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Victoria, Queen
The young Queen Victoria first came to Scotland
in 1842, the fifth year of her reign, accompanied by her husband
Prince Albert. The couple were entranced by what they saw, especially
of the Highlands. On her return home, Victoria wrote: “The
country is full of beauty, of a severe and grand character, perfect
for sport; and the air remarkably pure and light in comparison
with what we have here.” Ten years later Albert purchased
Balmoral Castle, due south of Aberlour across the Grampian Mountains.
The castle still is the royal family’s summer holiday home.
For Albert, the Highland pursuits of hunting,
shooting and fishing were the main attractions. Victoria loved
to explore the countryside and to picnic on the heather-covered
hills, or visit the Highland games at Braemar. Her enthusiasm
for Scotland and all things Scottish spread throughout Court circles
and the wider London society. Whisky became a fashionable drink
south of the border, to the delight of distillers on Speyside
and elsewhere. After Albert’s sudden death in 1861, Victoria
spent more and more time in her beloved Scottish retreat, comforted
by her faithful gillie John Brown – and no doubt by the occasional
glass of malt whisky.
Visitors Centre
Officially known as The Fleming Rooms, the Aberlour Visitors Centre is located alongside the distillery. Each room in the centre, named after James Fleming who founded the distillery in 1879, is individually styled to reflect a different period in Aberlour’s long history. Among the exhibits on display is the ancient stone that marked the site of St Drostan’s Well. Visitors also have the opportunity to go on a tour of the distillery and see for themselves the making of Aberlour’s award-winning whisky.
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