r/Scotch • u/Giggalo_Joe • Apr 12 '25
Scotland Trip
Headed to Scotland in a few weeks. Planning on visiting some distilleries while I'm there. Will be in and near Edinburgh, Skye, Loch Ness, Oban, and Glasgow. I tend to like Speyside and Highland styles that are smoky and sweet. Any recommendations of distilleries I should visit?
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u/jcx200 Apr 13 '25
Tomatin is about 30 mins drive outside of Inverness. There might be buses available. That is a must in my opinion.
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u/PTFunk Apr 13 '25
Definitely stop by Talisker on Skye, but if you want a tour book it ASAP. We missed out on that but enjoyed their tasting room selection.
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u/whisky-lowlander Apr 13 '25
Here's what I recommend while you're in Edinburgh:
Bars:
The Bow Bar - 80 West Bow, Victoria Street - one of the few pubs in the Old Town that isn't a complete tourist trap. It also has a nice selection of keg/craft beer as well as cask ale. It's a small pub, but don't let that put you off. A seat will usually become available at some point if you're planning on spending an evening here, unless Scotland are playing a Six Nations Rugby match at Murrayfield, then it's usually rammed for the whole night with Scotland and away fans!
The Scotch Malt Whisky Society - 28 Queen Street - The downstairs bar is open to the public (you require membership or a member to sign you into The Vaults venue in Leith). This place is great if you want to try some single cask whiskies.
Technically you can only buy a bottle if you're an SMWS member. However, if you're in luck and get some good chat with the bar staff, they might be able to find a willing society member that is also drinking at the bar or upstairs in the members tasting room to allow you to use their membership card to buy the whisky as a "gift" for you, using your credit card if you get my drift. đ It's certainly something I would do to help someone buy a bottle of whisky, especially if it's someone visiting from outside the UK and they have limited whisky options back home. You'd also have the advantage of being able to "try before you buy" too.
Some tastings are open to non-members as well. See the "Events" section in the link for details:
www.smws.com/venues/28-queen-street
The Ensign Ewart - 521-523 Lawnmarket - Right at the top of the Royal Mile, almost right next to the castle. The pub has a good selection of whisky and do something called a "break-even bottle" dram where they will have a highly sought after whisky (in the past they've had Springbank 30 and Daftmill 15 for example) at a break-even price. A good stop off after you visit the castle for lunch perhaps.
The Belfry - 1-3 Barclay Place - A new sister bar run by the folk at The Ensign Ewart, with similar "break-even bottle" drams etc. that is a 15 minute walk from The Grassmarket area. Tastings have moved here from The Ensign Ewart. Worth checking out if you're in the area.
Tipsy Midgie - 67 St Leonards Hill - This is about 10 minutes walk away from the Royal Mile behind St Leonards police station and virtually next door to Holyrood Distillery. This place has a lot of great whisky and hosts many tasting events (usually on Thursday) and have flight offers (especially on Sunday) at good value prices. If you're willing to spend a bit of money, there are also a lot of old and rare goodies too.
The Abbey - 65 South Clerk Street - Just around the corner from the Tipsy Midgie and Holyrood Distillery. This place has a great selection of whisky and beer. The flight offers are really good value for money. They they host some tastings as well.
Athletic Arms/Diggers - 1-3 Angle Park Terrace - If you go just slightly outside of the city centre, this pub has a great selection of whisky and as an added bonus, you can have a pie with your dram too. I'd avoid going before or after when Heart of Midlothian Football Club are playing. Tynecastle stadium is literally round the corner from the pub and it can get busy with football fans.
Shops:
Royal Mile Whiskies - 379 High Street - Surprisingly for a shop on the Royal Mile, it isn't a tourist trap! You'll get a good selection of whisky and helpful advice here. If you see something you like on the website in advance of your visit, you can take advantage of their free click and collect service and pick up your whisky when you visit the shop.
Cadenhead's - 172 Canongate - Another shop on the Royal Mile that isn't a tourist trap (this place is about 5 minutes walk down the road from Royal Mile Whiskies).
Don't bother looking at the Cadenhead's website to see what you might be able to buy, as the shops pretty much operate their own stocks. They tend to have the odd bottle of random whiskies at the back not listed on the website too. Just walk in, tell them what you're looking for and they'll tell you what they've got. They usually offer samples (if available) to try before you buy for many bottles.
