The reason for all of this cask travel is a lack of dense forestry in Scotland. Most of our green spaces are made up of open fields, designed to hold cattle and sheep. Last year we visited Gus from Trees4Scotland to talk to him about Scotland’s forestry situation and ask what hope there might be for Scottish Oak casks in the future. In this video (here) Gus explains how agriculture has historically taken priority over forestry, leading to devastated biodiversity in Scotland and overall a real lack of trees. We wanted to help, so we arranged for a tree to be planted at Auld Mill Wood for every cask that we sold.
Visit The Trees
There is another way in which we can help and that is by spreading the joy of trees. A lot of what Gus does is raise awareness of the Scottish forest situation and we are keen to join him in that mission. We encourage you not only to have a look at trees4scotland.com but also to get out and see the forests of Scotland. What better way of helping Scotland than by visiting its existing tree-filled realms? When was the last time you properly hugged a tree? They’re very nice, and Covid safe too. And so I have compiled a list of lesser-known forests for you to visit this autumn and, being a cheeky whisky fan, included the must-see distilleries that are nearby.
Roslin Glen
Starting simple; if you want to keep things close to Scotland’s capital, then may I recommend Roslin Glen Country Park? These are the woods that surround the famous Rosslyn Chapel, from Da Vinci Code lore. The Chapel itself has its own long history outwith Dan Brown’s imagination and as such is worth a visit. It is a beautiful and storied building with a history going back to the 15th century and many details to uncover for yourself. The woods below the chapel take some walking; there are rolling hills, a steep valley and plenty of mud in the autumn but this all makes for a full on forest experience and some picturesque scenes. You will even find remnants of a castle that once lived among the tall trees; stand on the parapet and admire all below. This photo has been taken from beneath that parapet by @roanlavery – check out more of their shots of the area here.
A New Take, A New Serve
If the sight of all these trees and ancient religious artefacts make you keen for a whisky you can pop back in your car and drive another half hour to the new and improved Glenkinchie Distillery. Glenkinchie is one of Diageo’s distilleries and it has just been revamped to look shiny and new. There are beautiful modern visual displays as well as a model distillery from 1924. There are three whiskies and a cocktail available though if you have driven you may be able to ask for a take-away one, most distilleries do this. If you wanted to read more about the distillery then I would recommend Swedish Whisky Girl’s blog, which is available here.
Galloway Forest Park
Galloway Forest Park is in the South-West of Scotland. It is a dark-sky area and is also home to one of the best named towns in Scotland, Clatteringshaws. It is about an hour and a half from Glasgow and you must add another hour if you are coming from Edinburgh. The views are worth it when you get there! This photo from @tj_ashford_photography is but a glimpse!
