Scotland Whisky Tours

The Malt Whisky Trail Speyside

The Malt Whisky Trail is a road signposted trail around the Speyside area, including Elgin, that takes you to a variety of well-known distilleries and a cooperage where they make the barrels.

Check the website for a map of the distilleries included and the trail as well as some handy whisky tasting tips.

Alternatively you can plan your own Whisky Trail by checking which Distilleries offer tours. Just make sure a non-whisky lover is doing the driving!

Speyside Malt Whisky Distilleries & Festival

The Speyside area of Scotland is most famous for the many distilleries that are based in the area. The Malt Whisky Trail takes in some of the well known ones but there are a lot more, many of which offer their own distillery tours.

There are more whisky distilleries in this part of Scotland than you could imagine. Many use the water from the peaty River Spey in the distilling process which gives the whiskies their distinctive taste.

The annual Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival attracts thousands of visitors every year. It is usually held around May. The purpose of the festival is to celebrate everything to do with whisky and the culture surrounding it. Hundreds of events are put on all over the Speyside area including tastings, master-classes by industry experts, dinners and ceilidhs.

Some of the distilleries that don't normally open their doors to visitors put on special tours and tastings as part of the Whisky Festival. Many of the towns including Tomintoul, Glenlivet, Dufftown, Aberlour, Craigellachie and Elgin take part in the festival. Check the Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival webpages for up-to-date information. Link right.

Dallas Dhu Historic Whisky Distillery

Dallas Dhu Distillery lies south of Forres, west from Elgin, is now not a working distillery but more of a preserved distillery showing the traditional methods of whisky making.

It is now owned by Historic Scotland and a self-guided tour takes you through the whole process from beginning to end, something many of the modern working distilleries can't do as the initial processes of are often carried out off site.

Check their website for more information, links right.

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Malt Whisky Distilleries, Tours & Shops near Elgin

For whisky lovers Elgin is an excellent base for visiting a huge range of distilleries in this and the Speyside area.

In the town itself is Gordon & MacPhail's specialist malt whisky shop, a paradise for whisky drinkers everywhere. Having been in business for 110 yeas and bottled many of their own single malts these are the people to see for advice on their mind-boggling stock of 700 whiskies. The shop is on South Street in Elgin.

They have also bought the nearby Benromach Distillery which you can visit for a tour of the whisky-making process.

Benromach Distillery & Malt Whisky Centre, Invererne Road, Forres, Moray IV36 3EB. Tel: 01309 675968. Email: info@gordonandmacphail.com

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Whisky Distilleries near Elgin

Near Elgin are the following distilleries some of which offer Distillery Tours. Check their individual websites for more information. Glen Moray Distillery, Bruceland Road, Elgin, IV30 1YE. Tel: 01343 550900.

Glen Grant Distillery & Garden, Rothes. Tel: 01340 832118. Fax: 01340 832104. Email: visitorcentre@glengrant.com.

Cardhu Distillery, Knockando, Aberlour, Moray, AB38 7RY. Tel: 01340 872555. Fax: 01340 872556. Aberlour Distillery, Aberlour Banffshire, AB3 9PJ. Tel: 01340 881249. Fax: 01340 871729. Email: dennis.hendry@chivas.com

Cragganmore Distillery, Ballindalloch, Banffshire AB37 9AB. Tel: 01340 872555. Fax: 01340 872556.

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Isle of Islay Whisky Distilleries

Islay is home to eight distilleries and there is also one on the Isle of Jura. Well known names include Ardbeg, Bowmore and Laphroaig.

Islay has long been renowned for its whisky whose hallmark is the strongly smoky, peaty nose and taste. All the distilleries on Islay offer guided tours and a dram for tasting. It is best to book ahead as there are limited amount of tours daily. Money is usually discounted from your whisky purchases if you've paid for a tour.

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Talisker Whisky Distillery Isle of Skye

Talisker Distillery on the Isle of Skye produces sweet, full-bodied single malts with a faintly peaty taste. The distillery was founded in 1830 by two brothers and was so successful that it had its own pier, tramway, cottages and even its own currency! Today it has a very well equipped Visitor Centre where you can book yourself onto a distillery tour. The reception area has displays and interpretation posters all about Talisker, its history and its whisky distilling process. Before departing on your tour you also get a generous dram of the 10 year old malt for tasting. There is also a shop on site where you can use the discount voucher you receive when paying the entrance fee for the tour.

November to March: Mon-Fri: Tours by appointment only, last Tour: 3.30pm. Easter to October: Mon-Sat: 9.30am-5pm, last Tour: 4.30pm. Jul-Aug: Sundays 12.30-5pm, last Tour: 4.00pm.

Talisker Distillery, Carbost, Isle of Skye. Tel: 01478 614308. Fax: 01478 614302. Email: georgette.crawford@diageo.com

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Praban na Linne Malt Whisky Distillery Skye

In the south of Skye at Eilean Iarmain is the Praban na Linne Whisky Distillery, a family business started by Sir Iain Noble in 1976.

