Later this month, the Highland Village of Braemar will play host to its first-ever whisky festival, organised by a duo who are well aware of how Scotland’s national drink can lay the foundations for lifelong friendships.
Julia Hall Mackenzie-Gilanders and Ann Medlock are the co-founders of Golden Decanters, a bottling firm which offers collectors, connoisseurs and enthusiasts the opportunity to ‘own a small piece of history’ by purchasing from a carefully curated range of single malts.
Both followed unconventional routes into their roles, starting with Hall Mackenzie-Gilanders who left her life working in the spirits and wine industry in London behind to return to Scotland in 2012.
With many clients still keen to benefit from her expertise, she found herself asked time and time again if she could arrange whisky tours for visitors from overseas.
Enter family friend Medlock, a chartered surveyor by trade who had set up her own bespoke travel business ‘by accident’ upon returning from time spent working in New York and San Francisco.
“I love seeing Scotland through other people's eyes, because sometimes we can take it all for granted," she said.
“I came back during the 90s, and all of my American friends started reaching out to me to ask where they could go fishing, play golf or drink whisky, all things I liked to do myself.
“When Julia got in touch, I had already started to set up a sort of whisky club by sourcing single casks or bottlings to give people something a little unusual to try.
“With her clients and wine knowledge and my experience with whisky we started buying bottles and casks – then decided we should bottle something under our own brand.”
The enterprising pair soon began to travel across the globe, suitcases full of Golden Decanters collections in tow, to meet with potential clients to spread the word of Scotch whisky.
In their own words, they said: "As ladies who ‘dram’ we decided to tear up the rulebook and grab the Scotch Whisky industry by the sporran to launch our own collection, our own way."
“Our model was a little different from anything else in Scotland and we weren’t very well known in the trade because we worked directly with our clients," Hall Mackenzie-Gilanders continued.
“We worried we might be too ambitious, but all of our first collections sold at a nice price and we really enjoyed what we were doing.”
Still very much involved in hosting whisky tours and trips, it was Medlock’s connection with the Fife Arms Hotel which helped the team to realise that the Highland village of Braemar would be the ‘perfect’ setting for a new whisky festival.
“The Fife Arms asked me if I would be interested in taking some of their guests out for day trips so I started picking them up and driving them out to distilleries or on guided walks.
“The hotel was built in the 1850s to satisfy a demand that had been created for Highland holidays by the Royal Family, and I do think that whisky and the idea of an authentic ‘Scottish experience’ go hand in hand.
“People sometimes assume that's reserved for luxury brands, but really, it’s a friendship thing which is all about pulling the cork out and sharing a drink.
“Whisky is Scotland in a bottle, and Braemar feels like the perfect place to create a festival atmosphere to celebrate that.”
Taking place on Friday, October 25 and Saturday, October 26, the inaugural Braemar Whisky Festival has been designed to appeal to visitors and locals, whisky aficionados and beginners alike with all invited to come together over a few drams.
Notable events include a guided walk to "retrace the steps of illicit distillers" accompanied by Highland ponies carrying drams for the road in baskets on their backs or a series of Q&A sessions led by industry experts from The Dalmore, Rosebank Distillery and more.
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Hall Mackenzie-Gilanders said: “When we started diving into the idea of a festival in Braemar, we were very aware that there are so many great community venues there like Braemar Castle or St Margaret’s Hall.
“Local support is incredibly important to us and we want them to turn up and join in the fun too.
“On one end of the scale, the Fife Arms will be hosting a Balvenie Dinner with David C Stewart and The Best of GlenAllachie with Billy Walker, pioneers of the industry who between them have well over 100 years of experience in whisky.
“There’s space for just 40 people and a ticket price of £350 reflects that.
“But then at St Margaret’s Hall, which is run by locals, tickets will cost £15 which includes a dram and the chance to sample some amazing brands.
“There will be local musicians, a bar and food to help create the festival atmosphere.
“The idea is to create this huge melting pot of people who are interested in Scotland as a country and our whisky in this fantastic village where all of our venues are within walking distance of the main hub.
“It’s nerve-wracking, but having the support of the local community is already a win, and we’re hoping that with enough support this could become an annual event.”
The Braemar Whisky Festival will take place on Friday, October 25 and Saturday, October 26.
For more information or to book tickets now, visit braemarwhiskyfestival.com.
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