Voices of the Green Lady.

Whiskey, sheep and Spukschlösser: Scotland will all more than just stereotypes. But who could they not like? The ghoulish legends, the Knights' dramatic castles and smoky single malts of the highlands in the north island.

 

Turriff - Allegedly Stinginess is typical for Scotland. But in a tour of the Highlands which is nothing to remember. At least the northeast of Scotland is not stingy with small and large attractions. Tourists learn here: Typical Scots are more whiskey and wool, sheep and castles, ghosts and people for whom all life is.

Fyvie Castle is a castle, all the clichés of Scotland met: The entrance hall is a few feet high, knights armor stand around. On the rear wall flickers an artificial fireplace, hang on another crossed swords, but also a deer antler and a Elchkopf. The stuffed polar bear, however, the seemingly grinning over a stuffed seal also prevents acts here in the northwest of Aberdeen Turriff something exotic.

Fyvie Castle would be the ideal backdrop for a movie about Scotland's shrill locks. The alligator, the mighty Elefantenstoßzahn and the Turtle, on the castle to visitors marked the beginning of their visit, show exactly how the crocodile skin from Sudan that one of the former castle lords an avid hunter and collector was. The castle is also remarkable in other ways - not only because of its more than a hundred rooms in the haunted Flyvie Castle Green Lady, and have done so for centuries.

Smoking, drinking, games

Andrew Collins leads the guests through the stairwell. "It dates from 1599 and is the widest in Scotland," he says and moves on research progress. "It is so great that some early visitors to the horse to be ridden up." The castle is 800 years old, says Collins, "it was in medieval times of the hunting seat of the Scottish king." The bulk of the body but comes from a late time.

In the men's room a buffalo head hanging on the wall and a collection of rifles. The pool table which is two tons. "Here the men indulged their vices," says the Castle Guide: "Smoking, drinking, playing." To see is also the room in which the 16th Century castle of the Lord for his wife always einsperrte because they are four daughters but no son had received. She died in despair and is now still in order: "In the green dress, which she had worn," says Collins.

The castle today is Mr. Robert Lavie, and is not noble. He managed Fyvie Castle on behalf of the National Trust, the British institution, which ensures that many historic buildings are open to visitors and remain. "The Green Lady I've never seen, but the rose scent of her perfume I have smelt," he asserts. "She was also a few in my apartment, has adjusted things and once even turned up the taps."

Lavie chances of ghost apparitions are relatively good: He lived for ten years under the palace roof. On a cabinet is a photograph taken next to it shows Prince Charles. "A super etter type. He was only in October here, and it has really liked him." Lavie and Prince Charles share several interests. These include Scotch whiskey - single malt whiskey, to be exact.

Water for the whiskey

Single Malt is the pinnacle of high spirits from the north of the British Isles - a matter with which you look at solid conviction Lavie best in practical basics. He pours a Balwhinnie On. "Twelve years old," he says charm, "six years in oak and six years in sherry barrels, easy and full of sweetness." Lavie is a filigree silver jug a sip of water in the whiskey before he first saw it sips. His guests are doing the same to him. "The water," he says, "brings the flavors to really apply."

A piece of Turriff is located west of the Highland town of Elgin. With Fyvie Castle has it together, that Prince Charles was there recently: 2008, he has a visitor center opened in Johnston. Johnston, at the end of the 18th Century, is an institution in Scotland and the first choice for everything from wool manufactured. Craig Ware, one of the tour guide, pointing to the white cashmere from Mongolia, which is processed here. "This is camel hair," he says, and puts a little bit flauschiges them around, "wonderfully soft."

Johnston is also behind the scenes look: Visitors may use the division to look at where the wool is spun, the hall where the looms and also the huge washing machines, the oil from the wool wash - with Scottish spring water. The small Elgin, otherwise best known for the majestic ruins of its medieval cathedral, is also on behalf of major brands produced by about Lacoste Ralph Lauren to Burberry. Above all, scarves and blankets come from here.

Elgin is located south of Speyside, a region in the Highlands with very many whiskey distilleries. In Grantown on Spey is home to Graham Harvey, a whiskey connoisseur of a special kind because it uses its flavor not just to drink: Harvey is the chef in the "Craggan Mill". The restaurant in an old mill dating from the 18th Century is known for its cuisine with specialties whiskey - all of Harvey's creations. "It tastes just great," he says. "You only have the courage to try out a lot." Den he has, so guests get haggis soup with a touch of 15 year old Glenfarclas or smoked fish served with a whiskey sauce Tabasco.

Scotland's smallest distillery

No longer in Speyside is Edradour, the chances to be the title of "Scottish distillery schnuckelig" would. In any case, it is the smallest. It is located in Perthshire near the town of Pitlochry. The white building, including the burning house bubbles, are from the street to see. A stream splashes it on a narrow bridge. The farm owners are Andrew Symington. "We are the final Farm Distillery in Scotland," he says, "originated from a farm on which the surplus barley for the production of whiskey was used." The distillery has its fuel license since 1847.

"Today, three burners and myself," says Symington. "Elsewhere control everything via computer, we do this by hand yet." In the whiskey industry, he worked for more than 20 years. Seven years ago he stood with his from Germany-based partner in front of the distillery. "Beautiful here," she said. "Should I tell you to buy?" He asked. "A year later we were back before, this time with the key in his hand."

The distillery can be visited, the room where the barley in a huge "Big Bags" is stored, to the mash tun and the "stills" for distilling.

Symington makes his mature malt extensively. "We use Sherry, Port, Burgundy, Madeira, Masala and drums," he explains. Depending on how long the whiskey is stored and in which the barrel, there are many different variations of the Edradour Malt. In the visitor center, they are bottle to bottle on the shelf, an impressive range, how to demonstrate what is possible to taste everything.

In its seams from all the warehouse space has Symington 700 barrels lie. One of them belongs to his son Andrew Gerhard. Even the little moves with the Bobbycar over the yard. "But if it 21 is, he gets the barrel for a birthday," says the boss Edradour. It can fill 700 bottles - from a then very old, very uncommon drops. This would not only celebrate birthday, but a party like a lock master.

Andrew Gerhard Symington did not even know how good he has it.