The Edinburgh Reporter was invited to have breakfast on top of Calton Hill on Friday morning along with Glengoyne Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky and Tom Lewis who is the chef from Monachyle Mhor and assorted other journalists.
Why? Well it was in honour of World Whisky Day which is actually celebrated today.
The enterprising chef has a mobile restaurant made from a shipping container (with windows!) which he hauled up the steep slope with a tractor. In the small kitchen behind he prepared a beautiful breakfast for us which he said was the same fare as you could expect at Monachyle Mhor in the Trossachs.
The distillery was not pushed into second place as they had the innovative idea to bring a cask of whisky to the top of the hill and then presented all the media with a ‘hand-drawn’ bottle of the cask strength 10 year-old malt.
Stuart Hendry the Brand Heritage Manager at Glengoyne showed us a piece of copper pipe with an old penny at the bottom on a chain. This is called a ‘dug’ and he used it to lower it into the cask, allow it to fall onto its side and then pull up a measure of whisky to be poured into a bespoke bottle.
We then enjoyed Perthshire strawberries, smoked haddock and freshly poached eggs and Inverse salmon.
There was even a second sitting at lunchtime with oysters, scallops and lamb on the menu.
Neil Boyd, Commercial Director for Malts at Ian Macleod Distillers, who own Glengoyne, said: “Glengoyne’s seven expressions accompanied by food offer the perfect match to kick-start the Scottish World Whisky Day festivities and we wanted to showcase amazing Scottish produce in a location like no other.
“This is a global celebration of all things relating to whisky. Glengoyne and Tom Lewis have a very special relationship and we couldn’t think of a better way to celebrate. We’re offering our guests breakfast and lunch in a location like no other – Calton Hill in Edinburgh, which offers some of the most iconic views in the world.”
Glengoyne is said to be Scotland’s most beautiful distillery and its Single Malt range is matured in the finest sherry casks.
Tom Lewis said: “Not only is whisky one of the most amazing drinks, it also works so well as an accompaniment to food. As part of the World Whisky Day celebrations, we wanted to help show how well the two go together and treat our guests to a day to remember.
“Our trusty mobile restaurant has travelled down from Perthshire especially for the occasion. Of course she’s used to being taken to lots of amazing locations around Scotland as part of our Taste Tour.”
Founding Editor of The Edinburgh Reporter.
Edinburgh-born multimedia journalist and iPhoneographer.
