I killed a bottle of Craigellachie 13 tonight for Whisky Wednesdayand typed out a micro story about rolling into the eponymous Highland village on a pitch black evening last October. There’s no Speyside welcome quite like the glow of the still room lighting the way to your accommodations (in my case, the exquisite Craigellachie Lodge).

Read on for an edited version of the story.

Sláinte, y’all!

It was dark when I rolled into the outskirts of Craigellachie in the Scottish Highlands. I started my morning in St. Andrews and had enjoyed a leisurely day wandering through that seaside town before starting my drive up the coast. I was required to arrive in Craigellachie before 8:00 pm—and I did, but barely.

The bright sunlight of the day had softened into dusk not long into my drive. When it departed fully for the night, I eased my foot’s pressure on the gas pedal. I was entering the unknown in pitch black, navigating carefully through the winding Highland roads. Other cars, presumably steered by locals, occasionally appeared in my rearview window. I offered a silent apology for my slow pace and a not-so-silent prayer that their captains would pass me or at least turn away from our shared route to find another way.

This unnerving driving experience was far from ideal, but I soon discovered that it had its charms. As I approached the end of my journey, I was startled by the warm glow of the still room at Craigellachie Distillery. In daylight, the luminous view would be hidden in plain sight. In the dark, however, golden light flowed over the rotund bellies of the copper stills and spilled into the black night, welcoming me to Speyside.

In My Glass

Craigellachie 13
Single Malt Scotch Whisky
13 Years Old; 46% ABV
Scotland 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 (Speyside)

On My Desk

1962 Smith Corona Skyriter, Made in England