0:00:16 > 0:00:20Britain is a country that owes a great deal to its rail empire.
0:00:22 > 0:00:27For 100 years, the railways dominated the development of this country -
0:00:27 > 0:00:30the network that supported a global super power.
0:00:33 > 0:00:36But today, our island is home to 10,000 miles
0:00:36 > 0:00:42of disused lines - a silent network of embankments, platforms and viaducts.
0:00:46 > 0:00:51For me, and many others, they have become a perfect platform for exploring the country on foot.
0:01:09 > 0:01:14Welcome to the banks of the River Spey - Scotland's second longest river, and certainly one of its
0:01:14 > 0:01:19most famous. People flock from far and wide to fish for salmon in these pure waters.
0:01:19 > 0:01:26This is where the Fiddich meets the Spey - two rivers at the heart of one of the world's great drinks.
0:01:27 > 0:01:30My railway walk has a very distinct flavour to it.
0:01:32 > 0:01:37With the river and the Scottish hills for company, it promises to be a very scenic day out.
0:01:39 > 0:01:45But this is fundamentally a walk through the core of a very Scottish industry.
0:01:55 > 0:02:00This is whisky territory, and today I'm going to find out how a scenic riverside railway
0:02:00 > 0:02:04helped turn a really local industry into big business on a global scale.
0:02:06 > 0:02:12By the mid-1800s, the River Spey already featured a number of distilleries along its course.
0:02:12 > 0:02:18But as railway mania took hold in north-east Scotland, there was an obvious opportunity for expansion.
0:02:18 > 0:02:24The cities of Aberdeen, Inverness and Perth were slowly becoming better connected,
0:02:24 > 0:02:26and for the whisky industry, it was the arrival of
0:02:26 > 0:02:32the Strathspey Railway in 1863 that really made a difference.
0:02:32 > 0:02:35New distilleries soon opened up next door to the railway,
0:02:35 > 0:02:39which offered great access to Glasgow and Edinburgh.
0:02:39 > 0:02:43This is where single malts could be blended and distributed across the UK
0:02:43 > 0:02:44and far beyond.
0:02:48 > 0:02:52Starting from the remains of Craigellachie station, I'm going to be following
0:02:52 > 0:02:57part of the Speyside Way, one of Scotland's great walking trails.
0:02:57 > 0:03:02And through this section, the trail sticks firmly to the path of the Strathspey Railway.
0:03:04 > 0:03:09But even at this early hour of the day, there's the prospect of trying out some of the local tipple.
0:03:11 > 0:03:13550!
0:03:13 > 0:03:16It would take me, oh, two hours to go through those.
0:03:17 > 0:03:20But with 12 miles still to go, it's best not to get distracted
0:03:20 > 0:03:25too early, so let's take a look at the route I'll be following.
0:03:31 > 0:03:35From Craigellachie, the Strathspey Railway headed south, taking as straight a line
0:03:35 > 0:03:38as possible, while the river meanders its way up the valley.
0:03:41 > 0:03:45The only sizeable town en route is Aberlour -
0:03:45 > 0:03:47a name well-known to whisky lovers.
0:03:50 > 0:03:53Upstream, the railway crossed open farmland
0:03:53 > 0:03:57and passed close to the oldest distillery on my route at Dailuaine.
0:04:01 > 0:04:05Crossing the Spey, I'll reach the village of Carron, once a bustling community beside the
0:04:05 > 0:04:12railway, but now a rather quiet spot sat beside the boarded-up buildings of the old Imperial Distillery.
0:04:16 > 0:04:19But whisky certainly hasn't gone away from these parts.
0:04:19 > 0:04:24Knockando and Tamdhu are both alive and well, despite the ghostly nature of their stations.
0:04:28 > 0:04:33The river and the railway both turn due south for a final long run to Ballindalloch Station.
0:04:35 > 0:04:38This takes me into the estate of the MacPherson-Grant family.
0:04:38 > 0:04:41They've been connected with whisky since the railway first opened.
0:04:45 > 0:04:50There's one more crossing of the Spey to reach the station of Ballindalloch.
0:04:52 > 0:04:58This is where the local populous arrived by train to party long into the night at the Granary Ball.
