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Dufftown is a Town in the Speyside area of
the Highlands in Scotland, 40 miles northeast
of Aviemore, 52 miles northwest of
Aberdeen.
Dufftown is popular for the Whisky Museum,
Mortlach Church
half of a mile south down Church Street,
Heritage
Railway, Glenfiddich Whisky Distillery 1 mile
north, Balvenie Castle
by the Distillery, Auchendoon
Castle 3 miles southeast, Speyside
Cooperage with a Visitor Centre 4 miles
north, and a number of Walks in the Area, including
the Speyside Way.
Click On Map for area Attractions
Camping & Touring Parks in
area
The image top is of the Main Street named
Balvenie Street, with the Clock Tower in
the centre of Town, completed in 1839.
The second image is looking up Conval
Street, where you can find the Whisky Museum,
for information on the History of making Whisky
in the area, from Illegal Stills, to Whisky
Smuggling, first Legal Distilleries, and how
they all have their different ways of producing
Whisky.
From the Clock Tower, if you travel down
Church Street for half of a mile, you will find
Mortlach
Church, built from the 1200s with a Watch
Tower to stop Grave Robbers, and a Pictish
Stone known as the Battle Stone.
Dufftown Golf
Club is about 1 mile southwest via Conval
Street. The Course has amazing views across
Speyside.
Auchendoon
Castle can be found by going down Fife
Street at the Clock Tower, then out into the
countryside for 3 miles, best to use Satnav or
Phone Maps. The final mile is up a real rough
farm road, so not suitable for low cars.
This Castle was built in the 1400s for
Robert Cochrane, Earl of Mar. The Castle
changed hands over the years to Clans Ogilvy,
and Gordon, being destroyed by Clan MacKintosh
during their feud with the Gordon's.
Glenfiddich Distillery is about 1
mile north of Dufftown centre. This Distillery
was founded in 1886, becoming one of the top
selling Single Malts. The Distillery has a
Shop, Cafe, Bar, Museum, and Tours are
available.
Balvenie Castle
is up a narrow steep road by the Distillery Car
Park, only a few hundred yards.
This Castle was built from the 1200s for the
Comyn Clan, that almost became Kings of
Scotland. Balvenie Castle was damaged in 1308
by forces of Robert the Bruce, then repaired
for the Douglas Clan, later passed to the Innes
Clan, then to the Duff Clan. It was abandoned
in the 1700s after William Duff committed
suicide in the Castle.
The Speyside Cooperage is about 4 miles
north, a Top Attraction showing how Barrels are
built for the many Whisky Distilleries in the
area.
There are also 3 other Distilleries within a
few miles that can be visited, Macallan, Aberlour, and Glen
Grant, with many more in the Speyside area.
Distillery List.
Dufftown History
The most notable Clans in this area were:
Cochrane, Comyn, Gordon, Grant, MacDuff /Duff,
and Ogilvie.
1200s - the earliest parts of Mortlach
Church were built half of a mile south of where
Dufftown is today. It is believed there could
have been Worship on that site from the
500s.
1200s - Balvenie Castle was built about 1
mile north of where Dufftown centre is today,
for Clan Comyn.
1400s - Auchendoon Castle was built for
Robert Cochrane, Earl of Mar, 3 miles south of
Dufftown centre.
1700s - Auchendoon Castle was abandoned by
the Gordon Clan.
1700s - Balvenie Castle was abandoned by the
Duff Clan.
1817 - construction of Dufftown began for
James Duff, 4th
Earl of Fife. The Earl lived in the large
Duff House at
Banff, 30 miles northeast.
1823 - the Excise Act was
passed, allowing the many Illegal Distilleries
in the area to begin legal production, as long
as they paid Taxes. Macallan Distillery began
operating in 1824, Glen Grant in 1840, Aberlour
in 1879, and Glenfiddich in 1886. There are
many more around Dufftown, but these are the
biggest names with Visitor Centre's.
Other Distilleries without Visitor Centre's
are: Balvenie, Dalmunach, Dewars, Dufftown,
Glenrothes, Glendullan, Glen Spey, Kininvie,
and Mortlach.
1839 - the Clock Tower was built in the
centre of Dufftown.
1863? - the Railway Reached Dufftown with
the Strathspey Line running west to Boat of
Garten, and the Dufftown to Keith line
running east.
1960s - the Railways began closing down.
2000 - Heritage Trains
began running on the line between Dufftown and
Keith,
about 11 miles.
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