10. Speyside Region, Scotland: The Balvenie, Single Malt Scotch
If you like mist-soaked hills and verdant stream-laced valleys, you can't go wrong anywhere in Scotland's famed Highlands. And if your tastes tend toward fine single-malt scotch, limit your travels to the Speyside region, home to the highest concentration of scotch distilleries in the country: 47 of them dot an area encompassing some 1,000 square miles. Even amid this bounty The Balvenie, home of the handcrafted malt, stands out: Built with stones from the still-standing Balvenie Castle, a medieval fort, the distillery dripped its first golden nectar in 1893. A lot has changed in 115 years but not the intimacy of making high-grade single malt. The distillery employs just 17 craftsmen, and the three-hour visitors' tour, which includes a tasting, is limited to eight people. If for some reason The Balvenie doesn't please your palate, take to the trails, where you'll find another brand soon enough.
Scotland Travel Guide