0:05:09 > 0:05:14Now, Craigellachie Station was just over there, and no visit to Craigellachie is complete
0:05:14 > 0:05:21without a visit to this bridge, built by one Thomas Telford before anyone had even dreamt of a railway.
0:05:29 > 0:05:34When this bridge was built, Napoleon was still tearing up Europe and Beethoven was still composing.
0:05:39 > 0:05:43Looking down from above is like a window into the transport history of this country.
0:05:45 > 0:05:48Materials for the revolutionary cast-iron bridge were brought in
0:05:48 > 0:05:53by river and canal - the great transport arteries of their day.
0:05:53 > 0:05:57But since 1812, Telford's bridge, the railway, and most recently
0:05:57 > 0:06:01the new road bridge, have all enjoyed their period of dominance.
0:06:07 > 0:06:09And since the arrival of the railway, there's been
0:06:09 > 0:06:11no escaping the influence of whisky in Craigellachie.
0:06:13 > 0:06:15Surrounded by the Spey and the Fiddich,
0:06:15 > 0:06:20the village has two distilleries and the distinctive site of Scotland's biggest cooperage.
0:06:24 > 0:06:28100,000 oak barrels are processed here every year -
0:06:28 > 0:06:31most of them acquired second-hand from the American bourbon industry.
0:06:38 > 0:06:43As I reach my first great bend in the Spey, there's also a very rare tunnel -
0:06:43 > 0:06:47one of only four on the whole Great North Of Scotland network.
0:06:49 > 0:06:52We are still right under the main road, but you can barely hear the traffic any more.
0:06:52 > 0:06:56You can hear the whisper of the river.
0:07:03 > 0:07:05They really had to squeeze the railway in here.
0:07:05 > 0:07:08They cut through the hill and used this massive wall to hold it back.
0:07:08 > 0:07:12This wall now acts as a support wall for the main road as well.
0:07:16 > 0:07:21The old railway then enters one of those familiar long, straight sections -
0:07:21 > 0:07:24an avenue of trees that seems to go on and on.
0:07:26 > 0:07:28The undergrowth at this time of year is dense,
0:07:28 > 0:07:33and in this enclosed world, there's just the odd surviving piece of railway history to keep you company.
0:07:36 > 0:07:40The mileposts tell you how far you are from the local hub of Aberdeen -
0:07:40 > 0:07:43a fact probably more useful to train drivers than to me.
0:07:46 > 0:07:49The long straight brings me to the outskirts of Aberlour,
0:07:49 > 0:07:55a town that balances its whisky credentials with a quite different consumable product - shortbread.
0:07:59 > 0:08:04It was here on the main street that Joseph Walker opened his local bakery.
0:08:04 > 0:08:11For well over 100 years the business has expanded, now being managed by a fourth generation of Walkers.
0:08:11 > 0:08:13But one thing has remained constant -
0:08:13 > 0:08:18it's the local residents who get to test any new biscuit products.
0:08:21 > 0:08:26That was Aberlour train station, but now it is a visitor centre for the Speyside Way and a tearoom!
0:08:33 > 0:08:36But this is the building I'm interested in - the pub!
0:08:36 > 0:08:40Once upon a time, this place was called the Station Bar, and there is a chance -
0:08:40 > 0:08:43just a chance - that one day it may be called the Station Bar again!
0:08:45 > 0:08:48The Mash Tun is named after a vessel used in the whisky-making process,
0:08:48 > 0:08:52which seems like a thoroughly suitable name for a Speyside pub.
0:08:52 > 0:08:54Now, it's called the Mash Tun,
0:08:54 > 0:08:56but I know it used to be called the Station Bar.
0:08:56 > 0:08:59What's the story behind the change of the name?
0:08:59 > 0:09:04The previous owner renamed the bar from the Station Bar to the Mash Tun,
0:09:04 > 0:09:07purely because we're in the middle of whisky country.
0:09:07 > 0:09:09What's been said is, when the next train
0:09:09 > 0:09:14pulls into the platform here, it will revert back to the Station Bar!
0:09:14 > 0:09:18Now, it is very rare for me to get the opportunity to come inside on any of my walks.
0:09:18 > 0:09:22It is certainly very rare for me to come inside a pub and have a drink or two!
