Whisky
The Water of Life

Whisky, the national drink of Scotland, accounts for 13% of the country's export - worth about £2.6 billion per year. It has been produced in Scotland since the 15th century and there are many distilleries across the country - over fifty in the Speyside area alone!

The name is derived from the Gaelic uisge beatha, which means water of life. The latin equivalent, aqua vitae, was commonly used throughout Europe and was first recorded in Scotland in 1494, when Friar John Cor of Dunfermline purchased malt to make aquavitae.

There are hundreds of distilleries throughout Scotland producing a variety of single malts, particularly around the Spey Valley; many of these started out as illicit distilleries! Other distilleries producing grain whisky, which is then mixed with the malt whisky to produce a variety of blended whiskies.

The distilleries tend to be split into regions:

• Highland - which can be further sub-divided into specific areas, usually north, south, east and west.
• Speyside - geographically a part of the Highlands, but due to the number of distilleries around the River Spey this area tends to be treated separately.
• Island - this covers all the islands apart from Islay.
• Islay - due to the number of distilleries this island can boast, especially those that are still producing whisky, this area also tends to get treated separately!
• Campbeltown - despite only having two active distilleries this town on the Kintyre peninsula is also classified as a separate region.
• Lowland - this basically covers every distillery that is not included in any of the above categories.

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