Whisky, wool and walking in Speyside

Forget the three Rs. I went to Speyside, Scotland's "single-malt capital of the world", to brush up on the three Ws: whisky, wool and walking.

Striding beside the River Spey on a misty afternoon, a warm sweater from a local mill wrapped around my shoulders, an even warmer dram of whisky awaiting me at my hotel ahead, I realized I'd reached peak Speyside status.

Educational mission accomplished. Or, to quote Scottish poet and noted whisky fan Robert Burns: "Gie me ae spark of Nature's fire/That's a' the learning I desire."