0:09:22 > 0:09:27I think you guys are probably the best people here to talk through some whiskies?
0:09:27 > 0:09:30- It would be a good idea to have a dram or two!- OK!
0:09:30 > 0:09:33- What would you recommend? - Well, as you're in Aberlour,
0:09:33 > 0:09:36- I would say the ideal drink would be to have a Aberlour.- Of course!
0:09:36 > 0:09:42And this is a typical Speyside whisky in that it's done in sherry casks, it is very sweet.
0:09:42 > 0:09:44Very typical of a Speyside sort of dram.
0:09:44 > 0:09:46Let me give it a taste and see what it's like.
0:09:46 > 0:09:49The nose in it first. What you should maybe do is just take it.
0:09:49 > 0:09:52If you open your mouth, you can feel the vapours flow across.
0:09:52 > 0:09:55- Ooh, you can.- And you can actually get a taste for it.
0:09:55 > 0:09:57And if you try it without water first...
0:10:02 > 0:10:04Ooh, that very smooth.
0:10:04 > 0:10:07But it is strong!
0:10:07 > 0:10:10It's just a drink to sip. Sip and enjoy.
0:10:10 > 0:10:13How do the ingredients differ from one whisky to the next?
0:10:13 > 0:10:15I know single malt is meant to be the best.
0:10:15 > 0:10:18It's supposed to be the best, indeed.
0:10:18 > 0:10:22The thing is, the key ingredients remain the same, regardless, throughout the process.
0:10:22 > 0:10:28What actually changes the whisky is...the size of the stills can make a difference to the whisky.
0:10:28 > 0:10:34The actual barrels that it's kept and aged in make a difference.
0:10:34 > 0:10:40But there are certain people who use Chardonnay casks, which give it a different whisky.
0:10:40 > 0:10:43That would be Chardonnay wine will have been prepared and served in it,
0:10:43 > 0:10:45and then they would would use those old casks?
0:10:45 > 0:10:49Kept in the casks for a minimum of three years in Scotland to be called Scotch whisky.
0:10:49 > 0:10:52Now, I notice this very fine collection of whisky up here.
0:10:52 > 0:10:54It looks very special. Is it?
0:10:54 > 0:10:58It is indeed. There are only two of these collections that
0:10:58 > 0:11:01we're aware of that are for sale by the dram anywhere in the world.
0:11:01 > 0:11:04- Wow.- That's here and the other one is Bar Nemo in Tokyo.
0:11:04 > 0:11:11Now, it's also the only collection of whisky in the world that can run consecutively from 1952 up to 1994.
0:11:11 > 0:11:13That is incredible. If I was going to go for
0:11:13 > 0:11:16the top whack, 1952, top left-hand corner, what would that cost me?
0:11:16 > 0:11:20That would cost you £224 a dram. JULIA LAUGHS
0:11:20 > 0:11:22Can we go with that?
0:11:22 > 0:11:24Director? Can I have a taste of that?
0:11:24 > 0:11:26- SILENCE - That's a no.
0:11:26 > 0:11:29Anyway, I really like this Aberlour 10-year-old.
0:11:29 > 0:11:31It's lovely. It's nice and sweet.
0:11:31 > 0:11:32- It certainly is. - It's got good flavours to it.
0:11:32 > 0:11:34- Indeed.- Thank you very much.
0:11:36 > 0:11:38I've got to walk after this.
0:11:43 > 0:11:47As you leave Aberlour, the railway passes close to an elegant footbridge.
0:11:47 > 0:11:52Officially, the Victoria Bridge but known locally as the Penny Brig,
0:11:52 > 0:11:55which was the price once charged to cross the Spey at this point.
0:11:58 > 0:12:01But my way out of Aberlour is via a different bridge.
0:12:01 > 0:12:07Once a solid railway structure, now a rather less stable suspension bridge for walkers.
0:12:10 > 0:12:15It crosses the Burn of Aberlour, the chief source of water for the distillery here.
0:12:15 > 0:12:21And water that makes it this far has escaped spending years ageing slowly in a sherry cask.
0:12:49 > 0:12:52This set of tanks that resembles a huge chemistry experiment is where
0:12:52 > 0:12:56they deal with all the leftover liquids after the distilling process.
