear the Commandos’ green beret and the enemy soon learned to fear them. Their motto was “United We Conquer”. Their training ground was here in the rugged terrain of Inverness-shire.


The Highland Folk Museum

The Highland Folk Museum is an open-air museum and visitor attraction in the Highlands. Its origins trace back to 1930, when Dr. Isabel Frances Grant organized and curated the Highland Exhibition in Inverness, in which over 2,100 artefacts were exhibited as a “national folk museum”. She founded the subsequent Highland Folk Museum five years later, using a personal legacy to acquire a disused former United Free Church on the island of Iona. Today, the museum is primarily made up of three areas that represent and interpret three separate eras of the Scottish Highlands. Each area is interpreted by a staff member dressed and performing as a Highlander. On certain days throughout the year, the museum features demonstrations of highland life activities, such as weaving or rope making.


Inquire


Barging in Scotland

For a magical barge cruise, Scotland is hard to surpass. Travel sedately through the Great Glen between Inverness and Fort William, navigating beautiful lochs and the engineering masterpiece that is the Caledonian Canal. Unforgettable experiences are offered by ancient castles perched on the water's edge, heather-clad hillsides and arguably the finest inland cruising in the world. Scotland’s legends of the past, the taste of single malt and the mythical inhabitant of Loch Ness all contribute to a magical charm only experienced in the dramatic Highlands.




Scottish Hotel Barges
 

Scottish Highlander


Spirit Of Scotland


Inquire





Contact Paradise Connections Yacht Charters to book your barge trip
Visit our website for more info on our barges and barging: www.BargeCharters.com
 

  
#cruiseinscotland #scottishcruises #barginginscotland #scottishbargecharters #scottishhighlands #visitscotland
 

Monday, May 16, 2022

Barging in Scotland - Towns & Villages

Towns & Villages Along the Caledonian Canal
 
The Caledonian Canal bisects the Scottish Highlands from Fort William in the south west to Inverness in the north east, passes brooding castles and connects dramatic, deep-water lochs.
 
Cruise the Caledonian Canal between Banavie and Muirtown
(Click map to enlarge in new window)
 
 
Inverness

Inverness is one of the oldest settlements in the Highlands

Inverness is one of the fastest-growing towns in Europe, as well as one of the oldest settlements in the Highlands, lying on a strategic position of flat land between the head of the Great Glen and the Moray Firth. Early signs of occupation were found on Craig Phadrig, a wooded hill to the west of the River Ness and once the site of a Pictish capital.

Later, in the 11th century, Macbeth’s castle occupied the site. Although this is another place where Duncan was probably not murdered, his avenging son Malcolm Canmore burned Macbeth’s wooden stronghold to the ground. Shortly after this, the first stone structure was built on a bluff to the east, and King David I made Inverness a royal burgh. The castle occupies the site today and dominates views of Inverness.

Inverness Town House
 
The Inverness Town House, built in the Flemish-Baronial style between 1878 and 1882, includes a variety of artwork and historic features. It was the scene of a historic meeting of the British Cabinet in September 1921, the only cabinet meeting of the British Government ever held outside London.


Muirtown
 
Lying to the west of Inverness, Muirtown is home to the Muirtown Basin. Built as a second harbor for ships on the Caledonian Canal, it unfortunately could not cope with the number of vessels which used its facilities and thus never fulfilled its full potential. Today, it serves as a marina for pleasure craft. Immediately to the south of the basin is the four-lock flight of Muirtown Locks and, to the north, the Muirtown Swing Bridge.
 
 
Dochgarroch
 
Dochgarroch
 
Dochgarroch, a small hamlet that lies at the head of Loch Ness, is home to the newly opened An Talla (Gathering Place) visitor center. Occupying the old Victorian-era village hall, the visitor center comprises ticket offices for boat trips on the Caledonian Canal, as well as cafes and shopping outlets. Behind An Talla is Dochfour, a Victorian terraced garden surrounding a historic 18th-century house and home of the Baillie family for over 500 years. Still in private hands, terraced Italianate gardens sweep down to the water’s edge and parkland rises to the woodland above the house. In 1881, the gardens were expanded as part of a scheme which routed a railway through the estate.
 
 
Invermoriston
 
Invermoriston’s most visited attraction is The Thomas Telford Bridge. Built in 1813, this bridge crosses the spectacular River Moriston falls and formed part of the main road between Drumnadrochit and Fort Augustus. They replaced it in the 1930s with a new bridge that is still in use today. 


