In 1494, the monks at Lindores Abbey made the first recorded drams of whisky for King James IV. Today, Lindores Abbey Distillery and Visitor Centre, which is in the ruined monastery’s grounds, continues this tradition with its single malt whisky and aquae vitae, a recreation of the monks’ medieval recipe for the spirit they called ‘The water of life’.
A good dram’s not the only legacy the monks left to Newburgh. Many of the apple trees growing in the town’s gardens are direct descendants of the trees that grew in the monastery’s orchards.
Macduff’s Cross is another visible reminder of Newburgh’s centuries of history. High on a hill overlooking the town, Macduff’s Cross is a circle of small stones around an ancient white standing stone. According to legend (rather than Shakespeare), this is where the Macduff clan were granted sanctuary in return for standing against Macbeth and his men.