It’s time to pack your bags and head to Scotland as one of the world’s largest whisky festivals, Spirit of Speyside, prepares to land in the region.

Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival will take place next month in Speyside

The Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival, held on 3 to 7 May, will bring the spiritual home of Scottish malt whisky to life.

The festival will offer whisky enthusiasts 520 events to choose from, including tastings, a ceilidh on a train, whisky caching – which launched for the first time last year – craft events, quizzes and valuations.

The event offers a programme of music, crafts, and foodie experiences running alongside a range of distillery tours and tastings throughout Speyside. With a programme of more than 500 whisky-inspired events, the festival is a Mecca for the curious beginner and stalwart whisky drinker alike.

The Spirits Business has picked out a few of the key tastings, dinners and events that will be on offer at the festival.

For more information and to book tickets visit www.spiritofspeyside.com.

Click through the following pages for a selection of the top events at Spirit of Speyside.

Women of the Malt Whisky Trail

The Malt Whisky Trail has teamed up with #OurWhisky on a new event to showcase the women of Malt Whisky Country.

Hosted by editor of ScotchWhisky.com and co-founder of #OurWhisky Becky Paskin, festival-goers will have the opportunity to learn about the women of Malt Whisky Country and enjoy a tasting tour through nine sites across The Malt Whisky Trail: Glenfiddich, Benromach, The Glenlivet, GlenMoray, GlenGrant, Speyside Cooperage, Dallas Dhu, Cardhu and Strathisla. The tasting will also include a cheese and whisky pairing.

The event will be held on 3 May from 2pm to 4pm at The Still Bar, The Dowans Hotel in Aberlour. Tickets are priced at £15.

Billy Walker and GlenAllachie festival release

Meet Billy Walker, the former managing director of the BenRiach Distillery Company, for an informal session as he talks about his plans for new venture the GlenAllachie Distillery.

For the festival, Walker has created a special bottling that was distilled on 19 April 2006 and bottled in April this year. The expression will be available to buy at the session for £56 before it goes on general sale.

The events are free to attend and will be held at The Whisky Shop Dufftown on 3 May and 4 May at 10:30am to 11:30am on both day. The event will also be held at The Highlander Inn on both days at 1pm to 2pm.

Let the fun beGIN with the Scottish gin society

It’s not all about the whisky at Speyside with the Scottish Gin Society bringing a tutored gin tasting featuring bottlings from Speyside and beyond.

Join founder Stephen White as he talks visitors through the gin-making process while sampling some of the best gins Speyside and Scotland has to offer.

The event will be held at The Richmond Memorial Hall in Tomintoul from 2pm to 3pm. Tickets are priced at £15.00.

The Macallan 6 Pillars Tour

Experience The Macallan’s Six Pillars series with a tour of the production house. A friendly and knowledable guide will explain how The Macallan is made, along with a nosing and tasting of the new-make spirits and four expressions of The Macallan.

The distillery will not be in production during the festival as it transitions into the new Macallan distillery. Limited to 10 people, tours will run through the old silent distillery in Craigellachie.

Numerous tours are held throughout the festival, however you’ll have to be quick to grab a place as they’re selling out fast.

Tickets are available on 3 May at 12pm-1.30pm, 4pm-5.30pm, 7 May on 11:00am-12:30pm and 3:00pm-4:30pm. Tickets are priced at £15.00.

Dogfest 2018

Get your dancing shoes on at DogFest, a whisky and music festival held at the famed Craigellachie Hotel. Dundee songwriter Be Charlotte will headline the festival with performances from Sons O The Soil, The little Kicks and Ded Rabbit.

Barley, Stills, Mash & Tun, a band comprised of whisky industry professional including Diageo’s Dr Nick Morgan, will also make its return to the festival.

The event will be held at Copper Dog Pub & Kitchen at The Craigellachie Hotel on 5 May at 5pm to 1am. Tickets are priced at £30.00.

Scotch Malt Whisky Society: Game, Set & Match

Whisky writer and international brand ambassador for the Spirit of Speyside festival, Hans Offringa, will host a whisky dinner on 4 May.

Join Offringa for a tasting of single cask whiskies from the Scotch Malt Whisky Society expertly matched with a four-course dinner created by The Craigellachie’s head chef, Andy Fyfe.

The event will be held on 4 May from 7.30am to 10.30pm at The Quaich Whisky Bar at The Craigellachie Hotel. Tickets are priced at £75.00.

The Railway’s Children

The birth of the railway in Speyside allowed distilleries to get their whiskies to market and blending houses, while casks and goods could come in the other direction.

Join whisky expert Dave Broom (pictured above) and the Quaich Bar’s Lyndsey Gray on a virtual train ride to discover the history behind the railway drams and the people behind them.

The Railway’s Children will take place on 3 May on 2pm-4pm at The Craigellachie Hotel. Tickets are priced at £45.00.

Duncan Taylor Scotch Whisky Tour and Tasting

Independent family-owned drinks company Duncan Taylor will be offering visitors the chance to visits its bottling and cask warehouse to learn about the Octave programme, glimpse rare whiskies and enjoy a tasting of some of the finest drams. Established in 1938 in Speyside, Duncan Taylor are in the business of brokering whisky, cask maturation and independent bottling.

The event will be held on 3 May, 4 May and 7 May at 10.30am to 12.30am. Tickets are priced at £40.00.