aberlour whisky distillery tour

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Welcome to the WORLD of Aberlour

Let the DEED show

Twelve years sleeping in Spanish sherry and American Oak casks is how our whisky matures to an exquisite complexity.

Our single malts are made from expertly crafted new spirit, usually double cask matured for at least 12 years in the finest hand-picked Oloroso Sherry butts and American Oak casks.

Find Your Tour

Aberlour distillery.

2024 Update -   

• Open Tuesday to Saturday 10am - 4pm   
• Due to on-site construction, there will be no tours of production areas in 2024, but they do offer a Tasting Sessions at 10 am & 2 pm. These tastings need to be pre-booked.

Due to construction activity onsite, all visitors are asked to park cars and bikes in Aberlour village and walk to the visitor centre, which is temporarily located in the Gatehouse. For disability access, please call ahead and appropriate parking will be made available on the day.

P LEASE NOTE: The description of the Distillery Tour that follows is based on the tours that were offered prior to Covid19. Tours of production areas are not currently available..

Aberlour Distillery is located in the Speyside Whisky region and sits close to the A95 at the west end of the small town of Aberlour. The Distillery sits in a wooded hollow near the tributary where the River Lour joins the River Spey.

The name Aberlour is derived from Gaelic. "Aber" is a Gaelic word that means the mouth of a river, or the meeting place of rivers (in this case the meeting of the River Lour and River Spey).

Aberlour is one of the more attractive and traditional looking distilleries on Speyside, but once you step inside the production areas you may be surprised at how modern the equipment is relative to the old-fashioned appearance of the buildings.

The tour starts with a brief (~15 min) history of whisky making in Scotland and some details about the founders of Aberlour distillery. You then start on a 30 - 45 minute walk around the production areas. During the walk round you get a chance to taste the "sweet worts", which is the beer like liquid that is distilled to produce the whisky spirit.

The last hour of the Aberlour tour is spent tasting 5 different "expressions" of the Aberlour Malt in the tasting room. You can also taste some of the pure spirit taken directly from the still, but this might overpower your taste buds for the delicacies to follow.

The attractive tasting room is situated in a corner of a warehouse with glass panels that allow you to view the maturing whisky barrels whilst sampling the finished product.

The " Experience " tour can last from 1.5 to 2 hours (45 mins for the tour and at least 1 hour for the tasting) and can take longer depending on who you get as your guide.

Spaces are limited to ~16 so  book in advance via the website to avoid disappointment.

Alternatively, telephone or email: tel: +44(0)1340 881 249 email:  [email protected]

Aberlour Distillery Features In

Whisky Taster

Price: £14.99.

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Price: £16.99.

Classic Whisky

Price: £18.99.

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Aberlour Distillery

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A tour of this distillery is considered memorable as you will learn and experience the processes involved in the making of the ‘water of life.’

Located just along the River Spey, Aberlour Distillery is a relatively small distillery but with specially crafted malt whiskey that connoisseurs believe belongs to the ‘top echelon’ of malt whiskies. This is a good option to visit a distillery in Speyside .

At ‘Fleming room’ which is the distilleries luxury tasting room, you will be treated to some special drams; some classics that you will hardly get for purchase. It should be noted that a visit to this special tasting room is not drafted within the normal distillery tour.

The normal distillery tour extends for as much as 1.5 hours and is done for at most 16 tourists per visit where visitors are treated to nosing and tasting of exclusive drams from Aberlour Distillery as well as having the opportunity to purchase the company’s exclusive ‘Cask Aberlour Whisky.’

• Listing categories Amateur / Connoisseur
• Location / Region Speyside
• E-mail [email protected]
• Website https://www.maltwhiskydistilleries.com
• Phone 01340 881249
• Address Banffshire, A95, Aberlour AB38 9PJ

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Aberlour Distillery

1000’s of salmon released.

Pronounced:  Aber – LOUR Meaning:  Mouth of the chattering Burn Our interesting fact!  Aberlour Single Malt is the biggest selling Single Malt Scotch Whisky in France.

Eco & Sustainability

100% of Aberlour’s electricity is renewable from wind and Hydro in Scotland. Their Stills use TVR heat recovery. Casks are used as planters and display items on-site and all barley used is grown locally. Their draff goes either directly to farms or to animal feed plants.

Zetol driver packs are given out for free on high end tours or are charged at cost +VAT to other guests. They have a corporate commitment for zero single use plastic in point of sale and are trialling recyclable/compostable bottle wrapping in the shop. There is a company cycle to work scheme and prior to Covid a company car sharing policy.

Each year a Responsib’ALL Day which is dedicated to sustainability and responsibility is held where they collaborate with local partners on a wide variety of community projects.

Environmental projects

Aberlour helped the Spey Fisheries Board release 1,000’s of Salmon Par in the Lour Burn recently.

Aberlour Distillery

This distillery has an excellent, detailed tour with a proper tasting session. It’s on the main street in Aberlour. Tours begin at 10am and 2pm daily in summer, by appointment on weekdays only in winter. Booking recommended.

Get In Touch

01340-881249

https://​www​.aberlour​.com​​/

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Nearby Moray attractions

1 . Macallan Distillery

Macallan is famous for making excellent sherry-casked malt whiskies; a new distillery and visitor centre opened in 2018. The 1¾-hour tours (maximum group…

2 . Speyside Cooperage

Here you can watch the fascinating art of barrel-making during a 45-minute guided tour. It’s a mile south of Craigellachie on the Dufftown road.

3 . Keith & Dufftown Railway

A line running for 11 miles from Dufftown to Keith sees trains hauled by 1950s diesel motor units running on weekends from Easter to September, plus…

4 . Glenfiddich Distillery Visitor Centre

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6 . Glenfarclas Distillery

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• The Whisky Trail

Speyside Whisky

A distillery tour is much more than an education in the production of whisky. Many tours give an entertaining and enlightening introduction to the history of the area with tales of the illicit distillers, the excise men, and the local characters, bringing the local architecture and landscape to life. The fields of barley, the amber colour of the peat in the burns and the casks maturing in the bonded warehouses will come to life after a distillery tour.

A tutored tasting, or nosing, will incorporate a selection of whiskies and will help you choose from the hundreds of whiskies available at local whisky bars and shops. A nosing allows you to explore a number of different whiskies, perhaps different expressions (different ages, or matured in different woods etc.) from the same distillery  or comparing whiskies from across Scotland. Your guide will explain how the amount of peat in the water, the specification for malting of the barley, the shape and heating of the still, and the cask have contributed to the flavours and aromas of each whisky.

The nosing may include discussion of which foods are suited to which whisky. A nosing is an enjoyable, relaxed way to try different whiskies and is not in any way a lecture or just for connoisseurs. The only rule is to remember to nominate a driver or book a taxi, and enjoy the experience!

Glenfarclas Distillery was purchased in 1865 by the Grant family. Currently the fifth and six generation of the family own and manage the distillery which is one of only a handful that are truly independent family run businesses. The distillery visitor centre is five minutes drive south of the village on the A95.

Distillery Visitor Centres are also great places to choose a gift to take home, or to treat yourself to a souvenir of your visit to Aberlour. As well as a wide range of whiskies and whisky liqueurs, often including products not widely available in the UK, the shops have beautiful glasses, quaichs and decanters, and clothing embellished with the distillery logo. Many local distilleries offer guided tours and nosings.

The Aberlour Distillery offers an exceptional experience that attracts visitors from across Europe and the world. There are two tours a day, with a restricted number per tour, so booking is strongly recommended. The entertaining tour takes approximately two hours, and includes a light hearted introduction to Scottish history, a guided tour around all aspects of the production of the whisky, and a tutored nosing of new-make spirit and five mature Aberlour Single Malts in a beautiful converted bonded warehouse.

The Macallan Visitor Centre sits high on a hill overlooking the River Spey, with magnificent views across to Ben Rinnes. The regular tour takes in the full production process followed by ‘The Story of Oak’ bringing to life the vital role played by their exceptional oak casks in developing the distinctive character of The Macallan. There is also the ‘Precious Tour’, which is an extended visit including the full production process and ‘The Story of Oak’, ending with a tutored nosing across a range of Macallan whiskies in the Visitor Centre.

The Cardhu Distillery is the only malt distillery pioneered by a woman, Elizabeth Cumming. The malt whisky produced at the Cardhu Distillery has a warmth and cleanliness of taste which experts describe as “silky” and is used in some of the award winning Johnnie Walker Scotch Whiskies. In addition to the standard tours there is a specialised tour once a day called “The Aromas and Flavours Tour”. This comprises a tutored nosing and tasting of selected single malts and Johnny Walker Gold Label blend exploring the relationship between the whisky flavours and those of complimentary foods. It is strongly recommended that you phone ahead before visiting a distillery to enquire about the availability of tours, as it would be frustrating to miss a special tour by a few minutes, and also to check whether younger members of your group are permitted on the tour.

The cask is an essential part of the production of whisky, and has as much influence on the colour and aroma of the final product as the barley and water. Driving from Dufftown into Aberlour you will pass the Speyside Cooperage, with pyramids of casks behind. The Cooperage welcomes visitors Monday to Friday, with a display of cooperage through the ages, and short film telling the story “from acorn to cask” and a gallery where you can see the casks being repaired, including the dramatic firing.

Contact details

In this section.

• Dates for the Diary
• Where to Shop
• Where to Eat
• Where to Stay
• Out and About
• Aberlour Map and Gallery of Photos
• Historical Aberlour
• Clubs and Associations
• Essential Services

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• Planet Whiskies
• Tue, 21 May 2024 18:37:25 +0000;

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• Aberlour Distillery Tour

Aberlour Distillery Tour by Planet Whiskies | Aberlour Speyside Single Malt Whisky

Read about Planet Whiskies tour of the famous Aberlour Distillery in the Speyside Region of Scotland. Our tour happened in April 2014 and if you are in the Speyside area it is a must visit for all whisky enthusiast. (booking advisable).

