Laura Corin Posted March 6, 2012 Share Posted March 6, 2012 Calvin's French exchange partner is coming next week and we are casting around for things to do. The school is organising some castle visiting and some hiking, so we were thinking of a whisky distillery tour. Calvin was given a glass of champagne by the town mayor when he visited France, so I don't think we'll be accused of corrupting her. However, the under-18s will not be allowed to taste or even smell the finished whisky (distillery rules). I'm wondering if it will be fun to see how it's made if they are not allowed to partake.... FWIW, we have let Calvin have small alcoholic drinks at home - this is legal in the UK. Any other ideas of characteristically Scottish things that might be fun for a teenager? Laura Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
In The Great White North Posted March 6, 2012 Share Posted March 6, 2012 My high school took us on a tour of a beer factory on an exchange trip to Germany. It was fascinating and I don't drink beer at all. ETA If they really want to partake, couldn't you buy a small bottle and take it home? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
K&Rs Mom Posted March 6, 2012 Share Posted March 6, 2012 I've taken mine to a beer brewery tour, I think they were 5 & 7 at the time. They were still fascinated (it helped that there were horses at one of the stops), and happy to get pretzels at the end when the adults could try beers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Onceuponatime Posted March 6, 2012 Share Posted March 6, 2012 I don't see anything wrong with it. I went on a rum factory tour when I was 10 and I thought it was very interesting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stripe Posted March 6, 2012 Share Posted March 6, 2012 Haggis, anyone? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris in VA Posted March 6, 2012 Share Posted March 6, 2012 We took dd on a tour of the George Washington grain mill and distillery down the street. I didn't think it was that interesting (well, the mill stones were neat, and we bought cornmeal). Isn't there anything else cool around? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rebecca VA Posted March 6, 2012 Share Posted March 6, 2012 I think you should take her. She's (almost) old enough to drink, and it might be fun for her later (in college) to say she was actually in a whisky factory. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parrothead Posted March 6, 2012 Share Posted March 6, 2012 We took dd to the brewery in Boston this past summer. She was 11 at the time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrsMommy Posted March 6, 2012 Share Posted March 6, 2012 Sounds fine to me...although, I've taken all of my children on multiple brewery tours, so I may be the wrong person to ask! ;) In my defense, though, the history of brewing is *very* important to the history of our region, so they're going to be exposed to it one way or the other, anyway, and if we go on a tour, I get a free beer at the end, (when I'm not pregnant, of course)! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
katilac Posted March 6, 2012 Share Posted March 6, 2012 Sure, I would take a teen or a child. And it's Scotland, you practically have to ;) Golf? Famous writers/poets houses or such? Bagpipe performance? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alessandra Posted March 6, 2012 Share Posted March 6, 2012 When I glanced at the title of your post, my thought was -- only if it's in Scotland. Then I saw your name.... Absolutely, I think it's fine, because it is a cultural thing, like wine in France. Other Scottish things -- I remember, when I visited Scotland as a pre-teen, that what impressed me the most was the scenery. When I visited Scotland as an adult, it was still the scenery more than anything else. So, if you are able to go for a drive/bike trip/hike in a beautiful area, that would be my choice. Otherwise -- Edinburgh history sites & RBG, perhaps a tartan shop? a croft museum? highland games? a stone circle? Iona? prehistoric houses in Orkney? (Okay, I'm getting carried away....) Would a teenage boy like an elaborate afternoon tea -- do you still even have those? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amira Posted March 6, 2012 Share Posted March 6, 2012 Sure, I think it would be interesting, and I don't drink at all. I wouldn't have a problem taking my kids if they were interested too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ester Maria Posted March 6, 2012 Share Posted March 6, 2012 Yes, I would. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baseball mom Posted March 6, 2012 Share Posted March 6, 2012 I say go for it. Of course I have taken my dc to the beer brewery tour. That was several years ago (ages 6 & 9) The enjoyed it then and even today talk about various things from the visit. I also want to take them on a tour of a distillery. The distillery tour just hasn't worked out time wise when we have been in the area. