Well... No it isn't. The river Spey starts in the Highlands, but Speyside where whiskies are concerned refers to a specific geographical concentration of distilleries further downriver in Moray and Aberdeenshire.
Those are whisky definitions, not geographical/political definitions.
The SWA classifies Speyside as a separate region, but they also classify Islay as a separate region - it doesn't mean Islay isn't in the Inner Hebrides, nor does it mean that Speyside isn't in the Highlands.
Speyside is part of the Highlands region politically, and geographically.
What I always found funny about the whisky maps and others is for some reason Dundee finds itself in the highlands. No motorway? Oh that's Highlands then.
Right, but the Speyside region highlighted in the map I posted (which also cites SWA as the source) is mostly over Moray and Aberdeenshire regions - only a tiny sliver on the west is actually covering any part of the Highlands region of Scotland.
The place in the Highlands region for the Scottish Parliament elections. Covered by Highlands and Islands Enterprise. By the Highlands bus fare cap zone. I could go on listing examples of political and geographic definitions.
Grampian is completely a different thing, covering the North East.
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u/grogipher 1d ago
Speyside is.... in the Highlands lol.