The Planet Whiskies team have been to a number of Scottish distilleries, but on this Sunday morning in the middle of April we had an extra special reason to be excited as we were about to visit the famous Aberlour Distillery in the Speyside whisky region of Scotland. As we drove into Aberlour and then through the gates of the Aberlour Distillery all the pictures of the distillery that had been sent to the Planet Whiskies over the years came flooding back.

It was the 10am Sunday whisky tasting tour we were booked on and as always it's good to arrive early at the distillery so you can look around and set the scene for the tour and take any notes about your first thoughts of the distillery. On the other side of the Aberlour Distillery gates and on your right was the lovely building of the Aberlour whisky and gift shop. Just ahead of that was the visitor car park and then the warehouses producing the famous Aberlour malt.

We parked in the car park and walked up to the shop to discover a treasure of Aberlour malts and gifts that would be perfect in any whisky collection. As soon as we walked in I saw lovely whisky tasting glasses and knew then that I was going to add these glasses to my collection as well as treat myself to one of the Aberlour malts on display. As we introduced ourselves from Planet Whiskies we were kindly welcomed by Jonathan Osbaldiston who gave us a very warm Speysider welcome.

Jonathan started to explain some of the history of Aberlour and that it was a pleasure having Planet Whiskies at the distillery. You could tell he was proud to work here and gave us a very good insight into Aberlour Distillery. He then went on to explain that as it was a Sunday morning and the tour was fully booked there was a chance it would start a few minutes late to make sure everyone that was coming had a fair chance to be on the full tour. The shop was beginning to become busy now so we decided that as the tour was 10 minutes away it was a good chance to take some photos of the outside of the shop and the area around the distillery.

As we left the shop by the main door and walked to the road again we looked around at the lovely setting the Aberlour Distillery was in. The surrounding area was the fantastic highland scenery of Ben Rinnes that surrounded the distillery in every direction. There was a village stream running down the left hand side of the distillery grounds and this ran the full length of the distillery. You could feel the history of the place just by glancing down past the warehouse towards where we guessed the whisky stills were located.

A few minutes later we could see a number of whisky enthusiasts gathering outside  the shop and we guessed the tour was about to start. Our tour guide had also arrived and she introduced herself as Emma Reid and gave us a very a brief introduction and explained that there were a few guests still missing. There was a large party of males from the North of England also due on the tasting tour.  We waited a couple of more minutes more and talked more about Aberlour then Jonathan and Emma decided that the tour should start and when the missing people turned up they would have to join the tour.

A tour around the Aberlour Distillery

The tour started by us walking down the hill and past the warehouses. We entered one of the distillery buildings where Emma gave us more details and information about how the Aberlour Distillery was founded in 1879 by James Fleming at this current location. There was distilling going on in Aberlour 60 years before this time and the first license was issued in 1826 to the Grants and Walkers and carried on till 1840 where it all went very quiet until James Fleming founded the Aberlour Distillery nearly 40 years later. The current owners of Aberlour Distillery are Pernod Ricard who bought the distillery in 1975.

Emma then started to explain that the tour we were on was for the whisky connoisseur and would give us a behind-the-scenes access to how the whisky was made at Aberlour and then we would have a tutored nosing and tasting of six of the finest Aberlour malts. There was also a chance to have your very own personalised bottle of cask strength Aberlour whisky. Emma then went on to say the tour and tasting would last about 1.5 hours.

Next Emma started to talk about how the malt barley is processed through the distillery and how the water that is used in the process comes from local springs called Lour Burn. As she was talking the missing guys turned up who were late for the start of the tour. Lucky our whisky tour guide had really just started and decided to start again talking about the barley and the water supply. She then handed out samples of the barley that we could all taste from the different stages the barley would go through.

With the introduction and the barley tasting over Emma now wanted to show us all the process in the making of the famous Aberlour malts. We carried on through the distillery until we were next to the washbacks. Emma explained all the processes up to this point and how the barley was soaked for two days to start the germination process and then is dried. This activates the enzymes and coverts the starch into soluble sugars. The malted barley is milled into grist and the process continues when hot water is mixed with the grist in the mash tun. The process is repeated three times with the water becoming hotter each time. This process makes sure nothing is lost and all the sugars are dissolved. Once this has been completed Emma went on to explain we are left with a sugary liquid called wort. Then the washback and fermentation process take place leaving a liquid called wash with an alcohol volume of around 8%. To everyone’s surprise Emma took out a tasting tool and went over to the washback to bring out a sample. She then went around the whole touring party and gave everyone who wanted to try the "wash" a taste. Hard to explain what it tasted like, but it was like a foamy beer in my mind anyway.

The tour of the distillery was now coming to an end as we walked past the stills and through a door to the outside world. The tour was excellent and you could hear everyone discussing what they had seen over the last 45 minutes. But now it was tasting time and you could tell everyone was looking forward to this even though it was still early on a Sunday morning.

Emma then took us to a different building within the array of buildings that make up the complex at Aberlour. The tasting room was something special with around 20 tables with four chairs to each table set up with a selection of Aberlour malts. The tasting was going to be of five malts from Aberlour and also the New Spirit that was produced straight after the distilling process was finished.

Aberlour Distillery Whisky Tasting

The New Spirit was the first to try and as you would have expected was very strong in taste. Now it was time for the five malts and there was a buzz around the room as Emma introduced each one of them.

The next three malts we were going to try we all knew very well. The first one was the Aberlour 12 Year Old Double Cask which is a deep red-amber colour. When first tasting this malt you could taste the honey and sweet sherry oaky taste. On the nose it was slightly smoky, but you could also smell red apples. On the palate you could taste chocolate, toffee, cinnamon and ginger spiciness and the finish was warming with a hint of ginger, but becoming dry as the malt went down. Just one word could be used to describe the Aberlour 12 Year Old and that would have to be "exceptional".

The next malt on the menu was the Aberlour 16 Year Old Double Cask. This was a malt that was on my mind to buy when in the shop earlier as I had tried it before and loved it. The colour of the 16 Year Old was a warm, golden amber. To the nose it smelt very creamy and you could feel the sweet raisin aromas and spices fill your nose. To the palate it was very smooth with all the floral and spicy flavours coming together with a gentle oakiness taste coming through. The finish was soft and smooth, but lasted a long time with the honeyed spiciness staying with you for a good few seconds. It was as good as I remembered from a few months back and it was definitely on my shopping list now.

It was a very fine selection of malts to have in the tasting, but like all whisky tasting experiences the tasting had to come to an end. There was now a good few questions going around the room about each of the malts we had tried in the tasting and Emma did very well answering all the questions. She then went on to say about having your very own cask strength bottle and she pointed to the casks just behind her. There was a lot of talk about this when our tour guide mentioned this earlier and now when people had the chance of having their own personal bottle of Aberlour cask strength there was no shortage of people in our tour lining up to pour their own bottle and buy it. I decided earlier that I was going to buy the Aberlour 16 Year Old and so decided not to go for this option.

As we walked back up to the whisky shop we all took in the surroundings again. It was lovely to be in this part of the world again and thoughts were already in my mind about when I would be back up in Speyside. We had reached the shop now and it was time to buy my tasting glasses and whisky. Jonathan was there to welcome us back from the tour and take any orders we required. He asked everyone how they enjoyed the tasting and of course the tour and there was not a single person who had a bad word to say. That is all down to the excellent set up at the distillery and the time and money that has gone into making it a very enjoyable experience for everyone. After buying my purchases and saying my goodbyes to Jonathan and Emma it was time to have a walk about the village of Aberlour and go for Sunday brunch while thinking about my time at the Aberlour Distillery.

Planet Whiskies would like to thank everyone at Chivas and the Aberlour Distillery for setting up this distillery tour. It was an excellent experience and that's down to both Jonathan and Emma who both were excellent hosts on the tour to make it a very enjoyable experience. Below you can read more details about the tours that are on offer at Aberlour. The following has been taken directly from the Aberlour Distillery website - www.aberlour.com

<< See the range of Aberlour Single Malts

<< Read more about the Aberlour Distillery

The Aberlour Experience

Following a tutored nosing and tasting of six of the most acclaimed Aberlour expressions, you can experience something only a few people can boast of: a unique opportunity to hand fill and register your very own personalised bottle of cask strength Aberlour whisky (extra charge applies.)

The tour lasts 1.5 hours for up to 16 guests, beginning at 10:00 and 14:00. In peak periods, tours may also be available at 12:00. Please check for availability.

£14 per person (pre-booking is strongly recommended). Book your tour please go to -  www.aberlour.com/distillery/

Founders' tour Experience

An intimate tour for the true whisky enthusiast, personally conducted by an experienced Aberlour Distillery guide.  After sampling an introductory dram in our VIP Fleming Rooms, you’re treated to a comprehensive distillery tour followed by several exclusive experiences:

Tutored tasting of ‘new make’ spirit and three mature Aberlour malts, accompanied by luxury handmade chocolates

An opportunity to hand fill and register your very own personalised bottle of cask strength Aberlour (extra charge applies)

A warehouse visit for an exclusive sampling, straight from the cask

The tour lasts 2.5 hours for no more than 10 guests, at 11am on Wednesdays and Thursdays. £30 per person (pre-payment required). You can book your tour -  www.aberlour.com/distillery/

Casks from the past tasting

For serious whisky aficionados, this is a unique opportunity to sample some very special drams indeed – some vintages that aren’t commercially available at any price. The tutored tasting takes place in the luxurious Fleming Rooms, but does not include a distillery tour.

