A celebration of one of the region’s growing industries, the inaugural Spirit of Speyside Gin Experience kicked off yesterday.
Lovers of the alcoholic tipple are expected to flock to Moray this weekend to enjoy a series of themed events designed to highlight the popularity of gin in the region.
Visitors can enjoy special tours and tastings at various distilleries and haunts across the north-east including the Dowans Hotel in Aberlour and the Knockomie Inn in Forres.
The main event of the entire celebration is on today, with the Speyside Gin Experience being held in the Walled Garden at Gordon Castle in Fochabers.
Distillers from across the north-east and beyond will be showcasing their goods and providing aficionados with some of the secrets of the industry.
They will be joined by local food producers and musicians who will be entertaining revellers during both the afternoon and evening sessions.
It is being organised by the same people behind the popular Spirit of Speyside festival that has become a staple of the Moray calendar for the last 20 years.
Festival chairman James Campbell hopes that this gin-based addition to the summer tourism season will become equally renowned and become an annual event.
He said: “It is lovely to get this off the ground after we have spent about a year and a half putting the whole thing together.
“All of Speyside’s flagship gin companies will be in one place on Saturday with hotels, restaurants and taxi companies who have worked with us before during the Spirit of Speyside all taking part again.
“This is a entirely new venture for us, aimed at a different audience with younger gin and cocktail-drinking people.”
Yesterday, visitors were treated to an exclusive tour of Glenrinnes Distillery where they got to explore the new gin-making facility and learn about life behind the scenes.
In addition, train fans gained the opportunity to enjoy gin tasting and cocktails and enjoy the scenery of the Cairngorms on the Strathspey Steam Railway.
Public transport is also being arranged for back and forth to the Gin Experience in Fochabers, with a bus being put on from Elgin.
Mr Campbell believes that up to 600 people will be attending today.
He said: “Much like the original Spirit of Speyside, this will take some time to develop into an international event, so the vast majority of people attending will be local.”
