What is the most important element of a Scottish whisky distillery tour?
The whisky, I hear you shout – well of course it is, but you may miss the best bits if you simply aim for the source of your favourite dram – as a veteran of 6 different distillery grand tours (can a 4-day trip constitute a grand tour?) I have learnt a number of lessons; my advice is to think about five less definable criteria for a great whisky trip:
The wider distillery environment
The joy of the whisky is really enhanced by interesting environs – many distilleries are similar in design and feel, however some are remarkably different, such as:
- The views and scenery around Kilchoman on Islay.
- The setting and journey to Raasay – including an overnight stay in the distillery.
- The stunning ambiance and architecture at the home of Macallan.
The lesser spotted joys
It's definitely worth stopping off at the less corporate distilleries just to see what is going on. Conversely, many of the distilleries I was most looking forward to (e.g. Aberfeldy) turn out to be showcases for a larger brand offering, so whilst the tipple is wonderful the wider feel is corporate. Some examples of the lesser spotted joys are:
- Ballindalloch – castle, golf course, and the whisky is wonderful – we were met by the Lord and Lady (or whatever the Scottish version is).
- GlenAllachie – very friendly and a lovely walk from Aberlour town.
- Glengoyne – see the road-trip below.
The road-trip
Many of the vital whisky areas (Islay, Speyside) require either a round trip or a haphazard visiting pattern, however there is definitely something to be said for an A to B road trip, a planned route taking in a leisurely day trip. My favourite trip was Glasgow to Pitlochry – taking in Auchentoshan, then up to Glengoyne, on to Deanston, Tullibardine, Glenturret before ending up at Blair Athol!
The add-ons
We are always on the lookout for interesting places to visit, stay in or to eat; as with all things, our favourite experiences weren't particularly planned, like:
- Discovering the Thompson Brothers Distillery at the back of our hotel in Dornoch.
- Taking the ferry for a fantastic lunch on the small island of Gigha after missing breakfast to join the queue for the day's whisky release at Springbank.
- Enjoying a beer at the Fyne Ales Farm Brewery on Loch Fyne.
The generosity of spirit
This is always a highlight but may be impossible to plan or predict – there are some visits where the welcome and generosity of spirit (if you get what I mean) has been wonderful. Of course second visits don't always replicate, as it depends on how busy the real workers are! We have special memories of Auchentoshan, Bunnahabhain, Raasay and Glenfarclas – maybe the key is not to follow a tour bus!
Finally, you will have spotted that I haven't mentioned any distillery tours or tastings – we have done our fair share and we would recommend all the ones we've done; they are definitely worth doing. My only personal advice is to steer clear of the 10.00am tastings at Aberlour!
After 6 trips you may wonder what's next – well, we may consider heading across the water to Ireland, but every time I see a bottle of Lindores Abbey or Bad na h-Achlaise I realise that our work in Scotland is not done – the challenge is how to fill in the gaps in a single trip!
Mike Pyrah
Where Mike's been
- Auchentoshan
- Glengoyne
- Deanston
- Tullibardine
- Glenturret
- Blair Athol
- Aberfeldy
- Macallan
- Ballindalloch
- The GlenAllachie
- Glenfarclas
- Kilchoman
- Bunnahabhain
- Springbank
- Isle of Gigha
- Fyne Ales
- Raasay
- Dornoch
- Lindores Abbey
- Badachro