A limited edition sherry cask bottling created for Aberlour’s bicentenary

A rare cask strength single malt, aged for over 25 years in a bourbon cask

A fine 1978 cask strength whisky drawn from both bourbon and sherry casks

A dram of a very old and very special vintage

A special gift to remember the occasion by

The tasting lasts 45 minutes for up to 8 guests on Mondays, Tuesdays and Fridays. £35 per person (pre-payment required). You can book your tour -  www.aberlour.com/distillery/

Aberlour 10 Year Old Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky

Region:  Speyside Type:   Aberlour Malt Whisky Buy Now for £39.95

Aberlour 100 Proof / Old Presentation Speyside Whisky

Region:  Highlands Type:   Aberlour Malt Whisky Buy Now for £275.00

Region:  Speyside Type:   Aberlour Malt Whisky Buy Now for £275.00

Aberlour 12 Year Old / Double Cask Matured Speyside Whisky

Region:  Speyside Type:   Aberlour Malt Whisky Buy Now for £40.45

Aberlour 13 Years old Oloroso Sherry Cask Distillery Exclusive - 70cl 51.3%

Region:  Our Finest Scotch Type:   Aberlour Malt Whisky Buy Now for £169.99

Aberlour 14 Year Old Double Cask Matured Single Malt Whisky Volume: 40 % - Size: 70 cl

Region:  Speyside Type:   Aberlour Malt Whisky Buy Now for £59.94

Aberlour 16 Year Old / Double Cask Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky

Region:  Highlands Type:   Aberlour Malt Whisky Buy Now for £74.45

Aberlour 16 Year Old Double Cask Matured Single Malt Whisky Volume: 40 % - Size: 70 cl

Region:  Speyside Type:   Aberlour Malt Whisky Buy Now for £105.00

Aberlour 18 Year Old / Half Litre Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky

Region:  Speyside Type:   Aberlour Malt Whisky Buy Now for £120.00

Distillery of the Month: March/April 2024

Tomintoul distillery tour.

Planet Whiskies had a fantastic trip up to the Speyside Whisky region of Scotland in February 2024 to visit Angus Dundee Distillers Tomintoul Distillery within the Cairngorms National Park. Then, after the distillery tour and tasting, which was hosted by Iain Forteath, the master blender of Tomintoul, our press group travelled and stayed the night at the recently bought country home of Tomintoul House in the Aultmore Estate (previously called Aultmore House). Planet Whiskies has made the Tomintoul Distillery, Distillery of the Month for both March/April 2024. Read more Planet Whiskies Tomintoul Distillery Tour

Read about Distillery and buy whiskies online

Distillery of the Month: February 2024

Bushmills distillery tour.

Planet Whiskies visited the new Bushmills Distillery in Northern Ireland on the 25th and 26th of September. Read our review of the experience of Bushmills and Northern Ireland at Planet Whiskies tour of Bushmills and Northern Ireland

You can also read the whole section about Bushmills Distillery at Bushmills Distillery Information on Planet Whiskies ... So Bushmills was Planet Whiskies Distillery of the Month title for January/February 2024

Read about Bushmills Distillery and buy whiskies online

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In 1879 the distillery was built near the Lour stream by James Fleming. During his time the Aberlour distillery was the most modern distillery at the time.

The Whiskies of the Aberlour distillery are usually all sweet with sherry, not smoky and more fruity then spicy. The most famous Aberlours are the Aberlour 10 y.o., the 18 y.o., the 16 y.o. Double Cask and the Aberlour a'bunadh batches. Nearly all of the Whiskies are matured or finished in Sherry or Wine casks. Therefore the Aberlour is a Whisky for the sweeter connoisseur that loves to find the differences between the dark, dried and exotic fruitiness you can find in all the Aberlour drams. It is a true Speyside whisky.

You will also find the Aberlour in a lot of independent bottlings from bottlers like Signatory or Duncan Taylor.

The Production

The Aberlour distillery is an active distillery with two wash stills (21,000 litres) and two spirit stills (15,500 litres).  Nowadays they have a yearly output of about 3.5 million litres. This puts them in the middle to upper section of the biggest Whisky distilleries in Scotland. In 2019 plans are known that Chivas Brothers wants to expand and rebuild the distillery larger. In mid-2020, they received the permits for a new Still House, a Tun Room and a Mash Room.

The water used for the Whisky production comes from the "Burn of Aberlour". This is a river flowing right past the distillery. The water is also used as process water for cooling the alcoholic fumes.

The Pot Stills

The Pot Stills of the Aberlour DistilleryThe Aberlour distillery uses a sum of four pot stills in a double distillation process to produce its new make spirit. With the pear shape, the pot and the conical neck have the classic design. With no constriction or reflux bowls in the neck and the lyne arm facing downwards you would expect a very strong and intense distillery character. So this leads to how fast Aberlour distills its spirits. The sweet and calm character of the usual Aberlour suggests that the Aberlour distillery uses a slow distillation process.

The Malting

The malting on the traditional malting floors was done until 1962. Today Aberlour purchases its mostly unpeated malt from the big malting plants in Scotland.

The Warehouse

The most visited warehouse is the Warehouse Number 1 where you can have a tasting at the end of the tour through the distillery. 

The cask selection at the Aberlour distillery is a very careful mix between Bourbon barrels and a big amount of Sherry casks.

In 1879 the distillery was built near the Lour stream by James Fleming. Back then the Aberlour distillery was the most modern distillery of its time.

In 1898 there was a very unfortunate and big fire that destroyed most of the buildings and also most of the Whisky on stock in the warehouses. But Aberlour managed to get through this crisis and rebuilt the distillery shortly afterwards. This was a great chance for Aberlour, because they rebuilt the distillery with the most modern equipment.

In 1973 the Distillery increased production by expanding to four pot stills.

S. Campbell & Sons Ltd bought the distillery in 1945 and were bought themselves by Pernod Ricard in 1975.

The Visitor Centre

You can book two kinds of tours at the distillery "The Aberlour Experience" and "The Founders' Tour". The first is the normal tour with a tasting in the end and the second is the premium tour in which you get to know everything about the distillery including a tasting with 'new make' and Aberlour Whisky at different maturation stages in the casks. You may also just book tastings like the 'Casks from the past' where you get to taste special distillery bottlings. The buildings are all in the old classic style and the shop offers all the Aberlour you will require.

Aberlour Distillery Aberlour Banffshire AB3 9PJ Tel: +44 (0)1340-881249

User Notes about the Distillery

Share your experience with other whisky lovers. Write a note about your trip to the Aberlour distillery.

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ON THE GROUNDS

Located in the northern end of the village Rothes in Speyside, The Glen Grant’s Scotch whisky distillery and fragrant garden make for a wonderful day out.

The Major's Vision

Start with one of the whisky distillery tours through our production room and see our tall, slender copper pot stills with their water cooling purifiers. You’ll continue your visit in our bottling facility, where we bottle our whisky.

Sip at the Source

Discover the skill and craft of the distillers, then round off your day with a few drams of our smooth single malt Scotch whisky in our newly renovated tasting room.

Explore the Garden

Founded in 1886, The Major's Victorian Garden is a global greenhouse cultivated with eclectic plants from his adventures around the world. If you find yourself in the scenic gorge, keep an eye out for The Major's private whisky safe.

The Glen Grant Distillery, Rothes, Aberlour Scotland, AB38 7BS, UK

Hours of Operation

January-December: Monday to Friday: 9.30am - 4pm Saturday & Sunday: Closed

WHISKY TRAIL

For the ultimate scotch experience, discover the Malt Whisky Trail in Moray, Speyside, Scotland. Visit eight historic distilleries, and meet the masters who have perfected the art of making the whiskies you love.

• Scotland Distillery Map
• Springbank Distillery
• Blair Athol Distillery
• Clynelish Brora Distillery
• Dalmore Distillery
• Edradour Distillery

Glenfarclas Distillery

• Glen Ord Distillery
• Royal Lochnagar Distillery
• Talisker Distillery
• Ardbeg Distillery
• Bruichladdich Distillery
• Bowmore Distillery
• Bunnahabhain Distillery
• Caol Ila Distillery
• Kilchoman Distillery
• Laphroaig Distillery
• Lagavulin Distillery
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• About + Contact
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• Scotland Distillery Maps

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Best Speyside Whisky Distillery Tours – Travel Guide

Last Updated:  February 23, 2024

If you want to visit Speyside distilleries but are unsure where to go, you must read our Speyside Distillery Tours Travel Guide. We have done the research and have come up with the optimal strategies, whether you are self-driving, catching public transport, or would like to have someone else organise a whisky tour for you. We've also researched accommodation options, tour options, and other things to see and do while you're adventuring in the Spey and Moray regions of the Scottish Highlands.

Map of Speyside Distilleries

Map pins shown in  black  are distilleries  not open to the public . While there are a lot of whisky distilleries in Speyside, half of them are not accessible to the public. They're on the map, as you might want to take a photo if you're going past (you might not get further than the front gate, though!).

Visits to distilleries with map pins shown in  orange  are only open to the public by appointment.

Distilleries with  green pins  are usually  open to the public , and most of the time, you can stop by for a tasting, have a look around, or purchase a bottle. However, most distilleries in Speyside now require advanced bookings for tours . Keep on reading for more information.

Click on the map below to zoom in and out, or click the [ ] top right corner to 'open larger map' in Google MyMaps and plot your routes. Please see our  Scotland Distillery Map  if you need further information on  how to use our interactive Google maps.

List of Speyside Distilleries Open To The Public

The Speyside Distilleries that you can actually (usually) visit are:

• Aberlour Distillery (tastings only at the moment)

Ballindalloch Distillery

• Balmenach Distillery (tours of the gin distillery only)

The Balvenie Distillery

Benromach distillery, the cairn distillery, cardhu distillery, cragganmore distillery.

