Scottish National Whisky Festival - Festival co-ordinator Gareth Croll
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00:00We've got a guest. We're here at the third edition of the National Whisky Festival, if you remember, Nestle, what's your thoughts, how's the day going?
00:08I mean, if you ask me, the atmosphere in the room right now speaks for itself.
00:15We at the Scottish National Whisky Festival want to be a vision, or a view at least,
00:22of what modern and contemporary Scottish whisky and arts and wider general culture is.
00:30In here today, this is the biggest it's ever been in Inverness.
00:35We have, in terms of consumers and guests along from multiple nationalities,
00:43across Europe, the Americas, and in terms of whisky exhibitors, every single type of whisky is represented here.
00:52And not least the live music offering as well is absolutely critical and amazing today.
00:59So if you ask me, I think today has been one of my favourites. I'm loving it.
01:08You were saying you were really interested in coming to Inverness. Can I ask you why?
01:14Why? I mean, this is the heartland of whisky culture.
01:24Yes, I know there's loads of settlements and it's all quite sparse when you go outside Inverness.
01:30The city itself is alive these days. It's busy. Every single night of the week there's tourism, there's interest of locals.
01:40For me, it is an absolute hub of culture at the minute, and the city needs something to show that off.
01:50Personally speaking also, I have, my father lives in Alness, so I also just want to be up here.
01:59I feel a very close affinity to the region, the area, and I want to see us here every single year and grow bigger and bigger and bigger.
02:07Can I ask you how does this compare to other events in the central bend, for instance, or Aberdeen?
02:13In Aberdeen? So, Aberdeen is one of our bigger events. It's been going for a while, but way longer than this.
02:25This is our third year now, and it's doubled in size every time.
02:31Next year if we do this, we won't be able to do this in the room anymore. We will have to seek a bigger area because of the demand.
02:39Compared to our other events, it's unique, and it's hungry, and it's working.
02:48It's got its own identity up here that is very homegrown and natural.
02:55It's hard to compare it to somewhere like Aberdeen or Glasgow.
02:59Each city has its own identity, and that's what makes the Scottish National Whisky Festival.
03:03We want to represent each city.
03:07Inverness may be my favourite.
03:13That's great. In terms of things that you might want to bring to the festival in the future, is there anything that you want to add to it?
03:25100%.
03:26Anything that you want to change to make it so popular?
03:30Yes, absolutely.
03:33Yes, we are the Scottish National Whisky Festival, but we represent all areas of culture.
03:43We try to represent whisky's far-reaching influence.
03:47Next year, I would like to see the venue doubled in size and start featuring the culinary elements of up on the Highlands.
03:59I would like a much larger food offering to show off local produce, suppliers, and the great restaurant scene that is happening up in this area of Scotland.
04:11That's my aim for next year, is to expand and introduce that.
04:17I'm thinking Inverness, of course you're talking about the Highlands.
04:21In recent years, in terms of whisky tours and various attractions and distilleries themselves, there's been quite an outbreak for anything that is around Inverness.
04:34Can you tell me a bit about how whisky is coming back to Inverness from an external point of view?
04:39Absolutely, I agree with you.
04:41I just had this conversation actually with one of the whisky exhibitors about 15 minutes ago.
04:48Whisky is coming back to Inverness.
04:51The Highlands style, traditionally, would have been described as rich and fruity.
05:02These categories, I won't even mention them, are blowing out the waters now.
05:09There are distilleries and young people doing things in whisky up in this area of Scotland that is forward thinking.
05:19Just across the river you have Ullavish, a distillery that has just opened up.
05:23The things that they are doing for sustainability and how they operate their production process is world leading.
05:33The idea of Highland whisky, in my eyes, is no longer its classic category.
05:46It is a forward thinking, busy market now.
05:54You've got Dornoch brothers there.
05:57There is so much happening up here and I think we're yet to see the impact of it.
06:04It's going to take time, whisky takes time.
06:06Whisky is a slow industry.
06:08You've got to wait and wait and wait for the aging.
06:12That attitude is in the people as well.
06:16I think over the next 10-15 years we're really going to see Inverness and this area of Scotland in general come into its own.
06:25And really, really, really be a massive, massive thing, I would say.
06:32Amazing.
06:33Just one last thought about today, what's happening after this.
06:39There's other events, I know.
06:41Yes, so part of our concept, will you say, is to grow outwards.
06:50It's not just about our events here today.
06:53It's about the satellite partnerships that we have on the go at the same time on the weekends.
06:59Last night we had the malt room.
07:01We hosted a Dunnage Warehouse tasting with both Cadden Heads, or J&A Mitchell, will you say, including Springbank and Kilkerran, with Glen Scotia in the same room upstairs at the malt room.
07:16The malt room is one of my favourite bars on the planet.
07:20And to have these two powerhouse Campbelltown producers in the same room for a group of 20 people is unheard of.
07:32So that was last night.
07:34And tonight, after this wraps up at 4pm, we'll all be going over to the Glenmore Hotel slash Ullavish Distillery and Brewery, where we have put a stretch tent up and a stage outside, right on the banks of the River Ness.
07:51And we'll be welcoming the Cannae Band, who are up and coming in the traditional music scene, for an evening on us.
08:00It's free for the public. It's free for everybody.
08:03And the aim of the game is communication and networking and celebration.
08:09I can't wait for it. 6pm onwards tonight.