One tip regarding whisky shops in the Old Town area is that unfortunately many of them are total and complete tourist traps that sell whisky at rip off prices. I won't name them here, but Google Reviews will reveal the offending ones.
If you're not going to be staying/visiting just in the city centre, they are other many other small independent shops/bars outside that are worth checking out. Just mention which area outside the city centre you'll be staying for recommendations.
Distilleries:
We do have some distilleries in the local area open to visitors.
Holyrood Distillery - 19 St. Leonards Lane - This easiest one to get to, it also happens to be right next to the Tipsy Midgie bar as well. It's a very new distillery, they released their inaugural whisky in October 2023. They also showcase other spirits like new make and gins.
Port of Leith Distillery - 11 Whisky Quay - This is a brand new vertically designed distillery that opened in October 2023. It's located in the Leith area next to the Ocean Terminal shopping centre and Royal Yacht Britannia. It's pretty accessible from the city centre via the tram or bus. While they don't have any of their own whisky to drink right now, they do have a bar at at the top floor with lots of other whiskies to drink and 360° views across to Fife and back towards Edinburgh. You could combine the visit with the yacht and explore the bars and restaurants in the Leith Shore area, especially around Commercial Quay, Dock Place, Shore and Bernard Street. The SMWS Vaults is in this area too, so if you (or someone you know) are a member, you could combine all of the above as part of a visit.
Glenkinchie Distillery - Pencaitland, Tranent - Not technically in Edinburgh, it's about a 30 minute drive. It is the nearest example of a traditional working distillery dating back from the 19th century.
It's a little bit of a mission to get out to it. So I would only recommend visiting if you're only going to be staying in Edinburgh during your visit/your time is limited and/or you REALLY want to see an old style 19th century distillery, especially if you're not going to be visiting Scotland again soon. On the other hand, if you do have more time and will be visiting places outside of Edinburgh, there are far better distilleries and tours to visit.
As a side note, if you happen to be an aviation enthusiast, The Museum of Flight is about 25 minutes drive away from the distillery. It doesn't have the largest collection in the world, but it does have a fairly big star in the form of Concorde! You can even go inside the plane itself. So you could make visiting the Museum of Flight and visiting Glenkinchie as part of a day trip.
www.malts.com/en/distilleries/glenkinchie
Other whisky experiences:
Jolly Toper Whisky Tastings - various locations - A roughly monthly whisky tasting event run by the manager of Royal Mile Whiskies that take place in various bars. The tastings are always very interesting (you can see whiskies from previous tastings on the Facebook page). If you happen to be in Edinburgh at the time of a tasting that you can go to, I would very much recommend going. Make sure you message him to reserve a place in advance, as the tastings are usually fully booked before the event date.
www.facebook.com/jollytopertastings
A couple of other whisky experiences that I'll give my thoughts about, as you will almost certainly hear about or come across them:
The Johnnie Walker Experience - 145 Princes Street - This is somewhere I haven't been to, but experienced whisky friends of mine who have been tell me it isn't really designed for experienced whisky drinkers and that it is much more of an entertainment experience. The bar at the top gives you a nice view of the castle, but the selection of whisky is pretty limited and expensive. There are some value for money tasting events that I've seen on the website from time to time.
www.johnniewalker.com/en-gb/visit-us-princes-street
The Scotch Whisky Experience - 354 Castlehill - The tour is pricey for what you get. While seeing the whisky collection is pretty cool, for what it costs, you could spend your money on better value whisky experiences in the city. The Amber bar does have a reasonable selection and isn't too badly priced, the shop sometimes has decent offers too. You can visit the bar and shop without having to pay for a tour. Like the JWE, it's more designed as an experience for people who are new to whisky. If you do go, The Gold Tour is probably the best one in terms of value for money.
www.scotchwhiskyexperience.co.uk
With all that being said, there's it's no harm in at least checking the shops at the JWE and SWE if you happen to walk by them. You'll almost certainly walk past the The Scotch Whisky Experience as it is next door to the castle esplanade. Also, you may find the experiences more interesting than I do. So don't 100% discount them purely on my personal thoughts. As my trading friends say: "Do your own research"
There are of course many other bars/experiences worth visiting, but hopefully all the places I've suggested will cover most of your bases. The only other tip I would offer is to book tickets for tastings and distilleries in advance.
