Clear night skies or delicious drams - these seem to be irreconcilable opposites in the Cairngorms National Park in the Speyside area at the moment. At least as far as the current plans of the time-honored Glenlivet Destillery are concerned.
The plan is to rebuild a so-called "Bothy", a simple hiking hut, as you often see in the Scottish Highlands. A new attraction for whiskey and Scotland lovers is to be created: A picturesque, modern tasting lodge for groups of up to 10 people.
Sounds good at first. But: The place where the Tasting Lodge is supposed to be is a special one. It has been recognized by the International Dark Sky Association (IDSA) as a place where you can watch the black night sky particularly well. Because the surrounding Cairngorm Mountains significantly reduce the influence of artificial light on the black night sky.
Residents fear that the new attraction would counteract this. Corresponding concerns about the project were therefore raised in the first phase of the approval. The subsequent revised plans and plans presented last month also met with rejection. Despite the information in the planning documents of the distillery owner Chivas Brothers, the renovation would be done in a sensitive way using traditional materials.
We are excited to see how it goes on here. And of course we very much hope that whiskey enjoyment and love of nature can be combined.
Photo by Mat Reding on Unsplash
