Freeze motion of man hand pouring whisky shot. Vintage interior of village barn. ()
The term “whiskey” comes from the Gaelic words, “uisge beatha,” meaning literally, “water of life.” It is believed that the phrase has even older roots from medieval Latin from the phrase, “aqua vitae.” No matter the word’s origin, it has laid its roots and found its home across the world; perhaps, most famously in Scotland.
The oldest reference to whiskey in Scotland dates back to the 13th century. Today, there are almost 150 whiskey distilleries in Scotland spread across five “whiskey-producing” communities: Campbeltown, Highland, Islay, Lowland and Speyside. If you want to take a tour of a distillery, here are a few of our favorites.
Location: Tain, Highland Region
History: Beginning in 1843, the Matheson family began selling their whiskey for a few shillings per gallon. They named their whiskey “Glenmorangie” which is a Gaelic word meaning “Valley of Tranquility.” Today, they are one of the most famous Scotch distilleries and have the tallest copper stills in all of Scotland which help create their renowned whiskey.
Tour Information: Tours last one hour, cost 20 pounds per person and you receive two drams for tasting at the end of the tour. You can book the tour in advance online at glenmorangie.com/visit-us/distillery-tours.
April-May: Monday – Friday | hourly | 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.
June-August: Monday – Sunday | every 30 minutes | 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.
September-October: Monday – Friday | hourly | 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.
November-March: Monday – Friday | 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.
Location: Dumfries & Galloway. Lowland Region
History: Bladnoch Distillery dates back to 1817 when Thomas and John McClelland were granted a license to distill whiskey. It is known as the “Queen of the Lowlands.” Today it boasts a state-of-the-art visitor center, gift shop and café.
Tour Information: The distillery offers two tours which you can book in advance at bladnoch.com/pages/visit-bladnoch-distillery.
Classic Tour and Taste | 60 minutes | Tuesday-Saturday | 11 a.m.- 3 p.m. | 20 pounds per person | 14+
1817 Tour | 120 minutes | Tuesday and Friday | 11:30 a.m. | 50 pounds per person | 18+
Location: Banffshire, Speyside Region
History: The first stones for the distillery were laid in 1886. Today, Glenfiddich remains one of the oldest family-owned Scotch whiskey distilleries.
Tour Information: Glenfiddich offers two tours that you can book in advance at glenfiddich.com/en-gb/book-tour. The tour route contains multiple sets of steep stairs. If you have mobility requirements contact Glenfiddich.bookings@wgrant.com for accommodations.
Distillery Tour | 90 minutes | Wednesday-Sunday | 9:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. | 25 pounds per person
Glenfiddich Solera: Deconstructed Tour | 150 minutes | Thursday and Saturday | 2 p.m. | 75 pounds per person | 18+
Location: Bruichladdich, Islay Region
History: This distillery is one of the newest ones to be built in Islay. In 2005, it was the first distillery built in Islay in over 120 years. It is a family-owned business and today is “Islay’s only Single Farm Single Malt Scotch Whisky.”
Tour Information: Kilchoman offers three tours that you can book in advance at kilchomandistillery.com/book-distillery-tour.
Classic Tour | 60 minutes | Monday- Friday | 1:30 p.m. | 10 pounds per person
Roving Tasting | 90 minutes | Monday- Friday | 2:30 p.m. | 25 pounds per person | 18 +
Limited Edition Tasting and Tour | 120 minutes | Monday- Friday | 11 a.m. | 40 pounds per person | 18+
Location: Perthshire, Highland Region
History: The Glenturret whiskey dates back to 1793 and is Scotland’s oldest working distillery. It has changed names and owners several times since its inception and The Glenturret name began to appear sometime in the 1800s. In 1991, the distillery welcomed its one-millionth visitor.
Tour Information: The distillery offers three different tours. Book your spot at theglenturret.com/pages/book-a-tour.
The Glenturret Tour | 60 minutes | 18 pounds per person
Lalique Whisky Flight | 90 minutes | From 53 pounds per person
Whisky Maker’s Tour | 120 minutes | 100 pounds per person | 18+ only
To find more distilleries in any region, click here for an interactive map by Visit Scotland.
