Visit Elgin

For a taste of traditional Scotland, you can’t beat Elgin. The genteel town lies at the heart of the Speyside whisky region and it has a tempting choice of distilleries where you can sample a dram or two of the national tipple, the most famous of which are Glen Moray and Gordon & MacPhail.

Elgin was once a cathedral city, but today there’s only an atmospheric shell of the once magnificent building that stood here. It’s still worth visiting the cathedral though, as it retains some beautiful features, including soaring towers, graceful archways and a chapter house filled with unusual carvings.

You can actually experience monastic life at nearby Pluscarden Abbey, where a community of Catholic Benedictine monks live within a medieval monastery; join their services to hear the beautiful Gregorian chant.

For extra helpings of history, visit ancient Duffus Castle, the Elgin Museum and Moray Motor Museum.