HEADED TO THE HIGHLANDS
MONDAY MAY 26, 2025
epochal barrel-fermented ales
On the banks of the Forth & Clyde Canal north of central Glasgow, where Scotland’s largest distillery once sat, Gareth Young opened a brewery in 2021 to revive the spirit of the rich and earthy ales the country was famous for in the 19th century.
Using whisky and wine casks to create barrel-fermented stock beers that draw on centuries of tradition, Epochal’s mixed and open fermentation ales are meant to reflect the city’s industrial and brewing heritage while offering, by way of its house Saccharomyces and Brettanomyces, a true taste of “Scottish Funk.”
Of particular interest is the use of a rare Burton Union fermenter (one of only two now in use in the world) that once was in service at the legendary English brewery Marston’s.
Since summer 2024 Epochal offers its unique beers in a new onsite taproom.
stirling castle
As dramatic and imposing today as it had been during Scotland’s most turbulent periods, the very well-preserved Stirling Castle is strategically located where the Lowlands and Highlands meet — and not surprisingly it has a singularly eventful and tumultuous history.
As an ages-old symbol of Scottish Independence, the mighty fortress has over the centuries been fought over time and again; in one 50-year period control of the castle changed hands eight times. Two major Scottish military victories took place near Stirling Castle: William Wallace defeated the British at Stirling Bridge in 1297, and 27 years later Robert the Bruce defeated Edward II at Bannockburn, just south of Stirling. Today the castle is one of Scotland’s most visited sites.
blair athol distillery
Located on the outskirts of Pitlochry since 1798, this distillery’s original name was Aldour, after the Allt Dour Burn (“Otter Stream”) from which it draws its water. The burn runs between the distillery and its dunnage warehouses, and it starts at Ben Vrackie, where the town’s other distillery, Edradour, also sources its water.
Though the original Aldour distillery was closed soon after its founding, it was reopened in 1825 and renamed Blair Atholl, either after the nearby town or in honor of the Duke of Atholl, who owned the land at the time. Blair Atholl’s Distillery’s second run lasted until another closure in 1932, but seventeen years later it was once again reopened, and rebuilt.
Now foreign owned, like the vast majority of Speyside distilleries, it devotes 99% of its output to making blended whiskies, including Johnnie Walker and Black & White. It is best known for its sweeter malts.
pitlochry
The small, bustling Highlands town of Pitlochry earned a reputation as a high-end tourist resort after Queen Victoria and Prince Albert visited the area in 1842 and bought the highland estate at Balmoral. It remains a popular tourist destination today and is particularly known for its Pitlochry Festival Theatre as well as its proximity to the mountains Ben Vrackie and Schiehallion, which help to make it a popular base for hiking enthusiasts and coach holiday groups.
The town has retained many of its original stone Victorian buildings, particularly along the very popular and colorful High Street, and is further blessed with the presence of two long-established whisky distilleries as well as a pair of new craft breweries.
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