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For this podcast we travel to Inverness, Scotland to talk to a man in a kilt. (Who doesn’t love a kilt?!!) Calum Macnee owns and operates a walking and whiskey tour company in Scotland called, “Stills & Hills.” He takes enthusiasts out for scenic and beautiful hikes all across Scotland. He also knows a prodigious amount about Scotch whiskey. So with Calum as your guide, you’re sure to have a satisfying trip no matter which distilleries you visit.

I met up with him in Inverness and we talked inside a small tour bus while the others in our group took a sight-seeing side tour.

To contact Calum Macnee for your Stills & Hills adventure:

Calum@stillsandhills.com

M- 07900 065049

Website- StillsandHills.com

Scotland has easy hikes and dramatic, difficult hikes. But all are beautiful!

Colum is an accomplished hiker and has scrambled over the “Munros” of Scotland since he was a lad. (If you want to know what a “Munro” is, you need to listen in.) He has also taken advanced navigation courses so you are safe with him as your guide. He explains during our talk why you need to know how to read a map and compass. (Phone batteries run down, people drop their phones). And how GPS doesn’t help you in a dense fog surrounded by confusing sheep trails!

Here are some of his favorite hikes that he mentioned in the podcast interview:

1. Far North West of Scotland Stac Pollaidh (sometimes anglicised to Stac Polly) - translates as The Pinnacle of the Pool

2. The one-way hike crossing the Cairngorm Mountains is the Lairig Ghru - translates as the Pass of Druie (a local river) and connects the village of Aviemore with Braemar

3. The difficult hike on the north side of the Glencoe valley (not allowed for school groups!) is the Aonach Eagach - translates as The Notched Ridge.

The beautiful scenery of Glencoe on the western side of Scotland (my personal favorite!)

He also mentioned the Fife Coastal Path which he’s walked quite a bit of during various lockdowns as it’s close to where he lives.

Calum Macnee- Stills & Hills hiking guide and whiskey distillery tour expert

This guy also knows his whiskeys and distilleries. Although I do not care for whisky, he explains the different types and is extremely knowledgeable about Scottish brands, flavors, and the best distillery tours.

The impressive, new Macallan building interior

He explains why Macallan (which our group toured and - wow!) is such a great experience to visit, and why he also likes visiting the smaller and more intimate distilleries like Cragganmoor and Aberfeldy. Although it’s a global industry, it can feel extremely “local” when you visit some of these smaller distilleries with their small staff of 3-4 people.

He also knows which countries prefer which type of whiskey. (Americans like the Speyside ones). Some countries have a tendency to like the earthy, peaty flavors.

Then we moved on to the “mills” part of our “stills, hills and mills” discussion. Since I was part of a knitting group touring Scottish mills, weavers and cashmere stores, we had a bit of a chat about the great mills to visit and the importance of Scotland in cashmere products for the world.