With more than 120 active distilleries in a country that’s roughly the size of South Carolina, it’s no wonder Scotland is at the top of many scotch lover’s vacations. But with all of those options, how do you make the most of a trip to Scotland?
Here are 10 essential whisky experiences to add to your bucket list on your pilgrimage to the home of the single malt.
1 // Create your own single malt blend
Most single malts are the mix of multiple casks from the same distillery (“single malt Scotch whisky” must be distilled from pot stills at a single distillery).
Blending casks together to get the target characteristics to shine takes decades to master – but you can try it yourself at several distilleries in Scotland. On the Solera Desconstructed tour at Glenfiddich in Speyside, you learn about the differences between sherry, bourbon, and new oak maturation, then mix your own 50cl bottle in the lab above their tasting room.
Creating our own blend at Glenfiddich, Speyside Scotland
Read more about visiting distilleries in Speyside.
2 // Take a tour from a legend
There are a few people in the Scotch industry that have really made a name for themselves like Colin Scott (Strathisla, master blender for Chivas) and occasionally step in to lead a tour. Our favorite is the Warehouse Experience at Lagavullin, ledby “the Islay legend”, Iain McArthur.
Iain has worked at Lagavulin for 50 years as of August of this year (!) and grew up on Islay. He’s become the face of Lagavulin and one minute in the room with him, you’ll understand why guests come back year after year for the same tour with him. One of favorite souvenirs from the trip was a bottle of the Lagavulin Jazz Festival exclusive bottling that Iain signed for us, from casks he hand-selected, that we keep on display on our bar at home.
The warehouse experience at Lagavulin with Iain McArthur, Islay
Pulling from barrels he personally selects to sample, Lagavulin, Islay
Having our bottle of the Lagavulin Jazz festival exclusive signed by Iain McArthur, Islay
With Islay’s “living legend”, Iain McArthur, Lagavulin
3 // Stay at a distillery
What’s better than visiting a distillery? Sleeping at one!
On Islay, check out the Bowmore Cottages which are built into the walls of Bowmore Distillery or the cottages at Ardbeg, both on Islay. Both are great for extended vacations or group trips and are equipped with all the conveniences of home. You can also opt for the Harbour Inn on Islay, owned by Bowmore Distillery but located across the street, for more of a hotel feel.
Book early though – availability goes quickly!
Views from Harbour Inn, Bowmore, Islay
Views of Bowmore Distillery, Islay
4 // Sample straight from the cask
While single barrel bottlings are common for bourbons, it’s rare to find a scotch single cask direct from a distillery (you can purchase from independent bottlers, though). This is because a single malt may contain whisky aged in a mix of bourbon or sherry casks, or might be matured in 2-3 different types of casks before bottling. Casks are blended together to get the target flavors.
Several distilleries in Scotland offer special tours where you can pull straight from the cask and sample the difference between different cask types and maturation processes. Our favorites were Laphroaig and Lagavulin on Islay.
Pulling from casks at Laphroaig, Islay
Cask samples at Laphroaig, Islay
5 // Work a malting floor
The best malting floor experience is at Port Ellen Maltings where that’s all they do. It’s only open during the Islay Whisky Festival, so definitely get on the list for that if you’re traveling to Islay in late May.
You can also view the malting floors at Laphroaig (Islay), Kilchoman (Islay), Highland Park (Orkney), and Benriach (Speyside), among others.
The malting floor at Laphroaig, Islay
Sprouting barley at Laphroaig, Islay
The malting floor at Kilchoman, Islay
6 // Visit a cooperage
Scotch aged in a variety of different casks, from used Bourbon battles to Sherry casks to new oak barrels. New barrels are the least common, so cooperages in Scotland focus on reassembling and repairing barrels that ship in from the US (bourbon barrels), France, and Spain (wine barrels).
Crafting and repairing crafts is still done by hand using traditional tools at many cooperages (Diageo’s Cambus Cooperage in Alloa is the exception, with a High-tech automated production line). It’s quite impressive to watch!
Several distilleries have their own cooperages you can visit but they all pale in comparison to the Speyside Cooperage, located near Glenfiddich and Macallan in Speyside.
Barrels at Speyside Cooperage, Speyside Scotland
7 // Sample “low wines” and new make”
When the grain completes the fermentation process, then resulting mixture is called “low wines”, a sour yellow/orange juice with an alcohol content similar to beer.
It then goes through pot stills to distill. The resulting spirit, before it has been aged, is called “new make spirit”.
A few distilleries will let you sample both the low wines and new make, where you can start to taste the unique flavors of the whisky come together. See if you can spot the impact of the peat fires in the low wines at Laphroaig or the subtle sweetness from the spring water at Glenfiddich.
Sampling low wines at Bruichladdich, Islay
Sampling low wines at Laphroaig, Islay
8 // Cut your own peat
Peat is used as the fuel source for fires under the malting floor in several Scotch producing regions, and is an essential to giving a number of best-selling scotches that smoky flavor. The peat itself is partially decayed vegetation that takes thousands of years to form the dense fuel source. While it’s not a truly renewable resource given the amount of time it takes to regrow, they estimate there’s enough today to last another thousand or so years.
Islay has one of the largest peat reserves, which has made the island popular over the years with distillers and scotch enthusiasts. Stop off A846 just south of the Islay airport to walk around the Laphroaig peat fields or sign up for the Water to Whisky Experience during warmer months to cut your own.
Cut peat at the Laphroaig Peat Farm, Islay
The Laphroaig peat fields, Islay
The Laphroaig peat fields, Islay
9 // Bottle a distillery exclusive
Many distilleries now offer single casks or special blends that you can bottle yourself in the gift shop for a one-of-a-kind souvenir. Some of the most popular include The Laphroaig peat fields, Islay and Abelour (Speyside). Skip the bottling at places like Glenfiddich where the “bottle your own” option is a commonly available bottling with an up-charge to seal yourself.
The Bruichladdich Distillery, Islay
10 // Enjoy a dram in a whisky library
Scotland is home to some of the most impressive whisky bars, with expansive lists of scotch by the dram. Many carry limited and exclusive bottlings you might not otherwise come across – or would be price-prohibitive to own in your own collection.
One of the most impressive is The Dowan’s Hotel in Speyside. Other libraries worth a visit include the Quaich Bar at the Craigellachie Hotel in Speyside and the Pot Still in Glasgow. Find a comfy chair and split a few drams with your traveling companions so you can each sample a few more – and just accept that you may be in for an expensive evening!
The Still whisky library at The Dowans Hotel, Aberlour
The Still whisky library at The Dowans Hotel, Aberlour
Planning a trip to Scotland?
Read our Scotland Travel Guide, including:
- What to Pack for Scotland
- Visiting Distilleries in Speyside
- 24 Hour in Oban
- The Ultimate Guide to Visiting Islay
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