The first stop is the village of Dalwhinnie,
the highest Highland village at 1,173ft (358m) above sea level.
Dalwhinnie Distillery is one of the few and most prominent buildings
and the first of many whisky distillers that stand close to the
banks of the River Spey. It contains a small visitor centre showing
the social history of the village as well as offering visitors a
welcomed and warming dram.
This area's history was most noticeably affected with the arrival
of General Wade and his squad of road builders in July 1724. By
December of that year he had finished his survey of the central
Highlands and reported his plans to 'reduce the Highlands to obedience'.
Roads and bridges were built between barracks to facilitate better
communication of 'His Majesty's troops' and between 1725 and 1735,
250 miles (402km) of relatively good surfaces were laid. Today,
the A9 is the main North Road, a fast-flowing combination of dual
and single carriageway that is notorious for thoughtless drivers
in a hurry to reach Inverness or Perth in the opposite direction.
A new scheme of 'speed cameras' is helping to restrain those with
a 'heavy foot' but care should always be taken on this route.