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura Corin Posted March 6, 2012 Author Share Posted March 6, 2012 Other Scottish things -- I remember, when I visited Scotland as a pre-teen, that what impressed me the most was the scenery. When I visited Scotland as an adult, it was still the scenery more than anything else. So, if you are able to go for a drive/bike trip/hike in a beautiful area, that would be my choice. Otherwise -- Edinburgh history sites & RBG, perhaps a tartan shop? a croft museum? highland games? a stone circle? Iona? prehistoric houses in Orkney? (Okay, I'm getting carried away....) Would a teenage boy like an elaborate afternoon tea -- do you still even have those? She's actually a girl. I'll think about afternoon tea - that's a fun idea. I'd love to take her hiking - the school has arranged two hikes though, so it might be over the top. I am going to look into pony trekking though. Orkney .... bit far for a day trip. Highland games - I think all the ones I've heard of are in the summer, but I'll check. She's going on an organised trip to Edinburgh, so that's covered - I think they are doing tartan then too. Thanks Laura Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ktgrok Posted March 6, 2012 Share Posted March 6, 2012 Yes, I think it is fun. We loved going to one. Where are you in Scotland? When I was there we loved the castles, the whiskey heritage museum, the ghost tour, and had a lovely picnic on the Isle of Skye. The drive out there was gorgeous and well worth it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ktgrok Posted March 6, 2012 Share Posted March 6, 2012 Oh, for a girl take her on a short train ride, one of the ones that stops at those cute little train stops/tea house places! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brilliant Posted March 6, 2012 Share Posted March 6, 2012 I absolutely would. I've been on the Jack Daniels tour in Tennessee a couple of times (my grandparents took me while I was in college, and again after dh and I got married). It didn't turn me into a whiskey drinker. :) I wish my kids could go on that tour; I'd have taken them at any age. *love* the guys in overalls who lead the tour. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura Corin Posted March 6, 2012 Author Share Posted March 6, 2012 Haggis, anyone? I can get at at our local artisan butcher. Laura Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura Corin Posted March 6, 2012 Author Share Posted March 6, 2012 Oh, for a girl take her on a short train ride, one of the ones that stops at those cute little train stops/tea house places! I think all the cute train rides are a long way north of us, but I might be wrong. Laura Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura Corin Posted March 6, 2012 Author Share Posted March 6, 2012 Golf? Famous writers/poets houses or such? Bagpipe performance? We live very near St Andrews, so we could go and stare at a course. None of us is a golfer, however, and the golf museum is..... less than exciting to the non-player. She'll hear bagpipes in Edinburgh - there are always buskers there. Carnegie came from near here - I'll look into that. Laura Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LG Gone Wild Posted March 6, 2012 Share Posted March 6, 2012 Go! Take me, too! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
QuirkyKapers Posted March 6, 2012 Share Posted March 6, 2012 I would! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TravelingChris Posted March 6, 2012 Share Posted March 6, 2012 Absolutely. We have taken children on all sorts of factory tours including some wineries when we lived in Northern California and also when we lived in Europe. Very interesting to see how things are made. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shellers Posted March 6, 2012 Share Posted March 6, 2012 I've taken my kids on a tour of the Budweiser factory. I would take them on a whiskey tour too if there was one nearby. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mumto2 Posted March 6, 2012 Share Posted March 6, 2012 Distillery sounds good. We are planning a trip to one next summer. St. Andrews is close to you. That's fun. Between the golf and Will & Kate she might really like it. How about wildlife. I think there are some seal beaches around that area--just not sure about timing. Maybe some good nature hikes. I would plan something each day and have some add ons in mind. After you meet her you will have a good idea of what interests her. Photography etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
