Speyside page 5

South of Inverness and north-east of Scotland, the valley where the Spey River flows is the historic birthplace of whisky. More than fifty renowned distilleries gather here: Glenfarclas, Glenfiddich, Aberlour, Macallan... They produce dry, fruity, lightly-peated, smooth and mellow whiskies. Hard to access through these meandering, tortuous roads flanked by deep, thick forests, the valley has been the perfect place for whisky smuggling, moonshine distilling and illegal production to thrive, until it was made legal in 1823. The abundant, pure waters and high quality spirits spurred the establishment of new distilleries with the liberalisation of the law.