Dalwhinnie Distillery stands in the Cairngorm National Park at the heart of the Scottish Highlands in the village of Dalwhinnie. From this remote but accessible location comes a liquid known as the gentle spirit

Built in 1897 and currently the highest distillery in the country, Dalwhinnie – or “Plain of Meetings” in Gaelic – is named for its location at a junction of old drove roads, between two mountain ranges. Year after year it survives the coldest of conditions to produce smooth, golden heather honey-like spirit. The distillery has had a turbulent history with prohibition, a devastating fire and wartime interruptions but it has been open and producing whisky since 1940 save for a brief period in 1986 when it underwent a complete refurbishment.

When you’re one of the highest distilleries in Scotland, you can be sure that the water you’re going to be working with will be pretty special. The Allt an T’Sluic Spring, which provides the water used in Dalwhinnie’s production, is wonderfully clear and fresh, thanks in part to the fact that a large proportion of it comes from snow melt.