Feb
Valentine’s Day is just around the corner. Expectations are high, and you might be feeling a little stressed, not knowing what exactly to give your other half for the big celebration of love.
Our first recommendation would be whisky, yet, as much as your loved one may enjoy a good dram, enjoying a few drinks at home on Valentine’s might not be what you both have in mind. You might be feeling adventurous this year, or might simply need to get away for a few days.
If you are opting for a good Scotch, then you and your partner may also share a love for other Scottish products and traditions, and a trip to Scotland may be just the gift you have been looking for.
Scotland has a history of tragic love stories, beautiful poems, and wonderful marriages. The country also has a lot to offer any couple visiting on the day of love, from wonderful scenic getaways to sweet, satisfying treats to warm the heart.
Many may opt for the worldwide customs of Valentine’s Day, like romantic dinners and chocolates, but here at the Whisky Foundation we’re going to let you know how to celebrate Valentine’s Day the Scottish way.
Scottish Castles
If it’s a romantic location you’re after, then look no further. The Scottish Highlands are known for their endless green forests, beautiful streams, and scenic hiking trails.
Why not visit one of the many Scottish castles? It might be just the place to ask your partner a certain question.
Eilean Donan Castle is said to be one of the most romantic and most visited castles in Scotland, situated on an island where three Scottish lochs meet and surrounded by gorgeous scenery.
You can even stay at a cottage nearby and truly experience life in the Scottish Highlands.
Treats (Not Chocolate)
We get it, everybody loves chocolate. But when in Scotland, or when celebrating the Scottish way in your own country, why not indulge in some of the country’s traditional sweet delicacies?
Try some Scottish tablet, a sweet kind of fudge made of butter and condensed milk and sugar.
The Cranachan is also something you should seek out. It’s a traditional Scottish dessert which combines whipped cream, whisky, honey, fresh raspberries, and toasted oatmeal. Scottish cuisine at its finest, and will pair wonderfully with your favourite whisky.
Poems
You’re staring into Scottish scenery, you’ve just enjoyed some tea and tablet, and you feel it’s time to get romantic. Luckily for you, Scotland has had many romantics write wonderful, heartfelt poems throughout the centuries, and you can use whichever one you want to convey to your partner just how much you love them.
With Burn’s night recently passed, why not read your partner a poem by the great Robert Burns? Love for Love is a favourite:
Ithers seek they ken na what,
Features, carriage, and a’ that;
Gie me love in her I court,
Love to love makes a’ the sport.
Let love sparkle in her e’e;
Let her lo’e nae man but me;
That’s the tocher-gude I prize,
There the luver’s treasure lies.
Gifts
Finally, we come to the gift-giving part of the night. It’s time for you to present the single malt Scotch whisky you bought for you and your partner to enjoy. Here are our top picks:
- Laphroaig 16 Year-Old – If you both love the intensity of heavily peated, Islay whiskies, then this is the one for you. Enjoy it after your Valentine’s dinner, to enjoy all the emerging flavours.
- Glenlivet 19 Year-Old – Wonderfully balanced, and sherry cask-aged, this Speyside whisky brings Glenlivet’s well-known smoothness to the nose and palate.
- Macallan 25 Year-Old Crystal Decanter – Is it your golden anniversary, celebrating fifty wonderful years together? Or is it twenty-five years? Such an occasion requires a truly special whisky; our Macallan 25 year-old, presented in its wonderful decanter, is just the whisky for the job. It’s rich, deep and bursting with flavours built up over twenty-five years aging in oak.
