For my money, The Moray Firth is the finest piece of coastal real estate on the the Scottish mainland. It hosts one wonderful links course after another and views across the inner Firth bursting with color and contour. The western shore on the south side of the Firth, approaching Inverness, looks onto the gorse and heater bedecked hills of the far shore.
We’ve played links up and down the length of the Firth, from Castle Stuart over to Fraserburgh where the Firth meets the North Sea. The inner Firth, around Nairn, has it’s own micro-climate, more fair and and mild than other Highland regions. This we learned from club members at Nairn Golf Links when we played their famous links in 2016.
That micro-climate was serving us well this morning, lot’s of rays, gentle breeze and dry turf at Spey Bay Golf Links while Aberlour, a short drive south, was in a deluge.
Fair weather or no, I took a shellacking from my little brother. His iron play was a thing marvelous, so I enjoyed the sights while I had my golfing brains bashed in.
A quick bite in the clubhouse with a dram of Tomintoul 12 year old and we were off to the fabled Scottish Dolphin Center. I was happy to go, Jeff was stoked about it, but I wasn’t counting on seeing any of the Moray Firth Dolphins that locals saw as harbingers of good fortune.
My brother is an aspiring naturalist, a veritable John Muir in the making. Last year he had us visit a sea bird sanctuary located a mile or so south of Machrihanish Golf Links.
We’d had a round on Machrihanish Old and lunched at the pub across the road. I was well contented with my single malt and fancied another and perhaps another after that. Nothing doing, Jeff was in command, so we left with my thirst unsated and headed off to look at the birds.
We found the small observation shack and platform of the supposed sanctuary easily. What we didn’t find were the birds. No birds at all, not a one. Not a swallow, or kestrel, a gull or an oyster-catcher came near. It was a wee bit of a mystery since all these species and others I couldn’t name had been having a grand time in the skies above Old Machrihanish. My guess is they were at the pub slaking a thirst.
But this year, we were not to be denied. Dolphins galore cavorting in the waves, Jeff filled his digital camera with photos while I finished off my flask of Highland Park.
As we’ve said, The Mash Tun has become our favorite haunt, actually our only haunt in Aberlour. But locals had told us about another fine restaurant that also boasted a fine whiskey bar located just up the hill on High Street.
The Dowans Hotel occupies a low hill off the high street with commanding views of the River Spey. A former Victorian mansion built in the 1880’s, it’s granite facade, turrets and crenelations looked like a set out of Masterpiece Theater.
Upon arrival we found we had been misinformed. The hotel offered two restaurants and two bars, not just one of each. The Spey was an elegant, intimate dining experience for lovebirds so we opted for the more traditional Scottish ambiance of the 57. But before that we needed to address our parched condition and found the remedy in the Mbar. Old Fashions mixed with single malt from the Aberlour Distillery did the trick.
The 57 offered game and fish from the local area, so we tucked into venison and trout accompanied neeps and tatties in whisky cream sauce. You can do such wonderful things with whisky.
The other bar at Dowan’s is called The Still. It doesn’t need much explanation. There’s a lovely wall in The Still that holds their collection of 500 bottles of whisky. Cardhu is a one of the many distilleries in the region. We had a snifter, or two, of Cardhu 18 year old and we’re happy we did.
With a short walk downhill to the Pagoda, I thought it a good time to ring my lovely wife back home. The call went to voice mail after a few rings. By the time we arrived back to our place I received a text from Doreen which read “Sorry, I couldn’t answer your call. My hands were full with bags from Macy’s that I was placing in the car. The Coach store is having a sale, also, so I’ll be tied up for awhile. Will call tomorrow. Love”.
All pleasure with a price.
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