The Highlands’ distilleries include Cardhu, home of Johnnie Walker. (Rosemary McClure / For The Times)
Scotch ages in casks at Glenmorangie Distillery, one of many dotting Scotland. (Rosemary McClure / For The Times)
Glenmorangie Distillery has the tallest malt whiskey stills in Scotland. (Rosemary McClure / For The Times)
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A worker guides a new copper still at Abercrombie Works in Alloa, Scotland. Abercrombie dates back to 1790 and is one of the last remaining dedicated coppersmiths in Scotland. (Rosemary McClure / For The Times)
It’s a pastoral scene outside the Glenlivet Distillery in the Speyside region of the Highlands. Many of Scotland’s distilleries are located in the countryside. (Rosemary McClure / For The Times)
Is it the factory line or a work of art? A bottle sculpture decorates the visitor center at the Glenlivet Distillery. (Rosemary McClure / For The Times)
Albert Ludlow, a bartender at Craigellachie Hotel in the Scottish Highlands, discusses the 640 single malt whiskeys the bar carries, with price tags ranging up to $482 a shot. (Rosemary McClure / For The Times)
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Bottles and bottles -- nearly 3,500 in all -- line the shelves of the Scotch Whiskey Experience, a museum in Edinburgh. It’s the world’s largest collection of Scotch whiskey. (Rosemary McClure / For The Times)
Holyrood Palace in Edinburgh is the official residence of the monarch in Scotland; Queen Elizabeth II stays there each year at the beginning of summer. (Rosemary McClure / For The Times)
The ruins of Urquhart Castle perch on a rocky promontory above Loch Ness. Most Nessie sightings occur near the ancient stronghold. When not on the trail of the Loch Ness Monster, many visitors travel a different trail, one involving Scotch whiskey. (Rosemary McClure / For The Times)
Port Ellen, on the island of Islay, glistens in the afternoon sun. Islay is known for its peaty Scotches, such as Laphroaig. (Rosemary McClure / For The Times)
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Could it be a ghost? An orb of light appears near the left leg of Menzies Castle administrator John Jack. In this castle, supposedly home to 20 spirits, strange things are known to happen: voices, slamming doors and ghostly orbs in photographs. (Rosemary McClure / For The Times)
A Highland cow munches grass on a hillside. The breed is known for its long, wavy pelts and fringed bangs. (Rosemary McClure / For The Times)
When the sun comes out, so do the people of Edinburgh. The Princes Street Gardens are a favorite spot to break out the blankets and bask in the sunshine. (Rosemary McClure / For The Times)
Walkers, including an enthusiastic golden retriever named Bob, stride down a green leading to Dornoch Firth and the North Sea, near the village of Tain, Scotland. (Rosemary McClure / For The Times)