You can organise a visit to their headquarters, an old 19th century building, where you can taste their range of whiskies and see the original illegal still! They produce a single malt, a blended whisky and a connoisseurs blend.

There is also an art gallery, An Talla Dearg, adjacent to the offices that have a range of exhibitions throughout the season.

Praban na Linne Limited, Eilean Iarmain, Isle of Skye, Scotland, IV43 8QR, United Kingdom. Tel: 01471 833 496. Fax: 01471 833 493.

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Highland Park Distillery Kirkwall Orkney Islands Single Malt Whisky Tour

Just outside Kirkwall is the Highland Park Distillery, Scotland's most northerly distillery. It started out as an illegal still of a church officer who apparently hid it beneath his pulpit! It's a classic looking 18th century distillery with the distinctive towers protruding above the warehouses.

Highland Park whisky is a lovely peaty malt which derives from the locally cut peat used in the drying process. You can take a tour from the Visitor Centre to see how it's made. The tour starts off with an audiovisual presentation available in different languages and then a tour of the whisky making process itself. Highland Park is one of the few distilleries that still have their own floor maltings and kilns. The single malt is aged in former bourbon or sherry barrels for a minimum of 12 years. At the end of the tour you're brought into the shop where you can purchase Highland Park related gifts or the whisky itself. A discount from the full price is refundable against your tour ticket. Check the weblink right for more information.

During May-Aug tours run every half hour with the last tour at 4pm Mon-Sat 10am-5pm. Sun 12-5pm. Nov-Mar one tour only at 2pm although the Gift Shop is open Mon-Fri 1-5pm. Group bookings should be made by appointment. Highland Park Distillery, Holm Road, Kirkwall, Orkney KW15 1SU. Tel: 01856 874619. Email: distillery@highlandpark.co.uk

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Perthshire Scotch Whisky Tours - Glenturret, Blair Athol & Edradour Distilleries

Scotland's oldest distillery, home to the famous Scottish Grouse whisky is situated in Crieff to the west of Perth. The visitor centre here is the most visited distillery in Scotland, with a five star rating from the Scottish Tourist Board. Scenically set by the glenturret Burn, with fine views of the surrounding Perthshire countryside, the Glenturret distillery has a long history dating back to 1775. The adjacent pure waters of the Turret Burn were useful from the start! A tour of the distillery is a lesson in how single malt whisky is made in the traditional Scottish way. The Famous Grouse whisky is one of Scotland's most well known and best loved whiskies.

The 12 year old Single Malt whisky produced at the Blair Athol Distillery in Pitlochry has a fine reputation as one of the best of Scotland's whiskies. Fruity flavoured with a smooth finish, single malt whisky has been produced here at Blair Athol since 1798. The waters for this Scotch whisky come from the Allt Dour. Take distillery and tasting tours. A whisky shop is on-site. The Blair Athol Distillery and Visitor Centre sits on the Southern edge of Pitlochry about a mile from the centre, so walking to it is feasible from Pitlochry centre.

The tiny Edradour distillery situated in the hills just above Pitlochry is Scotland's smallest distillery, but its 10 year old single Highland Malt whisky packs a punch. They only produce around 12 casks of Edradour whisky here a week - it's handmade using traditional methods without automation by John Reid the manager and his two assistants. See the Edradour website right for details on distillery tours. They're free, but if your group is more than 15 you'll need to book in advance.

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Oban Single Malt Whisky Distillery

Oban is home to its own distillery conveniently placed right in the middle of the town centre. It was first established in 1794 well before the town took shape. It is an attractive traditional style building and is one of the oldest distilleries in Scotland producing single malt whisky.

You can take tours of the distillery from their Visitor Centre. Tours run Mar-Dec Mon-Fri: 9.30am-4.30pm. Jun-Oct Mon-Sat: 9.30am-4.30pm. Jul-Aug Mon-Sun: 12.30pm-4.30pm. You'll be treated to a wee dram of the produce to taste and the entrance fee is redeemable against the purchase of a bottle.

Oban Distillery, Stafford Street, Oban, Argyllshire. Tel: 01631 572004. Fax: 01631 572011.

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Glengoyne Distillery Tours

Award winning Glengoyne is one of Scotland's leading premium malt whiskies. The Glengoyne distillery is located near Loch Lomond and just a short distance from Glasgow.

A choice of whisky tasting tours are available at the Glengoyne distillery including Cask Tasting Tours and Master Blender Sessions. Full details of the Glengoyne whisky tasting tours are listed via the Glengoyne website link right.

The on-site Glengoyne Slainte Mhath Distillery Shop is located in the distillery's oldest warehouse dating from 1833 and stocks the complete Glengoyne whisky range alongside Glengoyne collectables.

Glengoyne Distillery, Dumgoyne, Near Killearn, Glasgow, G63 9LB. Tel.01360 550 254.