Every year at the Scotch Whisky Experience, we get the chance to work with bloggers and vloggers from across the globe, many of whom are exploring Scotland (and whisky) for the very first time. Some come from the other side of the world, others come from a little closer to home, as you’ll see below!
We caught up with a few of the bloggers who visited us this year to ask them a few questions about their time in Edinburgh and their thoughts on whisky. You can find links to their reviews below each post.
Vida na Escocia
Anelise visited us as one of the trio who run the Brazilian blog Vida na Escocia. Based in Scotland, the blog is a great Brazilian-Portuguese resource for visitors to Scotland, covering everything from exploring the islands to where to eat in the major cities. We were excited for Vida na Escocia to visit us as the World’s Largest Collection of Scotch Whisky was originally amassed in Sao Paolo, by Brazilian collector Claive Vidiz!
What was your favourite part of your time at the Scotch Whisky Experience?
I really loved the way it managed to teach so much about whisky in a fun and entertaining way. I didn’t know much about it, and I am now really proud of my newly acquired knowledge about the subject. I have many favourite parts, but I guess the number one would be the collection, it is really impressive.
How do you say ‘cheers’ / ‘happy new year’ where you are from?
In Brazil, when toasting, we say ‘Saúde!’ And for Happy New Year we say ‘Feliz Ano Novo!’
Read Vida na Escocia’s review here
Go Girlfriend
Stacy and Julia form the team from Go Girlfriend, a US-based site that focuses exclusively on travel for women – whether it’s business, romantic or weekend adventures. Stacy and Julia visited us as part of an adventure escape to Scotland, exploring the wildness of the Highlands combined with a short city-break in Edinburgh.
What was your favorite part of your time in Scotland?
Tasting our way through Scotland at your Scotch Whisky Experience, of course! Truly, but the GoGirlfriend team fell in love with what I call the “spirit” of Scotland – the welcoming people, the stunning landscapes and coastal beauty. Every Scotch whisky we taste from now on will have a heartfelt connection back to Scotland and our travel adventures.
How do you celebrate New Year?
Celebrating with our family tribe – and lots of wine, champagne and of course, Scotch Whisky!
Read Go Girlfriend’s 3 day guide to Edinburgh here
Edinburgh Foody
Caroline is one third of the Edinburgh-based blogging team Edinburgh Foody, and she visited us as part of our 30th anniversary celebrations back in May. Caroline was once a guide here at the Scotch Whisky Experience, so we jumped at the chance to welcome her back for a tour and cheese and whisky tasting in Amber Restaurant!
How do you like your whisky?
I like my whisky straight – give me a couple of measures of whisky with personality to linger over and I’m a very happy person.
What was your favourite part of your time at the Scotch Whisky Experience?
I enjoyed everything but I am a foody so the matched cheese and whisky tasting was my highlight. The tasting room at the end of the tour got me in the mood for more whisky so the visit to Amber for cheese and whisky chat was the perfect way to end the visit!
Read Caroline’s full review on Edinburgh Foody here
Eve Bushman
Eve is a wine consultant in the USA, so knows her stuff when it comes to drinks, and naturally a trip to Scotland had to include some Scotch! Her visit to Edinburgh kicked off a three-day trip around the distilleries of the Highlands and Speyside, so the Silver Tour was a perfect introduction.
What was your favourite part of your time at the Scotch Whisky Experience?
Honestly? As a wine and spirits writer I wasn’t expecting to really learn something new, but I did. The interactive lesson – scratch n’ sniff cards and watching how blended whisky is made – was eye opening. And my second favorite part had to be seeing your immense whisky collection while sipping on a lovely dram! I dream about that!
How do you celebrate new year at home?
We are a wee family of three, and not late-night lovers. We usually have a family dinner with wine, and of course a lovely single malt whisky nightcap at about 9pm! This year, as we were able to purchase whisky in Scotland, and find some of our newly discovered favorites here in the U.S., it will definitely be one of the rare single malts we discovered. And then off to bed before our neighbors start lighting fireworks!
Read Eve’s full review here
Squibb Vicious
Haydy is the face of Squibb Vicious, a UK lifestyle blog all about food and travel with an alternative twist. Haydy and her boyfriend visited Edinburgh in April (an amazing time of year to see the city!), and took a Gold Tour. She produced this video to showcase her trip, and we just loved those shots of the whisky flights with the city skyline in the background!
What do you remember most about your time in Scotland?
I was shocked at just how pretty Edinburgh was! The buildings were all so stunning and the people were all so friendly too.
What was your favourite part of your time at the Scotch Whisky Experience?
Finding out what region of whisky we liked most, to know what to look for when buying. We actually ended up buying a few bottles once home that we tried at our tasting.
Read Haydy’s full review on Squibb Vicious here
That Texas Couple
Marty and Michelle are travel fanatics from – you guessed it! – Texas, USA, and their blog is dedicated to couples’ travel across the globe. North America is where a huge number of Scotch Whisky Experience visitors are based, so we were delighted to welcome them on a tour during the summer. We asked Michelle a few questions about their trip to Scotland.
How do you like your whisky?
We always drink a good whisky straight with a little ice. If the whisky isn’t as good, then it never hurts to make a good whisky sour with some homemade sour mix and a frothy egg white.
What do you remember most about your time in Scotland?
Honestly, we loved our trip to Scotland and it’s hard to choose just one memory. I guess what I remember most is how kind the local people were to us. Marty and I had the opportunity to stay in a castle in the town of Lauder while visiting. Every morning we would walk into town for coffee and breakfast. While doing so we had the best time chatting with the local merchants and people of the town. We really felt like they had adopted us by the end. They would make special food for us to try and had our coffee ready to go the minute we walked in. It was quite fun!
Read That Texas Couple’s review here
Globetrottine
Emilie Potard runs Globetrottine, an independent travel blog based in France. While she’s been all over the world, she’s got a penchant for the British Isles, and her trip to Scotland was no exception!
What did you remember most about your time in Scotland?
I spent a couple of days in Edinburgh back in March. It was freezing cold and grey, yet the city was still very welcoming. Walking through the Old Town of Edinburgh is literally walking through history. I also spent a day out around Stirling. The weather was gorgeous that day, the snow was still hanging on top of the hills. Scottish landscapes are simply breathtaking.
How do you like your whisky?
For the past couple of years I have taken interest in whisky and started to really enjoy it. I like it straight so I can feel the taste more clearly. But to be honest, when it’s really cold outside, I love having a hot whisky! Best thing in the world!
How do you say ‘cheers’ / ‘happy new year’ where you are from?
In France, we always cheer to good health by saying ‘Santé!’ We also have rules when we say it, we have to look into the eyes of each other, otherwise it’s bad luck. Let me wish you a happy new year by ending with a ‘Bonne année!’
Read Emilie’s guide to Edinburgh here
Happy new year, everyone!
All images are reproduced by kind permission of each blogger. Cover photo: Squibb Vicious.