• GlenAllachie Distillery

Glen Grant Distillery

Glenfiddich distillery, the glenlivet distillery, glen moray distillery.

• Knockdhu Distillery (not currently doing tours)
• The Macallan Estate  (tours by appointment only)

Strathisla Distillery

• Speyside Distillery (tours by appointment only)

Tomintoul Distillery

But i don’t want to (or can’t) drive.

The following distilleries are accessible by public transport (bus) from Elgin via the Stagecoach No 36 service , which runs approximately hourly (Monday to Saturday) from Elgin Bus Station to Dufftown Square, via Aberlour and Craigellachie. These distilleries listed below only have a short walk from the bus stop to the distillery (less than 0.3 mile / 500 metres).

• Aberlour Distillery (tastings only at present)
• The Benriach Distillery (advanced booking essential)
• The Balvenie Distillery (advanced booking essential)
• The Macallan Estate and GlenAllachie Distillery are also on the Stagecoach No. 36 route, however you will need to walk approximately 1.5 miles / 2.4 km from the bus stop to the distilleries. The Macallan advise against trying to walk to their distillery.
• Strathisla Distillery is located in the town of Keith which is accessible via train or bus from Elgin or Aberdeen - for more information see Traveline Scotland .
• Glen Moray Distillery is located in the town of Elgin and is approximately 1 mile from the nearest bus stop. If you're staying in Elgin, you can either walk to Glen Moray Distillery , or find a taxi or uber.

Organised Whisky Tours

Rabbie’s Tours offer a number of organised small-group tours to Speyside from Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Inverness in their 16-seater mini buses. Each of the following small group tours visits at least one distillery and is a fantastic way of visiting the region without having to drive yourself.

Speyside Whisky Trail - 1 Day Tour From Aberdeen

One day tour from Aberdeen visiting Speyside Cooperage and Cardhu Distillery via Royal Deeside and a walk in the woods of the Cambus O’May forest.

This is an affiliate link: if you click this link and make a purchase we earn a commission at no additional cost to you.

Speyside Whisky & Moray Firth - 1 Day Tour From Inverness

Inverness to Moray and Speyside, visiting Glen Moray Distillery , Elgin Cathedral, the Gordon and Macphail Whisky Shop, and Cardhu Distillery .

Speyside Whisky Trail - 3 day Tour From Edinburgh

Departing Edinburgh, head towards the Cairngorms via Lindores Abbey and Royal Lochnagar Distilleries . Then two nights in Grantown-on-Spey, stopping in at Glen Moray Distillery , the Speyside Cooperage, Cardhu Distillery and finally, home again via Dalwhinnie Distillery .

Islay, Edinburgh & Speyside Whisky Holiday - 8 day Tour From Edinburgh

The Ultimate Whisky Region Holiday!! Departing Edinburgh, spend three days on Islay ( Bowmore, Ardnahoe, Kilchoman, Laphroaig*, Lagavulin, and Ardbeg ), head back to Edinburgh for a night, then onwards to Speyside via Lindores Abbey (Lowlands), Royal Lochnagar (Highlands), Dalwhinnie (Highlands), Speyside Cooperage, Glen Moray Distillery (Speyside), Cardhu Distillery (Speyside), Dalwhinnie Distillery (Highlands)

Road Trip! Self-Drive Whisky Tour

You have your pick of distillery tours in Speyside. Our maps (below) are designed to be interactive – click on the map to open it in Google My Maps and zoom around and get a feel for where everything is (the maps are viewable/zoom-able even if you don't have a Google account). Modifying the routes is easiest on a computer, not on a mobile phone, however, if you’ve only got a mobile device, you can import the destination pins into Google Maps (or other mapping software) and use the directions features to get the best routes - you will need a google account to modify the maps in Google Maps. Click here for more information on how to use the maps on this page . To see a map of ALL the distilleries in Scotland (including maps per whisky region), see our Scotland Whisky Distillery Map .

We’ve chosen the following Speyside distillery routes as the distilleries are open most days with regular tours, but please keep in mind i t is generally now essential to  pre-book your visit at least a day or two in advance and many may close their tours at short notice due to COVID. Even in 'normal times' tours often book out, especially on weekends and during summer, and you don’t want to drive all that way and miss out. We've included the online booking and phone booking information in each distillery profile below.

As there are a considerable number of distilleries close together in the Spey and Moray regions, you can visit a lot more distilleries in one day than you could in say, the Highlands or Lowlands. However, tours take time, and and you don't want to be rushing around the Scottish countryside trying to cram everything in.

We recommend you pick your favourite TWO distilleries for a tour.

You can certainly stop by other distilleries, have a look, take some photos and do a tasting (or grab yourself a bottle to take home). If you do try and attempt three tours in one day, you probably wont get a chance to stop off at any other distilleries or visit other scenic attractions along the way (hard to believe, but there are actually things to do in Speyside other than whisky !).

The routes below are around 90 minutes of driving excluding all other activities . Most distilleries run tours between 10:00 am and 3:30/4:00 pm (last tour at 3:30/4:00 pm), but this varies depending on the time of year (most close earlier Nov – Mar). Distillery tours are generally 60 minutes, though some tasting/tour experiences will easily run for 90 - 120 minutes. Remember to consider this when you’re picking your destinations, and prepare for a long day.

Some distilleries are better suited as a rest stop than others - we've put together a list of the Best Speyside Distilleries with Impressive Visitor Centres - places you can stop for a bite to eat or a quiet dram - often with amazing views.

Top 5 Speyside Distilleries With Impressive Visitor Centres

Distilleries near grantown on spey.

• Tomintoul Distillery (by appointment only)
• Ballindalloch Distillery (by appointment only)
• Cragganmore Distillery (Apr-Oct 2024)

Balmenach Distillery is an option to visit on this route - they do make whisky, but we haven't included them in the route list as only the gin-making portion of the distillery is open for tours and tastings.

The Tomatin Distillery and The Speyside Distillery are also not far from Grantown-on-Spey, however, there are no other distilleries near them (and they are not near each other), so we have not included them in this route. If you're headed to Inverness, we would recommend including The Tomatin in your itinerary, and if you're headed south along the A9, book ahead to secure your tour of Speyside Distillery (tours by pre-appointment only).

Distilleries Near Aberlour and Craigeallachie

There are a substantial number of distilleries concentrated around Aberlour and Craigellachie - these two towns would be our choice of locations for where to stay (see our gude to the Best Places to Stay in Speyside ) and all the Spey distilleries can be visited if you're based in these two towns. Craigellachie and Aberlour are within 2 miles of each other, so the driving distance/time is negligible, which means the itineraries below are interchangeable regardless of which town you stay in.

Distilleries Craigellachie - North Moray

• The Benriach Distillery  
• Speyside Cooperage (not a distillery but worth a visit)

Distilleries Aberlour - South to Avon

• The Macallan Estate (tours by appointment only)
• Cardhu Distillery (The Johnnie Walker Experience)

Scotland Whisky Maps and Photographic Prints

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Speyside Distillery Tours - Distillery Profiles

Aberlour distillery.

Banffshire, A95, Aberlour AB38 9PJ, United Kingdom Telephone +441340881249

Aberlour Distillery is located in the wee village of Aberlour. It was established in 1879 by James Fleming to take advantage of the waters of the Lour Burn, where it meets the River Spey. The water used for the whisky is drawn from nearby natural springs.

Aberlour Distillery Opening Hours

Monday to Sunday :  10am - 4pm

The minimum age of participants on tours and tastings is 18 years though children are welcome in the visitor's centre/shop. There is no parking available on site at Aberlour Distillery - parking is available in the village with a short walk to the visitors centre. For those with mobility impairment contact the distillery prior to your visit to arrange parking/drop off. The shop and main tasting room are wheelchair accessible and there is an accessible bathroom but the tours are not accessible as there are stairs in production areas.

Aberlour Distillery are under construction and tours of the production areas are not available.

Aberlour Express Tasting

March to December 2024:  Available twice daily (10 am and 12:15 pm), this is a tutored tasting of three (3) Aberlou r single malts , each selected to showcase the diversity of the distillery.  Each dram is 25ml. £20 per pers on, approximately 30 minutes duration. Online advanced bookings are recommended - max 10 persons per tasting. 

Aberlour : Deconstructed Tasting

March to December 2024: Available at 11:00 am, 1:15 pm and 4:15 pm daily, this  tutored tasting of six (6)  will introduce you to Aberlour's  new make spirit  (unaged), before sampling  a double cask matured whisky . Next, you will deconstruct Aberlour's traditional methods by sampling  two distillery exclusives , then exploring  a single cask edition  before finishing with  a limited edition Aberlour whisky . Each dram is 15ml.  £40 per person,  approximately  45 minutes duration.   Online advanced bookings for the Aberlour Single Cask Tasting Experience are recommended - max 10 persons per tasting.

Ballindalloch AB37 9AA, United Kingdom , Tel: +44 1807 500 331

The history of distillation on Ballindalloch Estate extends to 1869 with Sir George Macpherson-Grant, who leased part of the lands to John Smith to build Cragganmore Distillery. While Ballindalloch Distillery is a relatively 'new' distillery (it officialy opened in 2015 , though distillation began in 2014), the building they're housed in dates to 1848. Ballindaloch is one of few 'single estate' distilleries - they grow their own barley and feed the draff (waste grain residue after the mash) back to cattle across the Estate. Some of the production techniques also hark back to an older time - worm tubs are used to cool the wash/spirit. The Macpherson-Grant family are still the owners of Ballindalloch Estate (and Ballindalloch Castle ), and though their stake in Cragganmore Distillery ended in 1965 , tastings of aged Cragganmore whisky forms part of the Ballindalloch Distillery tour experience.