Drumnadrochit

Drumnadrochit grew up around a bridge over the River Enrick and its Gaelic name means “Ridge of the Bridge”. The village is popular with tourists and backpackers hiking trails to Ben Nevis and Loch Ness.


Fort Augustus

Fort Augustus at the southern edge of Loch Ness
 
 Fort Augustus is a hamlet at the southern edge of Loch Ness. It is suggested that the original settlement, called Cille Chuimein, was named after Saint Colum Cille of Iona, an Irish abbot who built a church on the site. In the aftermath of the Jacobite rising in 1715, General Wade built a fort and named it after the Duke of Cumberland. Wade had planned to build a new town around the new barracks and call it Wadesburgh, but as the settlement grew, it eventually took the name of the fort. The Jacobites captured the fort in March 1746, prior to the Battle of Colluden. In 1867, the fort was sold to the Lovat family and later, in 1876, it was passed on to the Benedictine Order, who later established the Fort Augustus Abbey.
 
 
Aberchalder
 
Aberchalder is a small community on the northern end of Loch Oich. The village is named for its location. Its prefix “Aber” refers to “the mouth” or “confluence”, while the suffix "Chalder" translates to “of the calder”. Calder itself is a corruption of Collie Dur, with Collie meaning “off the wood” and Dur used as an obsolete Gaelic term for “water”. At one time, the town was owned by Randolph, Earl of Moray, before passing to Dunbar and later to the Clan Fraser of Lovat, and later still to Glengarry.
 
 
Laggan
 
Laggan is on the wild shores of Loch Lochy
 
Laggan, a small community in the Great Glen, is located close to the site of The Battle of the Shirts which occurred in July 1544 between the Clan Macdonald of Clanranald and Clan Fraser of Lovat in the Great Glen, overlooking Loch Lochy. 

The Invergarry and Fort Augustus Railway, which once passed by Laggan, opened in 1896 with the Invergarry railway station at North Laggan. This line closed to passengers in 1933, and to freight in 1947. The Great Glen Way long distance footpath passes by Laggan, running alongside the canal and following the old railway line for part of its 78-mile length.


Gairlochy

Swing Bridge

Gairlochy, a tiny settlement with about 100 people, is surrounded by several other small crofting settlements, the largest of which is Achnacarry. Close by is Highbridge, the site of the first clash of the 1745 Jacobite uprising. Between 1803 and 1822, the Caledonian Canal was built, passing through the settlement and over the original site of the River Lochy. Two locks were built for access onto Loch Lochy, but only one, the Upper Lock, is still in use. At the lower lock, an end-pivoted swing bridge carries the road and Great Glen Way over the canal.


Banavie

Banavie is a small town near Fort William and one of the nearest villages to Ben Nevis. Some suggest that Banavie is one of the possible birthplaces of Saint Patrick. Son of a Roman tax collector, the theory suggests he was born at Banavie around 389 AD after his family had come with the Romans, who had invaded the West Highlands and Islands. The place name Bannavem Taburniae is mentioned in one of only two known authenticated letters by the Saint. Ben Nevis dominates the skyline, with the scenery around Banavie being exceptional. The Caledonian Canal passes through Banavie, before ascending Neptune’s Staircase, the longest lock flight in Britain.


Corpach

Corpach, Gaelic for “field of corpses”, is so named as it was a resting place when taking coffins of chieftains on the way to burial on Iona. It is a large village north of Fort William with a natural harbor. During the First World War, the United States Navy had a base there as part of the laying of the North Sea Mine Barrage. The United States shipped naval mines to Corpach and sent them to the Inverness base along the Caledonian Canal, where it joins Loch Linnhe at Corpach.


Fort William

The earliest recorded settlement on the site at Fort William is a Cromwellian wooden fort built in 1654 as a base for English troops to “pacify” Clan Cameron after the Wars of the Three Kingdoms. The post-Glorious Revolution fort was named Fort William after William of Orange, who ordered it built to control the Highland clans.

In 1745, the final Jacobite rebellion began, led by Prince Charles Stuart (Bonnie Prince Charlie). Fort William was besieged for weeks by the Jacobites. Although the Jacobites had captured both of the other forts in the chain of three Great Glen fortifications (Fort Augustus and Fort George), they failed to take Fort William. The rebellion ended with the Government victory at the Battle of Culloden (1746).


Inquire


Barging in Scotland

For a magical barge cruise, Scotland is hard to surpass. Travel sedately through the Great Glen between Inverness and Fort William, navigating beautiful lochs and the engineering masterpiece that is the Caledonian Canal. Unforgettable experiences are offered by ancient castles perched on the water's edge, heather-clad hillsides and arguably the finest inland cruising in the world. Scotland’s legends of the past, the taste of single malt and the mythical inhabitant of Loch Ness all contribute to a magical charm only experienced in the dramatic Highlands.




