Royal Lochnagar Distillery

The distillery sits in a valley between Lochnagar mountain and the River Dee, about three miles south of Ballater. You're here to watch whisky being made - from the malting floors through to the copper stills - and the tour guides know their stuff without being insufferable about it.

Royal Lochnagar has been producing whisky since 1826, which means the process they show you has real weight behind it. The spirit itself is lighter and more delicate than you'd expect from the Highlands - something to do with the water source and the lower still height. You'll taste it at the end, which is the whole point really.

The tour takes roughly 90 minutes and you get shown around the working distillery, not some theme park version. It's hands-on enough that you'll understand what's happening, but not so technical that your eyes glaze over by the middle. Families with teenagers do fine here; younger kids get restless because there's a lot of standing about listening.

If you're staying at Howe of Torbeg, the distillery is barely five miles away - easy enough for a morning visit before heading off to explore the park or tackle some of the local walks. The visitor centre has a proper shop and a decent cafe, so you can make an afternoon of it without feeling rushed. Worth booking ahead, especially in summer. Admission isn't free, but the dram at the end justifies the cost.