Speyside is home to over half of Scotland's Malt Whisky distilleries, not all of which are open to the public. The Malt Whisky Trail is a local marketing initiative (theme route) established to promote the region's Whisky heritage and encourage tourism. Eight distilleries and a cooperage form the Malt Whisky Trail in Scotland's Speyside. This does not include all the distilleries in the area. There are many more Speyside distilleries not on the trail, and many allow visitors to tour the production areas. However, the trail makes a good starting point.