The Glenlivet single malt whisky, known around the world. In the Victorian era, the village was receiving some tourism; in 1860, there were three inns here. An 1857 Commercial Gazetteer described the community as a mean-looking village on a bleak moor with superstitious residents. The 1882-4 Frances Groome's Ordnance Gazetteer for Scotland also did not depict Tomintoul as a prosperous village:"Consisting of a central square and a single street, running ¾ mile north-north-westward, it is described by the Queen, under date 5 Sept. 1860, as 'the most tumble-down, poor-looking place I ever saw-a long street with three inns, miserable dirty-looking houses and people, and a sad look of wretchedness about it'. ... Tomintoul has a post office with money order, savings' bank, and telegraph departments, a public and a Roman Catholic school, cattle fairs ... and hiring fairs ..." Both churches, built prior to 1840, remain open in the village, Tomintoul Church and St Michael's. According to the above source, the population was as follows: 530 in 1839 and 686 by 1881. Regeneration efforts Queen Victoria's visit in 1860 helped boost tourism which still remains the primary economic activity. Marketing initiatives in the area today include SnowRoads and North East 250 scenic routes. Still billed as "the highest village in the Highlands", with a town square and Victorian buildings, Tomintoul offers tourists options such as snowsports in winter. Areas of interest in the vicinity include Glenlivet Estate (fishing as well as walking, cycling and horseback riding trails), north eastern Cairngorms and the (Speyside) Scotland's Malt Whisky Trail. The village also has a small museum, the Tomintoul & Glenlivet Discovery Centre, which focuses on life in the highlands through history. The primary retailers for tourists include the Tomintoul Gallery that sells work created by local artists, the A’anside Studios that sell arts and crafts and the Whisky Castle, which offers hundreds of single malts. The Castle has operated for over a century and offers whisky from every major distillery as well as some rare products from distilleries no longer in operation. The Tomintoul Distillery, in nearby Ballindalloch provides some employment; the company has been making whisky here for many decades. There is no visitor centre but some visits are allowed, by prior appointment. The two main hotels in the village had closed by 2010, however. In an attempt to improve the economy, the area created the Regeneration Strategy and Action Plan