Ballindalloch Distillery Opening Hours

Ballindalloch Distillery shop is open Monday to Friday 10am - 4pm.

Ballindalloch Distillery Tour and Tasting

Monday to Friday at 10am, 11.30am, 1.30pm and 3pm.  A short tour of the Ballindalloch Distillery and two drams of Ballindalloch whisky. £20 per person and approximately 45 minutes duration.  Online advanced bookings of the Ballindalloch Short Tour and Tasting are essential. Drivers drams (takeaway samples) are available on request.

Ballindalloch Bespoke Tour and Tasting

Thursdays at 11am , enjoy a private tour and tasting at Ballindalloch Distillery and discover the unique history of their family-owned manual distillery. You will enjoy an in-depth tour and tasting with one of Ballindalloch's experienced distillery ambassadors, who will tailor the experience to your interest and knowledge, including tastings of rare and unique Ballindalloch single malts. £80 per person and 90 minutes duration, maximum 8 persons. Online advanced bookings of the Ballindalloch Bespoke Tour and Tasting Experience are essential.

Balvenie Distillery, Dufftown, Keith AB55 4BB, United Kingdom , Tel: +44 1340 822 210

The Balvenie is the only distillery in the Scottish Highlands that still grows and malts a proportion of its own barley (side note: Balllindalloch grow and use only their own barley, but dont malt it on site, while Balvenie floor malts only some of their own barley on site - floor maltings are inefficient and very labor intensive, which is why very few distilleries still have them - the distilleries that still do usually also truck in most of their barley from offsite maltsters). The Balvennie is worth a visit to see floor maltings in action.

Balvenie Distillery Opening Hours

The Balvennie Distillery Shop is open Monday to Friday from 10 am til 3.30 pm. Persons must be over 18 years of age to visit the distillery. The Balvennie is worth a visit to see floor maltings in action - very few distilleries still have floor maltings.

The Balvenie Distillery Tour

Twice daily, Monday to Friday 10 am and 2 pm. Enjoy a guided tour of the distillery, including the floor maltings, cooperage and warehouse 24, followed by a tutored tasting of Balvennie whiskies. £75 per person and approximately 2.5 hours duration . Online advanced bookings are essential. Drivers drams are available for takeaway (2cl sample of each of the 5 drams available during the tour).

The Benriach Distillery

Benriach A941, Elgin, IV30 8SJ  Telephone +44 1314 562 681

The Benriach Distillery Shop is open Monday to Sunday 10.30 am to 5 pm. Tours are only for persons aged 18 years and over. Tours should be booked well in advance as there are only limited spaces and times available.

The Benriach Original Tour

A guided tour through the distillery, tasting of 3 whiskies and includes the opportunity to create your own Benriach cocktail. 75 minutes duration, £20 per person . Online bookings for the Benriach Original Tour are available.  

Benriach Barley to Barrels Tour

Learn about Benriach's whisky making heritage and their use of an eclectic selection of casks from around the world in this in depth tour of the distillery and warehouse 13, before returning to the visitor centre for a tutored tasting of five whiskies from the Benriach range.  2 hours duration, £45 per person. Online bookings for the Benriach Barley to Barrels Tour are available.

Benriach Grape and Grain Tour 

Sherry, Port, Madeira and Marsala are a selection of some of the cask types used to mature Benriach whisky. After a guided tour of the distillery, uncover the breadth of casks maturing inside Warehouse 13 and explore the flavours created from the different wine casks with a tasting of 5 limited release and single cask bottlings with a matched food pairing . 2.5 hours duration, £65 per person.  Online advanced bookings for the Benriach Grape to Grain Tour are essential.

Invererne Road, Forres, Moray IV36 3EB , Tel: +44 1309 675 968

Benromach Distillery Opening Hours

January, February: Monday to Saturday: 10:00 am - 4:00 pm March to October: Monday to Saturday: 9.30 am - 5:00 pm November, December: Monday to Saturday: 10:00 am - 4:00 pm

Online booking requests are available (48 hours advance booking required), otherwise contact the distillery on +44 1309 675 968 . You must be over 18 years of age to go on a Benromach Distillery Tour. Have a quick look around the distillery before you go with a Benromach Distillery Virtual Tour .  Benromach Distillery Tours are not wheelchair accessible, though the Vistor's Centre is accessible.

Benromach Classic Tour

Guided tour of the Benromach Distillery. £10 per person and 60 minutes duration. Online booking requests for the Benromach Classic Tour are available.

Benromach Contrast Tour

Guided tour and tasting of the Benromach Contrast Range, compared to the Classic Benromach Whiskies. £25 per person and 90 minutes duration. Online booking requests for the Benromach Contrast Tour are available.

Benromach Heritage Tour

Guided tour of the distillery and tasting of a selection of unique and rare whiskies hand picked by Benromach's Distillery Manager. £75 per person and 2 hours duration.  Online booking requests for the Benromach Heritage Tour are available.

Grantown-On-Spey PH26 3NT, United Kingdom Telephone: +44 1479 816 543

The newest distillery to open in the Speyside region and the first distillery in the Cairngorms National Park for many years. The Cairn distillery opened in 2022 and is a very shiny new operation. While the stills may have only just been switched on, there is a decent amount of whisky to taste on site as the owners of The Cairn Distillery are none other than Independent Bottlers Gordon and MacPhail . Not many distilleries commence life with aged whiskies (from other distilleries) readily available to sample and purchase: the CRN57° range is available in 12YO, 18YO, 25YO, 30YO, 57YO (!) and 70YO (!!) . The Cairn Distillery is open year round, but due to their location in the Cairngorms, they may close at short notice in the winter months if the weather is too wild. On-site cafe/bistro - The Gathering - stocks local produce and whisky inspired fare.

The Explorer Experience

The Explorer Experience at The Cairn Distillery includes a tour of the distillery and two tastings of CRN57 blended malts: the 12 Year Old , and 18 year Old .  £25 per person and approximately 60 minutes duration.  The Explorer Tour is available Tuesday to Saturday hourly from 9:30 am to 2:30pm. Online advanced bookings for the Explorer Experience are recommended.

The Adventurer Experience

The Adventurer Experience is the Explorer guided distillery tour, and three drams of CRN57 blended malts: the 12 Year Old , 18 year Old and the 25 year old in the top floor tasting lounge, before heading on to a selection of tapas in the Gathering bistro .  £60 per person and approximately 90 minutes duration.  The Adventurer Tour is available Tuesday to Saturday hourly from 9:30 am to 2:30pm.  Online advanced bookings for the Adventurer Experience are recommended.

Knockando, Aberlour AB38 7RY, United Kingdom Telephone: +44 1479 874 635

Cardhu Distillery is the Speyside home of Johnnie Walker - and as one of Diageo's flagship distilleries, the visitor experience is a considerable priority (along with  Caol Ila ,  Clynelish  and  Glenkinchie , the other homes of Johnnie Walker with fabulous visitor centres). Tours are highly immersive experiences and use a combination of light, media, music, sensory moments and special effects that may not be suitable for all audiences, including those with a nut allergy. 

Cardhu Distillery  consulted Euan's guide  on their redevelopment and have accessible parking, bathrooms and accessible tasting areas. Due to the age of the distillery itself, distillery tours are only partially accessible to those with mobility impairment as there are some stairs in the still house, but the Spirit Safe and Spirit Stills are visible from an accessible viewing area if stairs are not your thing.

Cardhu Distillery allows children over the age of 8 years on tours (at a discounted rate too).

Cardhu Distillery Opening Hours

• January and February: Thursday to Monday: 10:00 am to 4:00 pm
• March to October: Monday to Sunday (7 days): 10:00 am to 5:00 pm
• November and December : Wednesday  to Sunday : 10:00 am to 4:00 pm

Cardhu Flavour Journey - Full Sensory Tour and Tasting

A guided journey through Cardhu’s fascinating founding by two generations of resolute women. Your full-sensory tour culminates in a tutored whisky tasting and a cocktail in the Cardhu Tasting Kitchen. £19 per person and approximately 90 minutes duration . Online advanced bookings for the Cardhu Flavour Journey Tour and Tasting are recommended.

Note: Cardhu Distillery is closed for tours most of October due to maintenance (silent season), however Flavour Journey Tastings are still available in the visitor's centre.

Guess Dhu Tour and Tasting Challenge

A guided full-sensory tour of the distillery coupled with a "Guess the Dhu" tasting experience - if you love a challenge and enjoy matching your flavour perceptions against others’, this is the experience for you. This optional nosing and tasting finish to the Cardhu Flavour Journey invites you to test your senses in a mystery whisky challenge in the Cardhu Collection Room. Correctly identify the whiskies, and you’ll earn a spot in Cardhu's Guess Dhu Hall of Fame. £22 per person and approximately 90 minutes duration . Online advanced bookings for the Cardhu Guess Dhu Tour and Tasting Challenge are recommended as this tour runs only once a day.

Note: Cardhu Distillery is closed for tours most of October due to maintenance (silent season), however tastings are still available in the visitor's centre.

Cragganmore, Ballindalloch AB37 9AB, United Kingdom Telephone +44 1479 874 715

Cragganmore was established in 1869 by John Smith (also involved with Macallan, Glenlivet and Glenfarclas) on Ballindalloch Estate land. The stills used (and still do) a pioneering flat-top pot still design with relatively short necks which contributes (along with the long fermentation times) to Cragganmore spirit's distinctive taste.

