Glenlossie is one of the more attractive distilleries, with its white-harled buildings clustered beneath the grey slating of the roofs and the ever-watchful pagoda head of the old kiln. The site is actually a two-distillery complex, the other part being Mannochmore which was built just on 20 years ago.

Glenlossie was built in 1876 by a ‘man o’ many pairts’, as indeed many of the distillers of the time were. John Duff was an innkeeper at Lhanbryde and had also been manager of Glendronach distillery near Huntly. He chose his partners wisely, one being the local public prosecutor and the other the burgh surveyor. The distillery made full use of the Elgin-Perth railway line and had its own siding.

Still in full working order, Oldmills Watermill now operates as a museum. The current building dates back to 1793, but there has been a mill on this site for over 750 years.

A great fire broke out in 1929 and one of the old fire engines that fought the blaze can still be seen at the distillery. It dates from the 1860s and was designed as a horse-drawn vehicle. The fire held things up for a time but development eventually continued. In 1960 electricity finally arrived to displace steam as the source of power and in 1962 a third pair of stills was added. Apart from their shape, a distinctive aspect of the stills is the purifiers which are fitted to the three spirit vessels. These cylindrical devices help refine the spirit, achieving the opposite effect to that of the Lomond stills used elsewhere to give deeper, heavier distillate.

Quite an elegant style of malt with sweet malt’n’walnut aromas which follow on through the taste. Notably smooth. Glenlossie is a 10 year old malt. Mannochmore make a 12 year old and some vintage 1972 and 1973 currently around. Glenlossie is licensed to the famous Haig firm and is used in most of the Haig blends. It is also one of the half-dozen mainly Speyside malts used to make their vatted malt brand, Glenleven.

Still in full working order, Oldmills Watermill now operates as a museum. The current building dates back to 1793, but there has been a mill on this site for over 750 years.

• Elgin Museum, housed in an Italianate building that is a little unexpected this far north, has wide-ranging collections relating to the locale. In an area of archaeological richness, the displays and interpretations are invaluable.

• Oldmills Watermill is the latest in a succession of such working buildings on the same spot going right back to before 1203. It is in full working order producing flour from grain.

• Moray Motor Museum has vintage, veteran and classic cars plus oldtime memorabilia.

• The Doo’cot at New Elgin goes back 400 years to when lack of feedstuffs made it difficult to sustain livestock through each winter. Having meat to eat meant breeding pigeons and the lairds reserved the right to do so. This beehive-shaped doo’cot was effectively a winter larder for its owner.