0:12:56 > 0:12:58Because if they just put all the burnt ale and spent grain back
0:12:58 > 0:13:02into the local river then the oxygen levels in the Spey would be reduced.
0:13:02 > 0:13:06And that would not be good news for the little trout and salmon.
0:13:06 > 0:13:12The treatment plant services the waste produced of the Dailuaine Distillery, a site that's
0:13:12 > 0:13:13been in operation since 1851.
0:13:13 > 0:13:17When the railway arrived some 12 years later, it slowly became apparent
0:13:17 > 0:13:21that the two industries could be of real benefit to one another.
0:13:21 > 0:13:26And, eventually, Dailuaine received its very own railway station.
0:13:26 > 0:13:29It's an ideal place for me to meet a man who knows all about
0:13:29 > 0:13:31the relationship between steam and Scotch.
0:13:31 > 0:13:33- Hi, Ian.- Hi, Julie.
0:13:33 > 0:13:35Hello, hello. Good to see you.
0:13:35 > 0:13:37- And you.- Now, it's not much of a station, is it?
0:13:37 > 0:13:41No, it is one of the tiniest you could ever find.
0:13:41 > 0:13:47It was built about 1933 for the distillery owners and their families.
0:13:47 > 0:13:49This is quite a hill.
0:13:49 > 0:13:52How did they manoeuvre the barrels, the whisky and all the big stuff?
0:13:52 > 0:13:57That was done in the best possible way, with its own little puggy railway.
0:13:57 > 0:13:59- Ah, a sneaky little puggy?- Yes, yes.
0:13:59 > 0:14:03If we go around this way, round the other side of the hill, we can find
0:14:03 > 0:14:07- this little distillery hidden in the glen.- Let's go and have a look.
0:14:07 > 0:14:12Ian Peaty may not be a local man, but he certainly knows a thing or two about Scottish whisky.
0:14:12 > 0:14:18He's up in Scotland finalising details for a book on local whisky and the Speyside railway.
0:14:18 > 0:14:20Where does the name puggy come from?
0:14:20 > 0:14:28It's one of the affectionate terms which Scots people gave to the most hard-working of little locomotives.
0:14:28 > 0:14:30They're saddle-tank locomotives.
0:14:30 > 0:14:34That means the water tank sits on the top.
0:14:34 > 0:14:41They work very, very hard indeed. In fact, they used to come through here and then sharply into the distillery.
0:14:41 > 0:14:45- Puggin' away?- Yes.- Chuggin' away and puggin' away.- Yes, yes.
0:14:45 > 0:14:49Until the best efforts of Dr Beeching in the mid-'60s,
0:14:49 > 0:14:52the puggy used to run all the way into the heart of the distillery.
0:14:52 > 0:14:56Today, the work is done by a succession of lorries and tankers.
0:15:00 > 0:15:05But the old workings of Dailuaine have been captured by Ian in a painting for his new book.
0:15:05 > 0:15:10This particular one was built in 1936.
0:15:10 > 0:15:13It's the third one they had at this distillery.
0:15:13 > 0:15:15And they owned them? They owned their engines.
0:15:15 > 0:15:19Yes. And it was in their own livery, which I've depicted here.
0:15:19 > 0:15:22And then, of course, behind it we've got the little engine shed
0:15:22 > 0:15:26where it would stay overnight and be serviced, and so on.
0:15:29 > 0:15:30The idea of a puggy line for Dailuaine
0:15:30 > 0:15:36was first mooted by distillery owner William Mackenzie in the 1880s.
0:15:36 > 0:15:38But it took well over a decade for any track be laid.
0:15:38 > 0:15:44The final motivation was the opening of another distillery by Mackenzie's son.
0:15:44 > 0:15:48The branch line could now serve both sites, the only complication
0:15:48 > 0:15:51being that the new discovery was on the other side of the river.
0:15:53 > 0:15:59And the puggies joined the larger locomotives as both branch and mainline shared the track across
0:15:59 > 0:16:02the rather elegant Carron Bridge.
0:16:02 > 0:16:07This was also a rare example of road and rail sharing the same infrastructure.
0:16:09 > 0:16:11Look at this lovely view.
0:16:11 > 0:16:12- It's amazing, isn't it?- Yes.
