Rothes
Rothes,
a small town nestling in the Spey Valley, is situated south
of Elgin and north of Charlestown of Aberlour. It was founded
by the Earl of Findlater in 1766, replacing an earlier settlement.
Rothes has five Whisky Distilleries, Glen Grant, 1840, Glenrothes,
1878, Glen Spey, 1879, Speyburn, 1897 and Caperdonich, 1898.
The first distillery, Glen Grant, was founded in 1840 by
James and John Grant. Nearby the distillery stands the ruins
of Rothes Castle, built in the 15th century by the Leslie
Earl of Rothes. In 1390 the Leslie's inherited the property
and held it until it was sold to the Grants. It was abandoned
in the 17th century. There is only one wall left standing,
it's only features are joist holes for the lean-to buildings
and one side of an arched window.
Ben
Aigan
Ben
Aigan lies east of Rothes, north east of Craigellachie and
south of Fochabers. The hill rises to a height of 1,546
ft (471m). The River Spey flows along the foot of its western
and northern slopes, while the River Fiddich lies to the
south. The forest covers the steep sided slopes of Ben Aigan
and offers magnificent views over Speyside and across to
Ben Rinnes. There are two cycle routes around Ben Aigan.
The shorter route is 4.5 miles in length, it is the easiest
of the two routes, picnic tables are provided along the
way to enjoy the excellent views over the Spey Valley. The
longer route of 6 miles is for real mountain bike enthusiasts.
Once at the top, there are magnificent views across the
whole of Moray. A section of the Speyside Way follows a
forest road round the west side of the hill.
Glen
of Rothes Trout Fishery
The
Glen of Rothes Trout Fishery, lies at the heart of the Scotch
Whisky producing area. It has 6 acres of water, and provides
excellent Stillwater bank fishing for Rainbow trout, Browns,
Steelheads, Blue Rainbows and Brook trout. The average weight
of each fish caught has been steady at 2lb ever since the
fishery opened in 1994, the record for the heaviest Rainbow
trout stands at 15lb 11oz. The Water from the fishery flows
only for a mile before joining the River Spey. The lochs
are stocked on a regular basis, and daily during the summer,
to ensure a steady flow of fish that will give a challenging
day's fishing. The Fishery is never closed during the frosty
weather of the winter months, as an aeration system was
installed in 1996 which keeps the water moving, keeping
large area's ice free.
Rothes Today
Today
Rothes is a small and attractive village, it is best known
for its five whisky distilleries, but it has plenty other
attractions for visitors interested in walking the Speyside
Way, fishing on the River Spey, nature rambling and photography.
Activities in Rothes include golfing, nature trails and
tennis. The Rothes Golf Club was founded in 1990. It is
situated in a picturesque setting in Speyside, the course
itself is sited above Rothes with spectacular views over
the River Spey and Rothes Castle. It is a hilly, but not
too steep course, surrounded by the woodland. It is a fairly
short nine hole course, the holes are named after the local
businesses who helped towards the cost of laying the course.
The Club also has a brand new Clubhouse with all the modern
facilities.
