THERE IS MORE than a whiff of whisky in the air as the Whisky Month series of events continues. This weekend, the west coast's distillers are being feted at Inveraray Castle as the Duke of Argyll plays host to Spirit of the West.
Taking place over two days, the event boasts whisky masterclasses and appearances from 16 of the region's top distillers, from Talisker in Skye to Campbeltown's Springbank.
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Visit The Scotsman's brand new whisky siteOther attractions include the Red Hot Chilli Pipers, who get the proceedings under way this morning with their unique approach to playing the bagpipes. Tomorrow, Nick Nairn and Shirley Spear will be banging their pans and cooking with the best of the local larder while Robin Laing is promising a set of his whisky-inspired songs. Falconry displays, street theatre and fashion shows complete the line-up.
Sticking with Scotland's national drink, this is the opening weekend of Whisky Galore! The Musical at Pitlochry Festival Theatre. Compton Mackenzie's novel takes to the stage with a score that recalls 1940s big bands, although one imagines that on islands such as Barra or Lewis at the time whisky might have been looked upon more kindly than fripperies such as the Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy of Company B.
As a parting shot, at least as far as whisky is concerned, we should also mention Charles MacLean's talk about his new book at the Word festival in Aberdeen today. It's called MacLean's Malt Whisky Handbook and it explores the character of every malt whisky distilled in Scotland. MacLean's enthusiasm for the liquid is infectious and even if you think you don't like whisky, an hour in his company is almost guaranteed to convince you otherwise.
It is a toss-up as to whether whisky or Robert Burns is Scotland's most potent icon and there is plenty of both available this weekend. The Burns An' A' That festival gets underway today in Ayr with a Poetry in Motion bus tour around the poet's old stamping grounds, then tonight there is a midnight half-marathon through the town in aid of the Ayrshire Hospice. Those not exhausted by tramping through the darkness can continue the celebrations with Sunday night's gig in Ayr's Wellington's Bar. Under the title of An Evening with the Ulster Scots, musicians from Northern Ireland will be belting out sets of traditional music.
While shedding a few pounds would not go amiss, your correspondent has never felt any inclination to buff up to the point where I could toss cabers, carry boulders or pull trucks with my teeth – as long as I have sufficient strength to pull the ring tab on a beer I'm pretty much content. Competitors at today's Strongman competition in the Nevis Centre, near Fort William, no doubt take a different view. Biceps will be bulged and pecs flexed as Scotland's most unusually shaped men exchange grunts and admire each other's muscle tone.
• For more information visit www.spiritofthewest.co.uk; www.pitlochry.org.uk; www.abdn.ac.uk/word; burns.visitscotland.com/festival; www.neviscentre.co.uk
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