0:16:14 > 0:16:20That's flowing all the way down to the Morayshire coast, where they grow a lot of the barley made in whisky.
0:16:20 > 0:16:22Yeah?
0:16:23 > 0:16:28Carron Bridge is just a few hundred yards from the village of the same name.
0:16:28 > 0:16:31Once the site of a major stop on the Strathspey railway
0:16:31 > 0:16:34and the home of the Mackenzie family's second distillery.
0:16:37 > 0:16:41Now, Ian, this is a more substantial station, isn't it?
0:16:41 > 0:16:45It's a bit more substantial than the last halt we were at, certainly.
0:16:45 > 0:16:49But it's horribly run down, unfortunately.
0:16:49 > 0:16:51Even the clock's stopped ticking.
0:16:51 > 0:16:58With the railway and the distillery at its heart, Carron village once bustled with life.
0:17:06 > 0:17:09Thomas Mackenzie's distillery, seen here in its
0:17:09 > 0:17:17pomp in one of Ian's paintings, was opened in 1897 - Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee year.
0:17:19 > 0:17:21It was duly named Imperial.
0:17:22 > 0:17:26But today, only the buildings remain.
0:17:26 > 0:17:30And Carron has become an altogether different community.
0:17:33 > 0:17:35It's become a silent distillery.
0:17:35 > 0:17:39And that's how the people in the trade describe it.
0:17:43 > 0:17:48The railway and the whisky industry were really a dream team, weren't they, for one another?
0:17:48 > 0:17:55They certainly were. One was obviously complementary to the other, certainly in Speyside.
0:17:55 > 0:17:58This is a classic example, with the railway being here
0:17:58 > 0:18:03and its goods yard behind us, with the Imperial right on its doorstep.
0:18:03 > 0:18:07And they actually put themselves there, so they had the access and they were closer to the railway?
0:18:07 > 0:18:12Absolutely. It was absolutely essential because the Imperial had a very high production level.
0:18:12 > 0:18:15They couldn't have existed without the railway.
0:18:17 > 0:18:19So, I'm going to carry on my walk. Thank you very much.
0:18:19 > 0:18:21Have a safe journey.
0:18:26 > 0:18:28There's something sad but rather beautiful about
0:18:28 > 0:18:31the silent distillery and its surrounding community.
0:18:33 > 0:18:36The most lively corner of Carron today is the row
0:18:36 > 0:18:40of Imperial cottages, built by the distillery for its workers.
0:18:44 > 0:18:49Here, and in other places along the railway, local people could make use of a request halt.
0:18:49 > 0:18:52Quite literally, they could thumb a lift.
0:18:58 > 0:19:04Stroll along a Beeching railway and your thoughts are often focused on the past.
0:19:04 > 0:19:06Local stories, local people.
0:19:06 > 0:19:09A lost age, still fondly remembered.
0:19:18 > 0:19:22But you can't forget that the Spey remains the focal point of a global
0:19:22 > 0:19:27industry and the neighbouring distilleries of Knockando and Tamdhu are very much a part of that.
0:19:32 > 0:19:37The beautifully-presented Knockando is now under the same ownership as Dailuaine.
0:19:39 > 0:19:46A handful of multinational companies dominate the Speyside industry, producing household names like
0:19:46 > 0:19:50Johnnie Walker, J&B, Grant's and Bell's.
0:19:50 > 0:19:54Few distilleries remain in private hands.
0:19:58 > 0:20:03Despite the presence of international big business on Speyside, it's remarkably quiet.
0:20:03 > 0:20:09I must admit, I was expecting the atmosphere to be contaminated with noise and corporate throng.
0:20:09 > 0:20:12You know, articulated lorries coming down and stuff.
0:20:12 > 0:20:14But look at this,
0:20:14 > 0:20:17it's really peaceful. Very well managed.
0:20:18 > 0:20:23And there's still a slight reverence for the past at these modern factories.
0:20:23 > 0:20:26Tamdhu station is beautifully preserved.
0:20:26 > 0:20:30And Knockando shows off the old Customs and Excise office,
0:20:30 > 0:20:34home to an important figure who would log produce at each distillery
0:20:34 > 0:20:38and check that not too much of it disappeared out the back door when no-one was looking.
