I was not born to boogie. I proved that a few nights ago at a Scottish folk dance for international students that was akin to a Junior High dance. I awkwardly sat on the side, sipped my free drink, and boogied out early. I am not the social butterfly I once was (that was ironic – for those who don’t know I have little in common with a butterfly. I am closer to chickadee).

HOWEVER, today’s gander to the Glengoyne Distillery was something that I was born to do. The greenery, the water falling majestically through the crevices of the gentle rolling highland hills, and the sip sip sipping of a 10 year old single malt while learning about a drink that I have devoted much of my adult life to researching (ahem).

There are many things Scottish that I find a bit odd but whisky isn’t one of them. Glengoyne is a pretty, Scottish owned, distillery that to my knowledge doesn’t distribute directly to the states. The art of making whisky is deceptively simple (so said the guide) and by and large any person with a degree of ambition and a teensy bit of intellect could set up a still and make their own mash whisky provided that they didn’t mind the government beating down their door and arresting them.

Being a brewer’s son, it was interesting to see another alcoholic product being made and the similarities between the two processes. Of course the product is different, but the smell of the barley house, smelled like barley (obviously) and yeast, and the mash kettles for whisky are similar to those used in making beer.



Earlier today I went to Stirling Castle, which is a famous enough landmark in Scottish history, but it is also the home of the regimental museum of the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders. They are a distinguished regiment with a long and heroic history of war honours. In the museum were artifacts from that history including a surgical set from the Crimean War by Weiss and Sons that is an EXACT copy of my surgical set on display at Gettysburg College Library. Of course, that is a totally dope coincidence for someone like me but probably doesn’t apply to any of you. Lets just say I had a moment.

So a pretty good day. Whisky, regiments, and surgical sets. Who knows what the future may hold for Wee Isherwood in Scotland (hopefully a flat – and soon!). Now I am watching Lord of the Rings in the UK. For some reason it feels like a good fit. Cheerio.

Ian