landmark
The Macallan Distillery
A Speyside distillery with a much-photographed turf-roofed visitor building set into the hillside above the Spey.
20 km · about 25 min drive
EuropeUnited KingdomScotland
Elgin
Scotland, United Kingdom · Europe
About Elgin
Elgin is worth a stop: 10 minutes from Lhanbryde, 39km from Cawdor Castle.
Elgin is in Scotland, United Kingdom, with about 25,000 people. You drive on the left here. The nearest town is Lhanbryde, about 6 km away.
Where to Stay in Elgin
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is there to see near Elgin?
Within an hour or so of Elgin: The Macallan Distillery (20 km), Glenfiddich Distillery (24 km), Bow Fiddle Rock (29 km), Cawdor Castle (39 km).
Are there any good drives near Elgin?
The nearest famous roads are The Lecht Road (A939), The Lecht (A939 Old Military Road) and Cairnwell Pass.
Where is Elgin?
Elgin is in Scotland, United Kingdom, about 6 km from Lhanbryde.
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Quick Information
- Population
- 25,040
- Continent
- Europe
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Region
- Scotland
- Timezone
- Europe/London
- Coordinates
- 57.6495, -3.3184
Emergency & Services
Essential numbers in United Kingdom
112 also works. NHS non-emergency medical advice: 111. National Highways breakdown assistance on motorways: 0300 123 5000.
Full driving guide for United KingdomTags
Worth the detour from Elgin
8 notable places within an hour's drive.
landmark
Glenfiddich Distillery
The Speyside distillery at Dufftown that is still family-owned and among the largest single malt producers in the world.
24 km · about 30 min drive
photogenic
Bow Fiddle Rock
Sea arch shaped like the tip of a fiddle bow, a short walk from the village of Portknockie on the Moray coast. At dawn the quartzite arch glows pink and doubles in the still water; dolphins pass close inshore.
29 km · about 35 min drive
castle
Cawdor Castle
A turreted castle near Nairn built around a medieval tower, with a holly tree in the vault and gardens open in summer.
39 km · about 45 min drive
scenic viewpoint
Chanonry Point
One of the best places in Europe to spot bottlenose dolphins from the shore, a spit on the Black Isle near Inverness.
47 km · about 55 min drive
ancient ruins
Clava Cairns
A serene cluster of 4,000-year-old burial cairns and standing stones near Inverness, beloved by Outlander fans.
49 km · about 55 min drive
landmark
Glenmorangie Distillery
A famed Highland single malt distillery on the Dornoch Firth near Tain, offering tours and tastings on the NC500.
49 km · about 55 min drive
landmark
Culloden Battlefield
The moor where the 1746 Jacobite rising was crushed, now a moving memorial and visitor centre near Inverness.
50 km · about 60 min drive
Driving roads near Elgin
- 47 kmChanonry PointOne of the best places in Europe to spot bottlenose dolphins from the shore, a spit on the Black Isle near Inverness.
- 50 kmThe Lecht Road (A939)The Cockbridge to Tomintoul road, Britain's most reliably snowbound route, a rollercoaster over the Cairngorms' eastern edge.
- 51 kmThe Lecht (A939 Old Military Road)Notorious high crossing of the eastern Cairngorms on the 18th-century military road between Cockbridge and Tomintoul, climbing to 637m with roller-coaster gradients: often the first UK road closed by snow.
- 62 kmCairngorm Mountain FunicularA funicular railway climbing high into the Cairngorms near Aviemore for panoramic alpine views and winter snowsports.
- 78 kmWhaligoe Steps365 hand-built flagstone steps zigzagging down a 76m cliff to a hidden natural harbour where herring boats once landed. Unsigned from the A99 south of Wick: most NC500 traffic drives straight past.
Driving in United Kingdom
- Drives on
- the left
- Petrol
- ~€1.73/litre
- Motorway tolls
- None
When to drive here
May to September
Far northern latitude: short daylight hours outside summer make long drives harder.
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