higginszoo Posted March 6, 2012 Share Posted March 6, 2012 It sounds like fun. I know that my younger teen would be interested in the process. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Natalieclare Posted March 6, 2012 Share Posted March 6, 2012 What about a tattoo (gathering of clans? ) Knife shop? (My dds collect dirks.) Art galleries? What do kids do for fun locally? When my dd went to Spain, one of her favorite days was spent with a local parkour(?) Club as they ran around doing their freerunning thing at the city's various parks. And yes, the distillery sounds interesting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
katilac Posted March 6, 2012 Share Posted March 6, 2012 We live very near St Andrews, so we could go and stare at a course. That's what we would do, lol. We don't golf, but I couldn't be near St. Andrews and not go see it, and maybe take a dorky picture by the sign :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teachin'Mine Posted March 6, 2012 Share Posted March 6, 2012 (edited) Have you no guys in kilts for the lass??? :lol: Any Scottish music festivals? Arts and crafts fairs? Some of the things that you may see as very mundane might be of great interest to a visitor. A good way to get an idea of what visitors might like to do is to call or visit a local visitor's center and ask them for ideas. Most tourists love to shop - any flea markets, or whatever they're called, available there? The tour could be okay, but I'd probably look for something else and definitely would not be bringing home any for them to partake of later. :tongue_smilie: IMO, kilts are much safer. :D Also, museums of any kind, ask her what she'd like to see, should be fun too. Driving in the country or walking through cities and seeing the sights is also lots of fun for tourists. Edited March 6, 2012 by Teachin'Mine Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heatherwith4 Posted March 6, 2012 Share Posted March 6, 2012 I definitely would take her. We plan on taking our kids on the Jack Daniels tour at some point. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thescrappyhomeschooler Posted March 6, 2012 Share Posted March 6, 2012 I'd most definitely take her! And then I'd send her parents a bottle of whiskey in exchange for some cognac! :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TranquilMind Posted March 6, 2012 Share Posted March 6, 2012 Calvin's French exchange partner is coming next week and we are casting around for things to do. The school is organising some castle visiting and some hiking, so we were thinking of a whisky distillery tour. Calvin was given a glass of champagne by the town mayor when he visited France, so I don't think we'll be accused of corrupting her. However, the under-18s will not be allowed to taste or even smell the finished whisky (distillery rules). I'm wondering if it will be fun to see how it's made if they are not allowed to partake.... FWIW, we have let Calvin have small alcoholic drinks at home - this is legal in the UK. Any other ideas of characteristically Scottish things that might be fun for a teenager? Laura No, I wouldn't do that. I don't drink and don't want to support that, given all the alcoholics I have known and loved, most who died young. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TeacherZee Posted March 6, 2012 Share Posted March 6, 2012 Yup I would. And have in the past. They are great. I am trying to think of other things to do in the area and am drawing a blank, since you say they are already going on a trip to Edinburgh. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harriet Vane Posted March 6, 2012 Share Posted March 6, 2012 I think a whiskey distillery tour would be cool, though I do know that some parents would object. When we were in Scotland, we LOVED the Highland Games. We drove up to Pitlocherie for the day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happypamama Posted March 6, 2012 Share Posted March 6, 2012 I'd be okay with it. My DH would probably find it interesting and would want to take our younger kids too. I'd also be okay with that. I'm okay with alcohol in moderation within the law, and I would equate a distillery/brewery tour with an auto plant tour; I'd have no problem with showing my kids how something is made, even though they'd have to wait to partake until they were a little older. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura Corin Posted March 6, 2012 Author Share Posted March 6, 2012 Have you no guys in kilts for the lass??? :lol: Oh she'll probably see a few of those too' date=' just on the street.