Distillery Tours

Glass of whisky

This year, we managed two trips to Scotland and visited the distilleries listed on the left: Dalwhinnie in July and the Islay ones in August.

You might think that distillery tours are pretty the much the same. In some ways they are: the process for making whisky is the same wherever you go but each tour guide brings their own personal touch to the tour. All sorts of interesting facts about the distillery, local characters, humour and the whisky itself make each tour unique. Some distilleries buy malted barley in, other make it themselves. Some have bottling plants and some send their whisky away to the mainland in bulk for maturation and bottling.

It's unfair to try to compare the tours because some were standard tours at £6-7 and some were full behind-the-scenes tours with extensive sampling at up to £60.

Was It Worth It?

Of course it was! While it took time and effort to book the ferries, tours and places to stay, the week was an excellent experience. The scenery is great, the people are welcoming and I'd go back in an instant.

Watch out for the next Whisky Galore Tour in 2018.