Due to the age of the distillery, Cragganmore is not very mobility friendly. There are three disabled parking spaces on site but no accessible bathrooms, and there is a 15cm high step leading into the shop. The still house can be viewed via a small ramp but the rest of the distillery has stairs. For full information see Cragganmore's accessibility statement .

Children over the age of 8 years are welcome at the distillery and on the Cragganmore Tour.

Cragganmore Distillery Opening Hours

• 15 April to October:  Monday to Sunday (7 days) : 10:00 am to 5:00 pm

Cragganmore: A Taste of Speyside Tour and Tasting

A guided tour of the Cragganmore Distillery followed by a tutored tasting of three (3) Cragganmore whiskies : £20 per person (£10 for children 8 to 18), approximately 60 minutes duration.  Advanced online bookings of the Cragganmore Taste of Speyside Tour are recommended.

Glenallachie Distillery

Glenallachie, Aberlour AB38 9LR, United Kingdom Telephone +44 1340 872 547

GlenAllachie (pronounced "Glen-Alla-Key") derives from Gleann Aileachaidh, an old Scottish Gaelic phrase which translates to the "Valley of the Rocks". Master distiller Billy Walker leads GlenAllachie (formerly Deanston, Tobermory, BenRiach, GlenDronach and Glenglassaugh). Unlike most scotch distilleries, GlenAllachie has two separate spirit safes, which allow them to operate each set of stills independently. They also are a bit unusual in having a very long fermentation time (160 hours vs 48 hours for Glen Grant and a lot of ) , and they have horizontal rather than vertical condensers, as the distillery was designed to be gravity fed.

The GlenAllachie Visitor Centre and Distillery Shop are both accessible to wheelchair users, however access is limited in the production area of the distillery due to stairs. There is a virtual tour experience available from the tasting room if stairs are an issue. Email the distillery in advance if you would like to organise a virtual tour [email protected] .

Persons under the age of 18 years are not permitted on distillery tours but are allowed in the Visitor's Centre.

GlenAllachie Distillery Opening Hours

• April to October:  7 days Monday to Sunday : 11:00 am to 5:00 pm
• November to March: 6 days Monday to Saturday : 11:00 am to 5:00 pm

The GlenAllachie Experience

Guided tour of the distillery followed by a tasting of four (4) drams GlenAllachie core range whiskies, including The GlenAllachie 12yo. £25 per person and approximately 60 minutes duration. Online advanced bookings are recommended.

The Premium GlenAllachie Experience

Guided tour of the distillery followed by a tasting of four (4) premium drams of GlenAllachie whisky, including limited edition releases. £35 per person and approximately 60 minutes duration. Online advanced bookings are recommended.

A95, Ballindalloch, United Kingdom Telephone +44 1807 500 345

For more information see our full Glenfarclas Distillery Profile.

The distillery is in an old building and not very accessible for those with mobility issues as there are quite a lot of stairs. The warehouses, visitor centre and tasting areas are wheelchair accessible however, and there is an accessible bathroom.

Children over the age of 10 years are permitted on tours.

Glenfarclas Distillery Duty Free Warehouse No.6

Glenfarclas Distillery Opening Hours

• April, May, June:  Monday to Friday : 10:00 am to 5:00 pm
• July, August and September: Monday to Friday:   10:00 am to 5:00 pm   and Saturday: 10:00 am to 4:00 pm  
• October to March: Monday to Friday 10:00 am to 4:00 pm

Classic Tour

Guided tour of Glenfarclas Distillery and tasting of Glenfarclas whisky in the Ship's room at the end of the tour.  £7.50 per person and approximately 90 minutes duration. Advanced bookings are highly recommended, however online bookings are not available - to make a booking email [email protected] with the preferred time and date of your visit and the number of people in your group.

• April to September: Monday to Friday:   10:30, 12:00, 14:00, 15:30
• July, August and September: Saturday  10:30, 12:00, 13:15, 14:30
• October to March: Monday to Friday:   10:30, 12:00, 13:15, 14:30

Dufftown, Keith AB55 4DH, United Kingdom Telephone +44 1340 820 373

Glenfiddich distillery is in an old building and not very accessible for those with mobility issues as there are multiple sets of steep stairs. If you have mobility requirements, email the distillery in advance [email protected] and they should be able to revise the tour for you - there are flat tour options for accessing the Mash House, Still House (weather permitting) and Warehouse. The Tun Room is only accessible via stairs however.

Glenfiddich Distillery Opening Hours

• Wednesday - Sunday (closed Mondays and Tuesdays):  9.00 am to 5:00 pm

Glenfiddich Distillery Tour

• Wednesday to Sunday:   first tour at 9.30 am and last tour at 3.30 pm

Guided tour of Glenfiddich Distillery followed by a tutored tasting of The Glenfiddich 12 year old, 15 year old and 18 year old whiskies as well as the Glenfiddich Gran Reserva which is a 21 year old finished in rum casks.  £20 per person and approximately 90 minutes duration.  Advanced bookings are highly recommended as Glenfiddich is an incredibly popular distillery to visit, and may book out weeks in advance.

Glenfiddich Solera Deconstructed Tour

• Thursday & Saturday:   2.00 pm

An expertly guided tour of the distillery as well as a visit to Warehouse 8, to see Glenfiddich's unique Solera process and discover what makes Glenfiddich 15 year old such an exceptional whisky. The next part of the Solera journey is the Malt Master’s Blending Room to enjoy a tasting of four (4) Glenfiddich cask-strength 15-year-old samples . You will also have the unique opportunity to step into Malt Master Brian Kinsman’s role - preparing your very own version of Glenfiddich 15 year old by combining different cask samples together, and bottle a sample of your favourite to take home. £60 per person and approximately 2.5 hours duration.  Advanced bookings are highly recommended as Glenfiddich is an incredibly popular distillery to visit, and the Solera Deconstructed tour only runs twice a week. This tour is for persons aged 18 years and over only.

Elgin Road, Rothes, Aberlour AB38 7BS, United Kingdom Telephone +44 1340 832 118

The Glen Grant Distillery was established in 1840 by John and James Grant after their lease at Aberlour expired in 1839. While Glen Grant Distillery is well worth a visit to tour the distillery, the gardens make it stand out from other distilleries you can visit in Speyside. The Glen Grant Garden (The Major's Garden) is 22 acres of parkland with a diverse mix of plants from The Major's (James Grant Jrs) adventures around the world - he was a keen hunter and often travelled to Africa and abroad - he established the garden in 1886. If you find yourself in the scenic gorge, keep an eye out for The Major's private whisky safe, hidden in The Den. The Major was also responsible for the unusually shaped (tall and slender) stills and purifiers installed in 1872.

Glen Grant is another distillery located in a fabulously old building and not very accessible for those with mobility issues as there are multiple sets of stairs. The visitors centre is wheelchair accessible, as are much of the gardens.

Tours are free for children under 18 years of age. Glen Grant are probably the best option for visiting a distillery in Speyside with children as they're welcome on site and the gardens make for a great play area.

Glen Grant Distillery Opening Hours

• November to March: Monday to Saturday (closed Sunday): 9.30 am – 3.30 pm
• April to October: Monday to Saturday: 9.30 am – 4:00 pm   and  Sunday: 11:00 am – 4:00 pm

Glen Grant Distillery Tour

Guided tou r of Glen Grant Distillery followed by a tasting of two (2) Glen Grant whiskies .  £7.50 per person and approximately 40 minutes duration (40 minutes for the tour, tasting as long as you like, with access to the gardens afterwards ) .  Advanced bookings are essential however online bookings are not available. To book contact The Glen Grant Visitor Centre on (+44) (0)1340 832 118 or email [email protected]

Glenlivet, Ballindalloch AB37 9DB, United Kingdom Telephone +44 1340 821 720

The Glenlivet has seen many firsts - in 1824 it became the first licensed distillery in Speyside, established by George Smith. He had previously been distilling quite successfully illicitly, along with many others in the Glenlivet region. By licensing his operations, George fell into considerable disfavour with the other distillers, to the point where he needed to carry a pair of pistols on his person for over a decade (for more on this, see  Charles MacLean's Spirit of Place ).

By the mid-1880s, the name 'Glenlivet' was synonymous with whisky from the Speyside region, thanks to the success of Usher's Old Vatted Glenlivet (created 1853), the first branded Scotch whisky. George Smith had appointed Andrew Usher as his agent in the mid-1820s, and after 1860 Usher's was a blend of 3 whiskies, including Glenlivet. In 1884 The Glenlivet obtained a court order stipulating that they were the one and only;  The  Glenlivet. However, this didn't stop other distilleries from continuing to add 'Glenlivet' to their name, which is why you'll often see 'Glenlivet' appended to many other Speyside distilleries ( e.g. Glenfarclas-Glenlivet, Glen Grant-Glenlivet ). 

While the history of Glenlivet Distillery extends as long as the history of legal distilling in Speyside, the distillery you visit today is a modern distillery, having been rebuilt in 2010 within the original Glenlivet site.

While the distillery is relatively modern (2010), the production areas are not suitable for those with mobility impairment. There is disabled access in the visitor centre & warehouses, and a viewing platform exists in the still house for people with limited mobility. The Speyside Room (interactive tour) uses a combination of audio-visual aids, including sound, lighting and elements of fast motion media that may not be suitable for all audiences.

Tours and Tastings are for persons aged 18 years and over only.