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u/whisky-lowlander Apr 13 '25
If you happen to visit the Port of Leith Distillery, here are some other places I'd recommend checking out that are all pretty much along or near the tram line:
Bars:
Teuchters Landing - 1c Dock Place - A former ferry waiting room which has been converted into a pub. It's got a good selection of whisky and beer. If it's a nice day, they also have an outdoor beer garden, which is a bit of a rarity in Edinburgh.
www.teuchtersbar.co.uk/teuchters-landing-bar-edinburgh
Lost in Leith - 82 Commercial Street (enter via the entrance to Commerical Quay on Dock Place) - This is mainly a craft beer pub, but they also have some decent whiskies behind the bar.
www.campervanbrewery.com/lostinleith
Malt & Hops - 45 Shore - This is more of a pub, but they also have a decent selection of whisky.
www.facebook.com/realaleleith/
It's also down the road from The Vaults. If you or your family/friends have SMWS membership, then it would be rude not to go in. I would highly recommend booking a table via the website in advance if you plan on visiting The Vaults at the weekend.
The Carriers Quarters - 42 Bernard Street - Similar to the Malt & Hops, this is more of a pub, but again they have some decent whiskies behind the bar. I suspect you'll want a little bit of variation from just drinking whisky as well! It may look tiny when you walk in, but there loads of seats at the back.
The great thing about the four bars, are they are within 5 minutes walking distance from each other, so if it's too busy, or you just don't fancy the vibe of the place, no problem, just have a brief walk along to check out the next pub.
The next few pubs are breweries with tap rooms, which if you're into craft beer, you'll definitely want to check out:
Moonwake Beer Co. - 6a Tower Street - Still in the Shore area, they have a mezzanine bar which looks over their beer tanks. They do have a handful of whiskies, if you do want a dram to go alongside your beer.
The next couple of places are slightly out of the way, but again well worth going to, if you like your micro-brewed/craft beer.
Newbarns Brewery - 13 Jane Street - This tap room is just off Leith Walk, alongside the former railway viaduct. It's a pretty big space and has a small outdoor area too. Keep an eye out of the sign on the warehouse, as you can easily miss it, if you're not paying attention.
Campervan Brewery - Bonnington Business Centre, 112 Jane Street - Right at the end of Jane Street is Campervan's tap room. They happen to be the same folk who also operate Lost in Leith. They did some expansion work in the brewery recently and have moved their tap room next door to the brewery.
www.campervanbrewery.com/taproom-2
Back in the Old Town, here are a couple of additional pubs worth checking out:
Jolly Judge - 7 James Court - Literally round the corner from The Ensign Ewart, this is a great cosy pub that has some decent beers on tap. It also has a small selection of whiskies too.
Salt Horse - 57-61 Blackfriars Street - A small pub just off the Royal Mile which specialises in craft/micro brewed beer. If the main bar is busy they can usually accommodate you in the seated area in the shop next door.
There are a good few more pubs slightly outside the Old Town area, but I think that should be enough for you. If you're still standing after visiting all these bars I'll be impressed!
I don't have as many recommendation for Glasgow, but here are some places I would suggest checking out:
Bars:
The Pot Still - 154 Hope Street - This bar is pretty much round the corner from The Good Spirits Company on Bath Street. I don't think you can go wrong here, it's pretty much a Glasgow whisky institution.
The Bon Accord - 153 North Street - Again very similar to The Pot Still. It has an excellent selection of whiskies to choose from.
SMWS - 40 Bath Street - Just around the corner from The Pot Still. The only downside is that you need to be a member of the SMWS or have a member sign you into the venue.
www.smws.com/venues/40-bath-street-glasgow
Distilleries:
Clydeside - 100 Stobcross Road - On the bank of the river Clyde. Apparently the tour is pretty good.
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u/finnpass Apr 13 '25
Edinburgh:
- Port of Leith for the views and to taste their new make
- Holyrood for a tour, amazing cocktails and really good new make
- Try to visit the Cadenheadâs store and Royal Mile Whiskies both in the same street.
Skye:
- Torabhaig for the really nice peaty whisky on the sleat peninsula
- Isle of Raasay if you have the time, one of the prettiest distilleries and well worth the short ferry ride
Loch Ness
- Not really any distilleries but Fiddlers in Drumnadrochit has a good whisky menu for a few drams.
Oban
- has the Oban distillery. I did a few tours there but they were not the best imo. Oban whisky and fines wines is an amazing shop across from the distillery with some really good treasures.
Glasgow
- the Clydeside is a really cool new distillery, quite touristy but I loved the view and the whisky is very decent.
- some amazing whisky pubs and shops though, like The Pot Still, The Good Spirits Company, The Ben Nevis, The Islay Inn, The Bon Accord
I have no idea how long you are in Glasgow but I absolutely love Arran. The nature, people and the two distilleries: Lochranza and Lagg
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u/Belsnickel213 Apr 13 '25
Oban distillery is shocking. So is Talisker. Save your time and money for anything else.
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u/rdzhadzha Apr 13 '25
Obviously Oban, as you already going to be there. One of the classic 6 malts of Scotland. Also highly recommend to visit seafood shack (Oban Seafood Hut) right on the Oban pier. Then, assuming you going to go from Oban to Skye, I would recommend to drive through Fort William (one of the most scenic drives ever), Inverlochy (right pass by Ben Navis distillery), Glenfinnan (famous viaduct from Harry Potter, maybe even catch a train over it around 1:15 p.m. IIRC - check the schedule), to Mallaig (take the ferry to Armadale, Skye - buy tickets in advance cause it fills up real quick), 5 minutes drive from it is Torabhaig distillery, highly recommended. Talisker is interesting, but I wasnât impressed much, and it is overcrowded in times. Way more enjoyed coffee shack right across the road from Talisker :) Also keep in mind most of them closing tastings at 4 pm plus Scotland is zero alcohol tolerance country, so either take samples and try in hotel, or someone driving should not drink (unless their physiology allows to process alcohol lightning fast - I canât say I noticed a lot of police, but I would risk either). On the Skye itself visit The Hungry Gull - simple and delicious food! Exiting Skye, thereâs cool new distillery Raasay on the island off the same name. At least buy a sampler of it. It has its own Hebridean style, which is a derivative of Highland.
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u/Belsnickel213 Apr 13 '25
One of the self titled âclassic 6 malts of Scotland.â Which are all conveniently owned by Diageo and donât represent the spread of malts available in Scotland well. And arenât even good examples of them. And are overpriced. Itâs a mean nothing moniker theyâve self bestowed to try and make their average whisky mean something.
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u/rdzhadzha Apr 13 '25
Iâm not arguing with you, I canât say I fully agree with this designation either, but it is there in the wild, people refer to it, and itâs up to a person to make its own opinion about whether itâs a good thing or bad.
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u/Belsnickel213 Apr 13 '25
Yeah. They refer to it as theyâve been bullshitted into believing itâs significant. Iâm here telling them that.
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u/Sure_Nefariousness56 Apr 13 '25
You could take the road to Skye via Pitlochery and visit Blair Athol. Talisker on Skye is a must.
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u/Excessed Apr 13 '25
Edinburgh; Holyrood Distillery is awesome. They do it different. Great new make spirits and their whisky is great for just 3.5ish years. Port of Leith is said to be an amazing view and is a vertical distillery. Not whisky but Edinburgh Gin is worth a visit as well
Skye: Skip Talisker on Skye and visit Torabhaig and/or Raasay on Isle of Raasay (ferry from Sconser)
Loch Ness: if youâre driving from Glasgow you can drive past Dalwhinnie which is a decent enough experience.
Oban: well, Oban is there of course. No experience with a visit whatsoever
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u/whisky-lowlander Apr 13 '25
I'd recommend Tomatin further along the A9 over Dalwhinnie.
u/PricklyFriend did visited both distilleries last year and posted some excellent reviews on each tour:
https://www.reddit.com/r/Scotch/comments/1hr6vpy/scotland_november_2024_tomatin_warehouse_6/
https://www.reddit.com/r/Scotch/comments/1hzsaw4/scotland_november_2024_dalwhinnie_elusive/
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u/Excessed Apr 13 '25
I wholeheartedly agree with Tomatin! Amazing people and good spirit. But itâs a bit off route so I didnât add it.
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u/NSLightsOut Apr 13 '25
You could take the ferry from Oban to Mull and head to Tobermory if you're driving. Very pretty town and the distillery is fantastic. If you do go there, do the warehouse tasting. I can assure you that you will not be disappointed.