Scottish Hotel Barges
 

Scottish Highlander


Spirit Of Scotland


Inquire





Contact Paradise Connections Yacht Charters to book your barge trip
Visit our website for more info on our barges and barging: www.BargeCharters.com
 

  
#cruiseinscotland #scottishcruises #barginginscotland #scottishbargecharters #scottishhighlands #visitscotland

Sunday, May 15, 2022

Scottish Whisky Trail Barge Cruise

Whisky Trail Barge Cruise
Scottish Highlands
 
 
The hotel barges Scottish Highlander and Spirit of Scotland both offer a Whisky Trail cruise along the Caledonian Canal and Loch Ness. This special itinerary allows whisky lovers to visit several long-established distilleries to find out more about how Scotland’s favorite export is produced, as well as the opportunity to taste it. A Whisky Trail cruise does not incur a special supplement.

And, for added interest on this cruise through this beautiful part of the Highlands, there will also be optional visits to historic sites such as Eilean Donan, one of Scotland’s most photographed castles, the famous battlefield of Culloden Moor, and the ruins of Urquhart Castle in a spectacular setting overlooking Loch Ness.

This Whisky Trail cruise is perfect for single malt whisky enthusiasts, whether tasting the liquid nectar at any of the distilleries visited, or partaking of a wee dram or two from the many whiskies available aboard your chartered barge.
 

Dalwhinnie Distillery


The Dalwhinnie Distillery is home to a famous Highland Single Malt Whisky renowned for its gentle flavors accentuated with notes of heather honey, citrus, vanilla and sweet malt. The site of the distillery was chosen for its access to clear spring water and abundant peat from the surrounding bogs. Set in splendid mountain scenery at the heart of the Cairngorm National Park, Dalwhinnie is the highest distillery in Scotland at 1164 feet above sea level. The name Dalwhinnie is derived from the Gaelic language, meaning “meeting place”, referring to the meeting of ancient cattle drovers’ routes through the mountains.

Not only will you experience a fascinating tour, but there is also a tasting that matches several single malts with different chocolates. A perfect combination.
 

Tomatin Distillery

 
The Tomatin Distillery stands proud in the wild and windy moorland of the Monadhliath Mountains and has been harnessing the soft waters of the Alt-na-Frith, or Free Burn, to produce quality single malt and blended whisky. This area of stunning natural beauty has rich whisky making traditions dating back to at least the 1500s.

In 1892, it was announced that the final route of the Highland Railway would pass through Tomatin. John MacDougall, a local man born and bred in Tomatin, began planning his distillery. He registered the Tomatin Spey District Distillery in June 1897. Since then, it has changed hands several times over the years. In 1997, the prestigious Antiquary blend was added to its portfolio. Tomatin’s single malt range has been widened in terms of age statements and they introduced a peated variant, Cu Bocan.

Recently, Tomatin proudly announced their latest product accolades from the prestigious 2022 IWSC awards, including the Gold Outstanding award.
 

Benromach Distillery

 
This distillery has been making Benromach since 1898. Benromach is Speyside’s smallest distillery and is on the outskirts of the ancient market town of Forres. They produce around 150,000 liters of alcohol per year.

Just two experienced distillers passionately hand-craft Benromach using the finest Scottish barley and the purest spring water from the nearby Romach Hills. They personally ensure that only the highest quality spirit is filled into sturdy oak casks before being left to mature at Benromach for many years. Only when it has matured to their highest quality standards do they bottle it and proudly label it—Benromach Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky.

Benromach Distillery recorded an incredible result at the 2021 San Francisco World Spirits Competition, winning three Double Gold medals. A Double Gold medal is an accolade only given to a whisky if the judging panel unanimously awards it a Gold rating and considers it to be among the finest in the world.
 

Glen Ord Distillery

 
The Glen Ord Distillery is the home of Singleton, a delicious single malt whisky. The Black Isle, the area north of Inverness where Glen Ord is located, is famed as being one of the finest sources of barley in all of Scotland. Singleton of Glen Ord is the only remaining single malt scotch whisky distillery on the Black Isle.

Clan MacKenzie has featured heavily in the history and development of the Glen Ord distillery. King Alexander III of Scotland granted the land on which the distillery sits to the MacKenzie family as early as 1263. Thomas Mackenzie founded Glen Ord distillery in 1838. It is from this famous Scottish clan that the distillery adopts its motto, Luceo non uro, meaning “I shine not burn”.