0:20:54 > 0:21:01Three things have shaped my walk today - the whisky industry, the railway and the river itself.
0:21:03 > 0:21:08The whisky wouldn't be what it is without the Spey and its tributaries.
0:21:08 > 0:21:12And it's the river that gave the railway its original valley route
0:21:12 > 0:21:14through the Scottish hills and mountains.
0:21:22 > 0:21:27Through it all, the Spey has retained a totally unaffected character.
0:21:31 > 0:21:34This is Scotland's fastest-flowing river.
0:21:34 > 0:21:42For 100 miles it winds a majestic path, past the Cairngorms to its mouth next to the Moray Firth.
0:21:48 > 0:21:53The railway meanwhile had to negotiate the Spey's main tributaries.
0:21:56 > 0:22:02Woah! I can see why there's a viewing platform here.
0:22:03 > 0:22:05That's quite a drop.
0:22:14 > 0:22:16I'm heading in to the Ballindalloch estate.
0:22:16 > 0:22:20Unfortunately from here you can't see the castle because it's tucked away in the woodlands.
0:22:20 > 0:22:23But I do know that since it was built in the 16th century
0:22:23 > 0:22:26it's been a private residence of the Macpherson-Grants.
0:22:29 > 0:22:36With almost 500 years of history and 23,000 acres to play with, it's inevitable that the Ballindalloch
0:22:36 > 0:22:40estate and castle should have had a significant influence on the area.
0:22:43 > 0:22:46George Macpherson-Grant in particular
0:22:46 > 0:22:53was clearly a forward thinker, being a key mover in starting up the nearby Cragganmore distillery.
0:22:53 > 0:22:59But the family was also the start of a very different kind of dynasty.
0:22:59 > 0:23:04This was where cattle from Aberdeen were brought together with cattle from Angus.
0:23:04 > 0:23:10With plenty of spent grains from distilleries, the animals were always well fed.
0:23:10 > 0:23:14And, 150 years later, the herd is still intact -
0:23:14 > 0:23:17the original Aberdeen Angus family.
0:23:21 > 0:23:28Back on the other side of the river, there's just a short walk left to reach Ballindalloch village.
0:23:28 > 0:23:32And that's where I want to tackle a final piece of this railway jigsaw.
0:23:34 > 0:23:38While the whisky trade made the railway unique, it was also vital
0:23:38 > 0:23:42to a local community spread over a sparsely-populated area.
0:23:42 > 0:23:48One more Spey crossing stands between me and my final destination.
0:23:48 > 0:23:55This time, a rather serious-looking steel girder viaduct - still looking remarkably sturdy after 140 years.
0:23:58 > 0:24:03The bridge brings me straight into the world of Ballindalloch Station, the last stop on my walk
0:24:03 > 0:24:08and the place where I've arranged to meet a couple of likely lads with a lifelong connection to the area.
0:24:11 > 0:24:14And they've known each other a very long time.
0:24:14 > 0:24:17- So, what's that, about 15 years then?- 1946.
0:24:17 > 0:24:19- 1946?!- Yes.
0:24:19 > 0:24:22- Which school were you at?- Aberlour.
0:24:24 > 0:24:28It's safe to say that the old Strathspey railway brought these two friends together.
0:24:28 > 0:24:31While Charlie has always lived in Aberlour, Peter lived here in
0:24:31 > 0:24:36Ballindalloch and travelled to school every day on the railway.
0:24:36 > 0:24:42Years later, Peter was still coming to this station every day, this time as station master.
0:24:44 > 0:24:48Did you actually, having been here as a 13, 14-year-old lad, when you
0:24:48 > 0:24:51came back here to work as a station master, believe it?
0:24:51 > 0:24:53That you were back working there?
0:24:53 > 0:24:58Not really. But I'm very proud to come back here as station master.
0:24:58 > 0:25:00I'm sure, it must have been amazing.
0:25:02 > 0:25:06And you must have been incredibly sad when the railways closed?
0:25:06 > 0:25:08They should never have closed up here.
0:25:08 > 0:25:12Not with the distillery traffic that we had up here.
0:25:12 > 0:25:14- They made a mistake? - I think they made a mistake.
0:25:14 > 0:25:16Charlie, I know you're a whisky man.
