Speyside’s Malt Whisky Trail has been relaunched to ferment interest in putting the region back on the beaten track for tourists.
Eight Moray distilleries and a cooperage have teamed up to promote the region as a destination for visitors interested in a tipple.
But, while the tourists are in Moray, the collective aims to demonstrate that the area has a lot more to offer.
Whisky Trail chairman JJ Johnston said: “The food and drink industry is hugely important to Moray, but there is so much more.
“Bringing back the trail is an opportunity to encourage people to travel between the distilleries but also learn about dolphins, fishing, winter sports and everything else.
“It’s very much a collaborative approach. Instead of the members competing with each other, they are working together and encouraging others to come together to benefit Moray.”
Initially founded in the 1950s, the Whisky Trail has been revived to provide a list of attractions to international visitors who are considering visiting Moray.
A new logo, featuring stills on the point of a compass, has been developed with a website.
Yesterday, representatives from the distilleries and cooperage shared a dram on the banks of the Spey to toast the new venture.
Scotland’s national drink attracted more than 700,000 people to the region last year – providing a £105million boost to the economy and accompanying 2,500 jobs.
Board member Ian Chapman, from Benromach Distillery, said: “This is businesses working together, to provide strength in numbers, to offer customers a quality experience.
“Everyone benefits when people come to visit Moray – whether it’s the attractions, hotels or taxi drivers. We want to reawaken the sleeping giant of the trail to promote us on the international scene.”
Moray MSP Richard Lochhead added: “Whisky is crucially important for the Moray economy and a huge selling point for Scotland. Having the Malt Whisky Trail in Speyside will attract many more tourists to the area to learn where their favourite dram is distilled.
“Given that Speyside whisky is exported to just about every country in the world, it’s a fantastic opportunity to get more people to visit the area.”
