Highland Whisky Tour

Introduction

Time: All Year

Accommodation: First Class Accommodation

Start Date: 4 Nights / 5 Days

Group Size: Singles, Couples, Families and Small Groups

Scotland is a land of distinctive flavours, and includes haggis, Aberdeen Angus beef, full flavoured venison, wild Salmon, lobster, crab and wonderful game from the Highlands such as grouse and capercaillie. Of course, the most famous of all is Whisky. Made just from barley, yeast and stream water, Scottish single malt whiskies have a myriad of flavours, reflecting the unique craft of each distillery, the local peat and water and barrels used to age the whisky.

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The aim of this tour is to see some of the finest distilleries of the remote Highland region of Scotland. During the course of this tour you will experience the whole process, from the malting and mashing to fermentation, distillation, maturation and bottling. Your tours will include tastings, often direct from the casks themselves. Many of the distilleries are in beautiful coastal and river locations with stunning scenery and you will be able to explore the attractions and delights of the local villages and towns. The tour can be adapted and extended to include the distilleries of your choice.

Why not create your own tour? As with all our tours the attractions you see will take account of your interests and can be adapted to what you want to see. So, if you want to see places not on the list below, just let us know. Complete our enquiry form to find out more »

Itinerary

Day 1: Glenturret - Dewar's - Edradour

GLENTURRET is Scotland’s oldest distillery, just an hour away from Edinburgh and Glasgow. It is believed to have been producing whisky since 1717. Here you enjoy THE FAMOUS GROUSE EXPERIENCE and see the monument to their infamous cat Towser , who caught an amazing 28,899 mice during his life. Another great name is John Dewar, born in a croft in Aberfeldy in 1806. The distillery is now known as DEWAR’S WORLD OF WHISKY and the ABERFELDY whiskies produced are fruity and refreshing. Located in the beautiful hills, EDRADOUR is the smallest distillery in Scotland and is privately owned.

Day 2: Blair Atholl - Dalwhinnie - Tomatin

BLAIR ATHOL means ‘a tract of flat land’ or ‘battlefield’ and nearby Blair Castle is the home of the Duke of Athol. The whisky is used in the Bell’s blends and is said to taste of shortbread and ginger cake. DALWHINNIE is the highest of the distilleries in Scotland at 1073 feet and is the Gaelic for ‘meeting place’. Lying on the old whisky smuggling route, this distillery produces whiskies which are lightly peated and taste of heather honey. Located on the upper reaches of the River Findhorn is the TOMATIN distillery, which became the largest distillery in Scotland in the 1970s. Their whisky is malty, spicy and rich.

Day 3: Glen Ord - Glemorangie

GLEN ORD is located in a stunning position overlooking the barley growing landscape of the Black Isle. The distillery is an ideal stop on the way to GLENMORANGIE, one of the most famous of all malt whiskies. They use casks from the Jack Daniels distillery in Tennessee and the company selects trees from the Ozark mountains in Missouri. The famously scented character comes from the water which has passed through sandstone hills covered with heather and clover. A beautiful drive across the Highlands to the Isle of Skye passes EILEAN DONAN, an icon of Scotland.

Day 4: Talisker - Isle of Skye - Train

Described as ‘volcanically powerful’, the whisky at TALISKER is peppery and is known locally as The lava of the Cuillins. The Cuillins are the dramatic mountains on the west coast of the island. After a tour of the distillery you have the chance to see the sights of the southern part of the island before catching a ferry from Armadale to Mallaig on the mainland. In the summer months, the JACOBITE STEAM TRAIN winds through picturesque scenery on its journey to the town of FORT WILLIAM. The train passes the Glenfinnan Monument, marking the place where Bonnie Prince Charlie arrived in Scotland.

Day 5: Ben Nevis - Oban - Glengoyne

The final day begins at BEN NEVIS distillery, lying at the foot of Britain’s highest mountain at 4409 feet. It was established in 1825 by “Long John” Mcdonald and the famous Long John blend was named after him. We drive down the coast to Oban, passing Castle Stalker, used in the movie Monty Python and the Holy Grail. The OBAN distillery is owned by Diageo and stands in a prominent position in the town overlooking the harbour. From Oban, we will pass Inverary with an award winning WHISKY SHOP and we then drive down Loch Lomond to the final distillery of the tour, GLENGOYNE.