[/color'] Any Scottish music festivals? Arts and crafts fairs? Not at this time of year - the tourist season doesn't start until Easter at the earliest. Some of the things that you may see as very mundane might be of great interest to a visitor. A good way to get an idea of what visitors might like to do is to call or visit a local visitor's center and ask them for ideas. Most tourists love to shop - any flea markets, or whatever they're called, available there? We only have a farmer's market - not too thrilling compared to French markets. I'll ask at the tourist office. Thanks Laura Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stripe Posted March 6, 2012 Share Posted March 6, 2012 I can get at at our local artisan butcher. Laura Do you have any interesting fruits? I know Scottish oatmeal is rather famous. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NotAVampireLvr Posted March 6, 2012 Share Posted March 6, 2012 Sounds like fun :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justasque Posted March 6, 2012 Share Posted March 6, 2012 Hadrian's Wall? I have vague memories of seeing it as a child. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura Corin Posted March 6, 2012 Author Share Posted March 6, 2012 Hadrian's Wall? I have vague memories of seeing it as a child. It's quite a way south of the current Scottish border. The Antonine wall is nearer, but it's just a grassy mound - not very thrilling. Thanks for the idea Laura Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justasque Posted March 6, 2012 Share Posted March 6, 2012 It's quite a way south of the current Scottish border. The Antonine wall is nearer, but it's just a grassy mound - not very thrilling. Yeah, figured that might be the case. I'm pro on the whisky tour. Since she's a girl and all, if she's the fashionable type, do be sure she has time to shop! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crimson Wife Posted March 6, 2012 Share Posted March 6, 2012 I wouldn't personally, but Europeans tend to be more liberal in their attitudes towards alcohol consumption. We live fairly close to the Napa wineries and I wouldn't take a child on a tour of one unless they were very young (e.g. my 3 & 6 y.o.'s I would take but not the 9 y.o.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nmoira Posted March 6, 2012 Share Posted March 6, 2012 Any other ideas of characteristically Scottish things that might be fun for a teenager?Are you near sheep? Isn't it close to lambing season? ETA: I'd still go to the distillery. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Mungo Posted March 6, 2012 Share Posted March 6, 2012 Yes, I would. My kids have been on winery tours, fwiw. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elinnea Posted March 7, 2012 Share Posted March 7, 2012 I would. We've taken the kids to wineries here at home and in France and the Guinness brewery in Dublin. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chiguirre Posted March 7, 2012 Share Posted March 7, 2012 I vote yes for the distillery, I've taken my kids on a rum hacienda tour and they thought it was interesting and enjoyed tasting raw cane. As for other ideas, could you take her to a ceilidh? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teachin'Mine Posted March 7, 2012 Share Posted March 7, 2012 Laura this site might help. http://www.scotlands-enchanting-kingdom.com/things-to-do-in-fife.html I think that you're assuming that things wouldn't be as exciting as they are in France, but you're forgetting that everything is exciting when it's in a new country. You may want to make a list of possible things to do and then when she arrives, check with her. I'll bet it's going to be a great week!!! :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Puma Mom Posted March 7, 2012 Share Posted March 7, 2012 I think the distillery tour sounds fine under the circumstances. I had three girls (10, 15, and 15yo) with me in Scotland for a week. Some of their favorite places were Doune Castle--A wedding was taking place when we were there, so we got to roam around and then watch the wedding party have photos taken. Craigtoun Country Park--The girls could not get enough of this place. They were fighting over rowing the rowboat, easily spent over an hour just on the playground, and ran around and posed with the statues. Seriously, they were all 8yo boys that day. Miniature golf at St. Andrews course Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura Corin Posted March 7, 2012 Author Share Posted March 7, 2012 . Craigtoun Country Park--The girls could not get enough of this place. They were fighting over rowing the rowboat, easily spent over an hour just on the playground, and ran around and posed with the statues. Seriously, they were all 8yo boys that day. Miniature golf at St. Andrews course Craigtoun park is closed for the winter and may not open again - funding problems and dropping visitor numbers. The miniature golf is definitely a good idea though. I'll see if I can get a group to go. Laura Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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