Tomatin

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Tomatin
Inverness-shire
Tomatin railway viaduct 01.jpg
Tomatin railway viaduct
Location
Grid reference: NH802288
Location: 57°20’2"N, 3°59’30"W
Data
Population: 183
Post town: Inverness
Postcode: IV13
Dialling code: 01463
Local Government
Council: Highland

Tomatin is a small village in the parish of Moy and Dalarossie, Inverness-shire. It is situated on the River Findhorn about 16 miles south of the city of Inverness. The name derives from the Scottish Gaelic name Tom Aitinn (hill of juniper). The river Findhorn rises at Coignafearn, a large game estate near Tomatin, and then passes through Tomatin village itself. The village has a shop, school and village hall and is most known for its whisky distillery.

At the last census in 2001 Tomatin had a population of 183. Many of the inhabitants are employed by local farms and estates, while others commute to Inverness and surrounding towns.

Tomatin has been bypassed by A9 road since 1976.

The Tomatin Distillery

Tomatin is perhaps best known for being the home of Tomatin whisky which, with its 23 stills, was the largest malt distillery in Scotland during the 1970s. Although it is thought that whisky has been distilled on the site since the 16th century, when cattle drovers would buy from a local still,[1] the distillery was not established until 1897 under the name of Tomatin Spey Distillery Co Ltd. In 1986 it was taken over by Japanese conglomerate Takara Shuzo and was renamed The Tomatin Distillery Co Ltd. The number of stills have since been reduced to 12 and recently it was the first distillery in Scotland to install a wood pellet boiler, in 2012.

Local facilities

Facilities in the village include the Tomatin Country Store - the local village shop, a primary school and a village hall that is used for a number of social activities. Local estates generate a significant income by attracting wealthy businessmen to take part in grouse shooting; the shooting season begins on 12 August of each year, which is known as the Glorious Twelfth.

The community has a £185,000 community sports centre which was opened in late 2010.[2]

References

Outside links

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