Dufftown/Banffshire - has anyone visted?

Meg, there is a great online guide to Scotland called Undiscovered Scotland. You can find out a lot on this site about specific places in Scotland. Here's the link for Dufftown http://www.undiscoveredscotland.co.uk/areaduff/index.html. Here's the link to Banf http://www.undiscoveredscotland.co.uk/areabanf/index.html. One thing to find out is what types of whisky your husband likes. Does he like Speyside whisky? In that case you're in the right area. However, if he likes the peatier whisky, you need to head to the west to Islay. A couple of other good whisky websites are http://www.scotlandwhisky.com/ and http://www.maltwhiskytrail.com/ If you're a fan of Local Here, then Banf is a good place to visit. The famous phone box is in Pennan. You might to want to also look at Grantown on Spey. Also, I want to strongly recommend Iain Banks book Raw Spirit. It's all about his search for the perfect dram and driving around Scotland. Pam

There are quite a few distilleries in Dufftown and Cambeltown areas. Speyside whisky is the type I really enjoy. Balvinnie makes one of my favorites- The Balvinnie 12 year double wood, but their tour is rather expensive, I think. Another of my favorites is Dahwhinnie- it is the highest distillery in Scotland. Their tour is very inexpensive and the distillery is rather isolated, but lovely. Here are some sites you might find usefull http://www.maltwhiskytrail.com/ http://www.aboutspeyside.com/scotchwhisky.php http://www.scotlandwhisky.com/distilleries/ http://www.scotchwhisky.net/distilleries/ http://www.whisky-distilleries.info/index_EN.shtml http://www.whisky.com/distilleries.html
http://www.maltmadness.com/whisky/

Thank you both! Can you let me know what the area is like? Is there more to do than visit the distilleries?

I've not traveled in this specific area. I've traveled in Aberdeenshire and along the Moray coast. You have to realize that Scotland is a small place with wee roads that connect different parts. You will probably enjoy this area even though I've not been to it. I've primarily stayed in Inverness. I did stay in Inverurie, but I wouldn't particularly recommend it. Pam

We have stayed in Aviemore. It is in the Caringorm Mts. but still in the Speyside area. Nice area, lovely scenery. Lots to do near Aviemore itself- funicuar up Mt. Caringorm, or hikes/walks, reindeer preserve, Heather center, and the Rothmurchie estate has canoeing, walks, horseback riding, etc. There is a restored steam train that does round trips though some lovely countryside. Drives through some great glens, along some lochs, etc. do some searches on Aviemore, Kingussie, etc. Also you will be near Inverness and could do some of the day trips typical of that city.

WE passed thru Dufftown several years ago on the way from Inverness to Ballateer and Balmoral. We stopped at Fort George and Cawdor Castle. We did tour a distillery in the area of Dufftown but I don't remember which one. We also stopped at Kildrummy castle. We noticed the accents got pretty thick in this area which was interesting. On a later trip to Skye we went to the Talisker distillery which we enjoyed very much. I like the River Dee area. There are several castles and small towns in the area.

You've probably already discovered that Dufftown has its own site:
http://www.dufftown.co.uk/index.php