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Whether you’re a Scotch whisky aficionado or not, you’re bound to enjoy the beauty and diversity of Scotland’s whisky regions. In fact, no visit to this picturesque country would be complete without a Scotch Whisky tour, visiting at least one or two distilleries and sampling something that is as integral to the Scottish people as Guinness is to the Irish.
All of Scotland’s distilleries take great pride in their heritage and the raw materials used to create the unique character of their individual whiskies.
There are five distinct whisky producing areas in Scotland: Campbeltown, Highland, Islay, Lowland and Speyside. There are many whisky tours available in each of these regions, allowing you to taste and learn the secrets of these golden elixirs.
The Highlands
Speyside in the Scottish Highlands is the heart of Scotland’s whisky country. It is famous for its whiskies, castles, rivers and glens. More than half of the country’s 89 operating (malt whisky) distilleries are clustered along the banks of the River Spey.
Speyside is home to the Glenlivet distillery, now the world’s number one single malt Scotch whisky brand. The area is home to the world’s two best-selling malt whiskies, Glenlivet and Glenfiddich.
The real ‘whisky trail’ starts deep in the heart of Speyside at the Glenlivet distillery, where you can sample a dram of very rare, matured single malt straight from the cask. From there, follow the River Spey north to the Cardhu Distillery at Knockando, then west to Craigellachie for a tour of the Speyside cooperage.
It’s recommended that you take 3 days to visit all 8 distilleries (plus the Speyside Cooperage) on the trail, which ends at Dallas Dhu Historic Distillery.
There are so many other excellent distilleries in the area that are not on the official ‘trail’ that you may wish to visit as well: Ballindalloch, Scotland’s first Single Estate Distillery and The MaCallan Distillery. These distilleries use curiously small copper stills, so famous that they are featured on the back of a £10 Bank of Scotland note.
Whisky tour operators in the Highlands:
There’s a good choice of tour operators in the Highlands: Speyside Tour Operators, Rabbie’s, Amber Spirit Whisky Tours, Scholarly Sojourns and Speyside Whisky Tours, which offer chauffeur-driven day tours or you can tailor your own single malt adventure to include restaurants, castles and great golf.
Lowlands – Home of the Blend
Once upon a time, this region distilled more than any other, and moonshine distilleries were very popular in the past. The Lowland distilleries have since developed into professional malt blenders. Because of their lighter taste, with a touch of delicate sophistication, they have become known as the ‘Lowlands Ladies’. There are only four distilleries still producing this type of whisky:
- Glenkinchie – Produces a 14 year old malt with a finish of sugared almonds, vanilla and dried fruit. Located just 15 miles from Edinburgh, it is worth a visit for the distillery museum alone.
- Auchentoshan – Produces triple distilled malt and is one of the few remaining lowland single malts in the world.
- Bladnoch – Located in Galloway, this is the only other Lowland single malt producer. It’s the southernmost distillery and the oldest, dating back to 1817.
- Ailsa Bay – Produces 12 million litres of whisky a year, all of which goes into blends.
There are two other distilleries on the horizon, Daftmill in Fife and Annandale in the Borders. Although these distilleries have started distilling whisky, their products are not yet on the market because three years of distillation is the legal minimum for any product to be called ‘Scotch Whisky’ before it is bottled.
Edinburgh Expert has teamed up with Regal Chauffeuring of St Andrews to offer a one day ‘Grand Tour’ of the Lowland Distilleries.
Islay
The west coast of Scotland is dotted with islands, each with its own distillery. Islay is the southernmost of the Inner Hebrides, with heather-clad hills, beaches, many historic sites and eight malt whisky distilleries, most of which are located close to the island’s spectacular coastline. Some of Islay’s single malts are among the strongest flavoured malts and have a reputation for being too bold and overpowering for the Scotch novice.
The island’s distilleries are divided by geographical location, North Island or South Island, and as a result have their own distinct style of Scotch.
The South Island distilleries are located along the beautiful coastal road. The most popular are Laphroaig, Lagavulin and Ardbeg (also known as the Kildalton distilleries). They produce powerful, medium-bodied whiskies saturated with peat smoke brine and iodine, using the island’s peaty water at every stage of production.
The northern island distilleries, Bruichladdich and Bunnahabhain, produce whiskies that are much milder. They use water drawn directly from springs before it has come into contact with peat, and unpeated barley, resulting in a lighter flavour and drier finish, more mossy than their southern peaty cousins.
Islay whisky tour operators
Rabbie’s Islay Whisky Tours and Scottish Routes, whose tours include a 14-day whisky tour of Scotland, are a real treat.