The distillery has changed hands many times over the years and suffered many closings, as have other distilleries, because of war and renovations. Today, Glen Ord is Diageo’s fourth largest distillery in Scotland.


Glen Ord Distillery - Whisky Trail Barge Cruises in Scotland (1:56)


Inquire


Barging in Scotland

For a magical barge cruise, Scotland is hard to surpass. Travel sedately through the Great Glen between Inverness and Fort William, navigating beautiful lochs and the engineering masterpiece that is the Caledonian Canal. Unforgettable experiences are offered by ancient castles perched on the water's edge, heather-clad hillsides and arguably the finest inland cruising in the world. Scotland’s legends of the past, the taste of single malt and the mythical inhabitant of Loch Ness all contribute to a magical charm only experienced in the dramatic Highlands.




Scottish Hotel Barges
 

Scottish Highlander


Spirit Of Scotland


Inquire





Contact Paradise Connections Yacht Charters to book your barge trip
Visit our website for more info on our barges and barging: www.BargeCharters.com
 

  
#scotland #recipe #dessert #whisky #scottishcruises #barginginscotland #whiskytrailcruise


Friday, May 13, 2022

Dessert pairing for 14-year old whisky

Scotch raspberry and dark chocolate chilli tart
with a clotted cream ice cream


This is a dessert recipe from the Tomatin Distillery that is visited on the Whisky Trail cruise aboard both Scottish Hotel Barges Spirit of Scotland and Scottish Highlander.

Ingredients

Pastry case
  • 250g of plain flour
  • 100g of icing sugar
  • 35g ground almonds
  • 125g of unsalted butter, plus more for greasing
  • 1 egg
  • 1 egg yolk

Chocolate and chilli filling
  • 400g of 70% dark chocolate, roughly chopped
  • 350ml of double cream
  • 3/4 tsp chilli flakes
  • 150ml of milk
  • 2 eggs, beaten
Method
  1. To begin the chocolate tart, prepare the pastry case. In a mixing bowl, crumb the flour, icing sugar, ground almonds and butter together.
  2. Add the egg and blend together, handling as little as possible, until just mixed. Wrap in cling film and rest the pastry in the fridge for 1 hour.
  3. To begin the filling, heat the double cream and milk to the boil, then add the chilli flakes. Remove from the heat and leave to infuse for 1 hour
  4. Grease and line your tart ring. Roll out the pastry to 3mm thick. Push the pastry into the corners evenly and then line with baking parchment before filling with baking beads.  Blind bake at 190˚C/gas mark 5 until the pastry is lightly golden, around 10 minutes. Remove the baking beads and return to the oven in order to colour the base until the pastry is golden brown, around 10-15 minutes.
  5. After removing the pastry from the oven, use a pastry brush to glaze it with the remaining egg yolk. This will seal the case for the chocolate mixture.
  6. To make the chocolate mixture, place the chocolate in a medium-sized mixing bowl. Strain the infused chilli cream and bring back to the boil. Once boiled, pour the hot cream over the chocolate and stir until the chocolate has fully melted. Slowly add the beaten eggs and mix well.
  7. Preheat the oven to 150ºC/gas mark 2. Pour the mix into the prepared pastry case and carefully transfer to the oven. Bake until the mix is just set, approximately 15-20 minutes. Allow to cool but do not refrigerate.
  8. Served with Clotted cream ice cream & Scottish raspberries with Honeycomb spikes.

Enjoy

Pair this dessert with an aged, single malt Scottish whisky that you purchased on your Whisky Trail barge cruise.

Inquire


Barging in Scotland

For a magical barge cruise, Scotland is hard to surpass. Travel sedately through the Great Glen between Inverness and Fort William, navigating beautiful lochs and the engineering masterpiece that is the Caledonian Canal. Unforgettable experiences are offered by ancient castles perched on the water's edge, heather-clad hillsides and arguably the finest inland cruising in the world. Scotland’s legends of the past, the taste of single malt and the mythical inhabitant of Loch Ness all contribute to a magical charm only experienced in the dramatic Highlands.




Scottish Hotel Barges
 

Scottish Highlander


Spirit Of Scotland


Inquire





Contact Paradise Connections Yacht Charters to book your barge trip
Visit our website for more info on our barges and barging: www.BargeCharters.com
 

  
#scotland #recipe #dessert #whisky #scottishcruises #barginginscotland #whiskytrailcruise