Glenlivet Distillery 2023 Opening Hours

• 05 January to 03 March: Monday to Friday : 10:00 am to 4:00pm
• 07 March to 28 October: Tuesday to Saturday : 10:00 am to 5:00pm
• 31 October to 01 December: Tuesday to Saturday:  10:00 am to 4:00 pm
• 04 December to 22 December: Monday to Friday:  10:00 am to 4:00 pm

Glenlivet The Original Distillery Tour

Guided tour explaining how The Glenlivet became the original Speyside distillery, including an immersive visual experince in the Speyside and Process Room where you will meet the individuals who are integral to The Glenlivet today from the local farming community to the cask management team. Followed by a visit to Warehouse 1, and a tutored tasting of three (3) Glenlivet whiskies : The Glenlivet 12 year old, 15 year old and a Distillery Exclusive edition. £20.00 per person and approximately 90 minutes duration. Over 18s only. Online advanced bookings are highly recommended  as The Glenlivet is a very popular distillery.

Glenlivet Single Cask Tasting

Tutored tasting of four (4) Glenlivet exclusive single cask editions from the Distillery Reserve Collection. £40.00 per person and approximately 60 minutes duration. Over 18s only. Online advanced bookings are highly recommended  as The Glenlivet is a very popular distillery.

The Glenlivet Archives Tasting

Start your experience in bonded Warehouse No. 3, where you will learn of The Glenlivets finely tuned processes for cask selection and warehousing, followed by a guided tasting in one of Glenlivet's private tasting rooms, enjoying The Glenlivet’s oldest and rarest whiskies including The Glenlivet XXV, The Glenlivet 30 Year Old Cellar Collection and a dram from one of the Glenlivet archives. Available at 2.30pm on Fridays and Saturdays (March to October) this tour must be booked in advance . Alternate times for group bookings can be arranged by emailing [email protected] . £100.00 per person and approximately 120 minutes duration . Over 18s only.

Bruceland Rd, Elgin, United Kingdom, Telephone +44 1343 550 900

Glen Moray Distillery was founded in 1897 by a consortium of local businessmen, the Glen Moray-Glenlivet Distillery Company (another Glenlivet appended distillery). Current owners La Martiniqueaise purchsed it in 2008 and have dramatically expanded production for their Label 5 blended scotch, one of the best selling whiskies in France (where Glen Moray is sold as a Single Malt under the label Glen Turner). Glen Moray is situated in the town of Elgin (north Moray) - the distillery began life as a brewery in the late 1820s/early 1830s. Glen Moray have a long history of using ex-wine casks for maturation, with Marsala and Sherry being used since the early days - one of their current tasting experiences pairs wine (Port and Madeira) with whisky.

Children are welcome at the distillery and on tours and admission is free for under 18s.

Glen Moray Distillery Opening Hours

• May to September: Monday to Saturday: 9am to 5pm  Sunday: Closed
• October to April: Monday to Friday: 9am to 5pm  Saturday and Sunday: Closed

Glen Moray Distillery Tour

• 9.30 am, 11.30 am, 1.30 pm and 3.30 pm

Guided tour of Glen Moray distillery along with an optional complimentary tasting of two (2) whiskies . £7.00 per person. Online bookings not available, though advanced bookings are recommended by phoning  +44 1343 550 900 or sending a message by their contact us page . Children are welcome on the tour and their entry is free of charge.

Glen Moray Wine to Whisky Tasting Experience

• 11:00 am Tuesdays and Thursdays, subject to availability

A tasting masterclass (no tour) exploring the connection between Glen Moray whisky, Porto Cruz port wine and Henriques & Henriques madeira wine. This tasting will give the chance to try the wines that have come from the casks originally plus 3 Glen Moray whiskies finished in the same casks. £50.00 per person and 60 minutes duration. Online bookings not available, though this tour is available only by prior appointment: phone +44 1343 550 900 or send a message by the Glen Moray contact us page .

Glen Moray Chocolate and Whisky Tasting

• 3:00 pm Tuesdays and Thursdays, subject to availability

Tasting of four (4) Glen Moray whiskies paired with hand crafted COCO chocolates - suitable for groups of up to 10 people. £50.00 per person and 60 minutes duration. Online bookings not available, though this tour is available only by prior appointment: phone +44 1343 550 900 or send a message by the Glen Moray contact us page .

Knockdhu Distillery

Knock, Huntly, Aberdeenshire. AB54 7LJ Telephone +44 1466 771 223

Knockdhu is Gaelic for Black Hill, also known as Knock Hill (which is technically Hill Hill...). The idea for Knockdhu Distillery came about in 1892 when John Morrison acquired Knock Estate and discovered a spring of crystal clear water on the southern slopes of Knock Hill . The actual construction of Knockdhu distillery in 1894 was overseen by Distillers Company Ltd (DCL), and it was the first distillery commissioned by the company (which would eventually become Diageo). For more information see Charles MacLean : Spirit of Place .

Knockdhu Distillery whisky trades under the label anCnoc (pronounced "a-nock") - named to avoid confusion with Knockando Distillery - and also a local name for Knock Hill. Knockdhu is generally considered a Speyside distillery, however, it is nowhere near the river Spey, so technically it is an East Highlands Distillery - they're a great example of where the regional classifications often mean very little in terms of the actual whisky, and can even be unhelpfully confusing.

Fast forward to the present day, and Knockdhu (owned by Inver House Distillers/International Beverage Holdings/ThaiBev  since 1988) has undergone some rather impressive sustainability upgrades. Knockdhu has developed wetlands on the distillery grounds - comprising six separate cells (2,000 square metres) of 17 different plant species (>21,000 individual plants). The wetlands catch and filter the wastewater from the mash house, tun room and the spent yeast residue from the Spirit Still.

Water extracted from the Knock Hill spring  is used at least seven times in processing  to minimise waste, from cooling the wort to pre-heating the wash still and flushing out the washbacks before being sent to the wetlands. While many associate Scotland with rain (it is a rather damp and soggy climate much of the time) , drought has wreaked havoc on the whisky industry multiple times over the past 150 years. Many distilleries are now looking to implement similar measures for waste minimisation in an increasingly erratic climate, as it is impossible to make whisky without a lot of water.

Knockdhu Distillery Opening Hours

• Monday to Friday: 10:00 am to 4:00 pm

Knockdhu / AnCnoc are not currently open for tours due to COVID-19 - the distillery are trying to minimise the impact on their workforce/whisky production.

The Macallan Estate

Easter Elchies, Aberlour AB38 9RX, United Kingdom Telephone +44 1340 318 000

Macallan Estate underwent a spectacular £140million refurbishment in 2018 (see video below) and now offer a range of experiences, as long as you are over the age of 18 -  children are not permitted in the production areas of the distillery, nor on the first floor, though they are permitted in ground floor areas including the Boutique, Elchies Brasserie and Jewel Box. All tour and tasting experiences must be booked in advance - they will not accept walk in bookings. Elchies Brasserie and The Boutique and the Jewel Box are open to the general public without a prior booking, though only on Saturday and Sunday.

The new Macallan distillery is a spectacular achievement in design and engineering and is unlike any other distillery we've visited. The distillery is integrated with the visitor experience, all under one roof in an open-plan layout of epic proportions.

Accessibility - all guest areas within The Macallan Estate Distillery are wheelchair accessible, though there is a small section in the Still House that mobility scooters and electric wheelchairs will be unable to pass through. There is a lift for mobility access to all levels, and four disabled parking spaces. Flooring within the production area is grated which assistance dogs may find uncomfortable. See the Macallan's tour terms and conditions page for further accessibility details.

The Macallan Distillery Opening Hours

• From Saturday 28th January 2023 until 30th April 2023 the Macallan are open for pre-booked experiences on Thursdays to Sundays. 

The Macallan Discovery Experience

• From Saturday 28th January 2023 until 30th April 2023  Discovery Experiences are available at 10 am and 11 am Thursdays to Sundays . Due to the limited number of tours available, and their extreme popularity, bookings should be made as soon as you know your travel dates . Macallan tours often book out weeks in advance.

This expertly led 2.5 hour experience commences with The Macallan roast coffee and scones, followed by an initiation into The Macallan's heritage and 'acorn to glass' distillery process, followed by a sampling of The Macallan whiskies, first in the Cave Priveé for a tutored tasting, before ending up in the Macallan Bar. £50.00 per person . Advanced bookings are essential.

The Macallan Mastery Experience

Believe it or not, this is not the ultimate Macallan Experience (check out the  Bentley Motors  or Edition No. 6 Fishing Experience  for that), but it's close. A four hour in-depth deep dive into Macallan with a matched-wine dining experience at Elchies Brasserie followed by a carefully curated tutored tasting of The Macallan in Cave Priveé before heading onto a whisky flight tasting in the Macallan Bar . You even get a commemorative glass to take home. If you can afford it, go for it, as this should be an experience to remember, if you can after all that. This would be our pick - now, who's paying?  £250.00.00 per person . Advanced bookings are essential.

• From Saturday 28th January 2023 until 30th April 2023 The  Macallan Mastery Experiences are available at 12 noon Thursdays to Sundays . Bookings should be made as soon as you know your travel dates .

Seafield Ave, Keith AB55 5BS, United Kingdom Telephone +44 1542 783 044

Licensed in 1786, Strathisla (sometimes known as Strathisla-Glenlivet and Longmore's Strathisla) is the oldest working licensed distillery in Speyside, and possibly considered the oldest working distillery in all of the Highlands, depending on how you look at Glenturret's establishment date (Glenturret wasn't licensed until 1818 but the distillery has been running since around 1763). Purchased by Seagram/Chivas Brothers Holdings in 1950 the majority of Strathisla whisky was then and is now destined for Chivas Regal (now owned by Pernod Ricard).

Strathisla is considered to be one of the prettiest distilleries in Speyside, with its twin pagoda chimneys and neatly restored buildings and grounds. 

Strathisla experiences are for persons aged 18 years and older only.

Watch the following Chivas Taste Discovery video in full screen mode as you can pan around 360 degrees.