0:25:16 > 0:25:18I hear you've got quite a collection, I understand?
0:25:18 > 0:25:21I've got a wee collection. I have a few bottles.
0:25:21 > 0:25:25A few? Can we do a rough guesstimate? How many do we think?
0:25:25 > 0:25:27Maybe in the region of 400.
0:25:27 > 0:25:28400?
0:25:28 > 0:25:31That would put any pub or bar to shame.
0:25:32 > 0:25:39And whisky would have undoubtedly been an ingredient just next door at the Annual Granary Ball.
0:25:39 > 0:25:42Peter's predecessors as station master would have witnessed
0:25:42 > 0:25:491,000 fancy-dressed party goers arriving from as far as Aberdeen on specially laid-on trains.
0:25:51 > 0:25:55In the '20s and '30s, this unlikely spot was the place to be seen.
0:25:55 > 0:26:00But accounts suggest that little drink was ever purchased at the balls.
0:26:00 > 0:26:05Instead, locals would store their own supply of liquor in the long grass outside.
0:26:05 > 0:26:09This might have been acquired through a variety of means.
0:26:09 > 0:26:11They used to pinch the whisky.
0:26:11 > 0:26:13Steal the whisky?
0:26:13 > 0:26:17This is just a stave from a barrel.
0:26:17 > 0:26:20They used to take the...
0:26:20 > 0:26:24- ring that was here, and they chopped it up.- Yep.
0:26:24 > 0:26:26That slackened it.
0:26:26 > 0:26:29They drilled a hole through here.
0:26:29 > 0:26:30They all carried
0:26:30 > 0:26:33- a gimlet. - Just all carried one of these?
0:26:33 > 0:26:35Aye, and they put it in.
0:26:35 > 0:26:38They drilled a hole into the barrel.
0:26:38 > 0:26:41- You see? And out came the whisky. - Yes.
0:26:41 > 0:26:44And, when they'd filled their pail,
0:26:44 > 0:26:46they took a...
0:26:46 > 0:26:52spike, put it in...chopped it in, and then cut it off.
0:26:52 > 0:26:54And then put the ring back over the top?
0:26:54 > 0:26:57And the Excise men, or anybody, they couldn't see where
0:26:57 > 0:26:59the whisky got out of the barrel.
0:26:59 > 0:27:01That's very naughty, isn't it?
0:27:01 > 0:27:03Very naughty.
0:27:03 > 0:27:06I approve. And what's this thing?
0:27:06 > 0:27:09That was the other thing that they had.
0:27:09 > 0:27:11They knocked the bung out of the barrel.
0:27:11 > 0:27:14And they dropped this in.
0:27:14 > 0:27:16Like a little well?
0:27:16 > 0:27:18A well of whisky.
0:27:18 > 0:27:20And they had a cork, they popped it in.
0:27:20 > 0:27:24You see? And then they popped it down their pocket.
0:27:24 > 0:27:27So you wouldn't see it? A nice flat, long cylinder.
0:27:27 > 0:27:29Tuck it in your boot, down the trouser leg.
0:27:29 > 0:27:32And they all had one of those, most of the distillery boys.
0:27:32 > 0:27:34- Sneaky lot! - They never put their name on them.
0:27:34 > 0:27:36I bet they didn't!
0:27:36 > 0:27:41That's one flask you don't want your name on, isn't it? Just in case.
0:27:41 > 0:27:43Now, Charlie, I know this isn't yours.
0:27:43 > 0:27:47Peter, this must belong to you. How long have you had this?
0:27:47 > 0:27:48Since 1968.
0:27:48 > 0:27:51- When the station closed? - When the station closed, yes.
0:27:51 > 0:27:54- That's beautiful, isn't it?- It is.
0:27:55 > 0:28:01In the long run, it's people like Charlie and Peter who miss the railway the most.
0:28:03 > 0:28:07I've seen how the railway raised a famous industry to a whole new level.
0:28:09 > 0:28:12But whisky's moved on and continues to prosper.
0:28:15 > 0:28:20Journeys to school, though, they no longer happen by train.
0:28:22 > 0:28:26For my friends and I, there is just time to head to Ballindalloch's
0:28:26 > 0:28:30own distillery to sample a wee dram or two.
0:28:32 > 0:28:34Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd