The Whisky Trail in the Highlands

The Highlands of Scotland are the spiritual home of whisky in every sense of the word. Indeed, in Scots Gaelic, Scotch is referred to as ‘uisge beatha’ – literally the ‘water of life’.

Whisky-making, then, is a serious business, with distilleries dotted all over the Highlands. Today, these distilleries are geared up for the burgeoning whisky tourism market and daily welcome enthusiasts of Scotland’s national drink from all over the globe.

Fans of the single malt will be in whiskey sampling heaven, with a range of Gael Holiday Homes properties nestling in the very heart of the whisky trail. Accommodation choices are geographically diverse, but all are well within nearby range of a world famous distillery.

Inverness, the Black Isle and Dornoch, for example, are all within easy reach of the Tomatin, Glen Ord, Dalmore, Glenmorangie, and Clynelish distilleries.

Properties in Wester Ross, meanwhile, make ideal bases for visiting the Glen Ord, Dalmore, Glenmorangie, Clynelish, Old Pulteney, and Highland Park distilleries.

There are also a number of options further south in Aviemore, which is handy for touring the Ben Nevis, Dalwhinnie, Oban, Tobermory, and Talisker distilleries.

Fans of the Speyside whiskies may wish to consider our properties at Ballindalloch, which is ideal for the Glendronach, Glenglassaugh, Glengarioch and Royal Lochnagar distilleries.

Whether you are an aficionado or simply enjoy the occasional dram, a visit to a whisky distillery makes for a fascinating and enjoyable day out. Tour prices start from around £5 per person, but budget for £30 to £40 per person for the deluxe tours.

Your tour will normally include a whisky presentation, a tour of the production facilities and an opportunity to sample the much acclaimed end product. Deluxe tours will also include nosing and tasting aged expressions of the distillery’s whisky brands.

Large groups will find that advance booking is required as places are limited on the tours. Children are welcome but they are generally not allowed into the production facilities part of the tour.

The larger distilleries have visitor centres and will often serve food and light refreshments.

Most distilleries, while open all year round, will vary their opening times depending on the time of year. It is therefore advisable to either phone ahead or check the distillery’s website for exact timings.

Another aspect to consider is a nominating someone in your group to drive. Alcohol driving limits in the UK make it highly recommended to visit the distillery on foot, public transport or taxi if there are no teetotalers among you.

The origins of whisky date back to 1494 and though all whiskies use the same basic ingredients of water and malted barley, no two whiskies or distilleries are identical.

Each distillery is unique with its own distinctive setting and fascinating story to tell. Each has evolved over many decades or even longer.

A whisky tour not only enables you to indulge a passion for Scotch, you will get the chance to see some stunning landscapes and meet the people who are creating, arguably, the most famous tipple of all.

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