Strathisla Distillery Opening Hours

• 1st May to 31st October: Monday to Sunday:  10:00 am to 5:00 pm
• 1st November to 30th April: Monday to Saturday (Closed Sundays): 12 noon to 5:00 pm

Strathisla Distillery Tour

• Daily at 10:00 am

Start your morning with a Highball cocktail before commencing your guided tour of Strathisla, learning of the history of the distillery and of Chivas Brothers, and finishing with a tutored tasting of four (4) whiskies . £20.00 per person and approximately 80 minutes duration. Online advanced bookings are highly recommended.

The Chivas Cellar Tasting

• Monday, Thursday, Saturday until 31 October: 3:00 pm

Guided tasting experience (no tour) of drams drawn straight from the casks in the Chivas Regal Cellar of Warehouse No. 3, including a Bourbon barrel of Chivas Regal 12 year old, a sherry butt of Chivas Extra, a hogshead of Chivas Regal 18 year old, a sherry butt of Chivas Regal 25 year old and a barrel of Chivas Ultis. £40.00 per person and approximately 45 minutes duration. Online advanced bookings are highly recommended.

Strathisla Distillery Reserve Collection

• Sunday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday until 31 October: 3:00 pm

Guided tasting experience (no tour) of five (5) Strathisla single malts from the Distillery Reserve Collection. £50.00 per person and approximately 60 minutes duration. Online advanced bookings are highly recommended.

Speyside Distillery

Tromie Mills, Kingussie PH21 1NS, United Kingdom Telephone +44 1479 810 126

The Speyside Distillery is quite a distance from the other Speyside Distilleries, off to the south west on the River Tromie, a branch of the River Spey. It is a solid rival to Strathisla for prettiest / most historic and photographable Speyside distillery (we're going to give the Macallan the title of most photographable modern Speyside distillery). While Speyside Distillery looks old, it wasn't a distillery until 1990! The buildings were part of a barley mill and croft dating back to the 1700s, and active until 1965.

The distillery is not wheelchair accessible (stairs) and persons must be aged 18 years or older to visit the distillery.

Speyside Distillery Opening Hours

• The Speyside Distillery is not currently open to the general public and tours are by appointment only
• The Snug / Speyside Distillery Shop  is open most days from 10:00 am

Speyside Distillery Tour and Tasting

Tours of the Speyside Distillery must be booked in advance as the distillery is not open to the general public. Tours include a guided history of the distillery and four (4) tastings of single malt. £35.00 per person.

Tomintoul, Ballindalloch AB37 9AQ, United Kingdom Telephone +44 1807 590 274

Tomintoul Distillery (aka Tomintoul-Glenlivet), a relatively 'new' distillery built in 1964, is  located on the 23,000-hectare Glenlivet Estate (not to be confused with The Glenlivet, though this distillery resides within the Estate). From the 1500’s to the early 20th Century, the  Estate of Glenlivet  belonged to the Gordon family (later the Dukes of Richmond and Gordon) but has been part of The Crown Estate Scotland since 1937.

Tomintoul Distillery Tour

• Tuesdays and Thursdays at 10:00 am and 1:00 pm

Guided tour of Tomintoul Distillery followed by a tasting of three (3) Tomintoul whiskies . £20.00 per person and approximately 90 minutes duration. Online bookings not available, though advanced bookings are essential by phoning +44 1807 590 274 .

Speyside Cooperage

Dufftown Road, Craigellachie, Banffshire, Aberlour AB38 9RS, United Kingdom Telephone +44 1340 871 108

Not a distillery but should be on your list to visit and see how casks are crafted (such an important part in the whisky making process), and learn the history of Coopering (the origins of the craft are over 5000 years old). There is also a cafe on site  serving sandwiches, cakes and coffee, as well as a gift shop .

The Speyside Cooperage is mostly wheelchair accessible. There is a ramp leading to the visitors centre and the mini cinema is also accessible. The viewing platform is up 15 stairs; if you're unable to manage the stairs they have a live video link you can watch (and pan and zoom) from the reception area accompanied by your own guide who will explain it all to you. The Speyside Cooperage Accessibility Statement is available as a PDF download . There is also an accessible bathroom and five disabled parking bays.

Children are welcome at the Speyside Cooperage.

Speyside Cooperage Opening Hours

• Monday to Friday : 9:00 am to 3:00 pm

Speyside Cooperage Classic Tour

• Monday to Friday, Hourly Tours, on the hour (e.g. 9:00 am, 10:00 am ...) last tour at 3:00 pm

Guided tour through the Speyside Cooperage exhibition which includes an informative cinematic presentation followed by a visit to the viewing gallery where you can watch the Coopers at work. £5.00 per person and approximately 45 minutes duration.  Bookings are not essential but are highly recommended in summery. To make a booking call +44 1340 871 108 or email [email protected] .

Best Accommodation Locations For Speyside Whisky Tours

There are a large number of accommodation options in the Spey and Moray districts (see our guide to the Best Places To Stay In Speyside ) whether you wish to stay in a hotel or self-catered accommodation .  Grantown-on-Spey is one of the biggest towns in Speyside with quite a few accommodation options to chose from and a wide selection of restaurants and bars. Aberlour (where you’ll find the Aberlour Distillery ) and Craigellachie are two villages right in the middle of all the distilleries with some fabulous options to combine accommodation and whisky tasting.

Best Places To Stay In Speyside Scotland Near Distilleries

Other things to see and do in speyside.

Hard as it is to believe, there are non-whisky things to see and do in the Spey and Moray regions, though we're aware the following suggestion are somewhat whisky-related:

• Elgin Cathedral - these medieval ruins are right around the corner from Glen Moray Distillery and the Gordon and MacPhail Whisky Shop where you can do a fabulous tasting from their Discovery, Distillery Labels and Connoisseurs Choice ranges, or go all out on an extra special Rare and Vintage Tasting .
• Glen Grant Gardens - even if you don't want to tour the distillery, the gardens are a lovely space to meander the paths along the Black Burn without venturing too far from whisky. Great location if you have kids in tow. Dogs are not permitted on the grounds, however.
• Ballindalloch Castle and Gardens  - Ballindalloch Distillery is part of the Ballindalloch Estate, home of Ballindalloch Castle and Gardens. The castle is situated on the banks of the River Avon where it meets the River Spey and has been the home of the Macpherson-Grant family since 1546; the lands themselves were granted to John Grant of Freuchie by King James IV in 1498. The castle and gardens are open from mid-April to the end of September, Sunday to Thursday (closed Fridays and Saturdays), and no advanced booking is required.
• The Old Packhorse Bridge  - the oldest stone bridge in the Highlands (built 1717) and the first to cross the Dulnain River

References & Further Reading

Spirit of Place : Whisky Distilleries of Scotland by Charles MacLean

Treating Scotland as eight distinct regions (splitting the Highlands into Central, North, East, and West, plus the usual designations of Lowlands, Islay, Speyside and Islands), the Spirit of Place provides insight and imagery for fifty of Scotland's greatest distilleries. Beautifully photographed by Lara Platman and Allan MacDonald, this is a captivating modern companion to Alfred Barnard's great Whisky Distilleries of the United Kingdom.

The Whisky Distilleries of the United Kingdom

One of Amanda's favourite books. Around 1885, Alfred Barnard was secretary of Harper's Weekly Gazette, a journal dedicated to the wine and spirit trade. In order to provide his readers with the history and descriptions of the whisky-making process, Barnard decided to visit all distilleries in Scotland, England and Ireland. Accompanied by friends, he visited and sketched over 150 distilleries. This is a wonderful step back in time and a must have book for a whisky history geek. 

General Distillery Visitor Information

COVID-19 has caused significant changes to many distilleries' operation and tour schedules and nearly all now require advanced bookings, even for tastings. We endeavour to ensure the information on this website is accurate; however, due to the unpredictable nature of COVID outbreaks, information may change at short notice. Please check the distillery's website before you go as (see links in the distillery profiles below).

Even in 'normal' times, we recommend that you book in advance to avoid disappointment or avoid long wait times. The booking links and phone numbers for each distillery are below. While you can sometimes drop in, distilleries are becoming increasingly popular as a tourist destination, and tours often sell out days, or even weeks in advance.

Please check the distillery's website for opening hours and tour times as they change throughout the year. The times listed below were accurate at the time of writing.

Dogs, Children and Speyside Distillery Tours

Dogs are generally not allowed in distillery restaurants/cafes, visitor centres or in production areas, so don’t plan to bring your dog on a distillery tour. Guide dogs and special assistance dogs are permitted, although they may not be allowed in some production areas, so please check with the distillery before you book a tour.

Each distillery has a different policy on the age or number of children that can be taken on a distillery tour or be present during a tasting; please check the distillery's website or call ahead to confirm whether your child/children can join you. 

• Glen Grant Distillery is your best option if you are travelling with children - they have a fabulous Victorian garden to explore, and not only are children permitted on tours but their admission is free.  
• Glenfiddich and Glen Moray are other good options for tours while travelling with children - children are allowed on most tours (not tastings) and their admission is free.
• Cardhu Distillery and Cragganmore Distillery do not permit children under the age of 8 years on tours | Children over 8 years old only.
• Glenfarclas Distillery do not permit children under the age of 10 years on tours  | Children over 10 years old only.
• Balblair Distillery do not permit children under the age of 12 years on tours | Children over 12 years old only.
• Aberlour Distillery , Ballindalloch , Balvenie , GlenAllachie , The Macallan and The Glenlivet , do not permit children under the age of 18 years on tours or tastings though they are welcome in the visitor centre | Adults only on tours/tastings.

For a list of distilleries that are suitable for children, see our guide to  50 Distillery Tours In Scotland Your Kids Can Actually Go On .

50 Distillery Tours In Scotland Your Kids Can Actually Go On

Accessibility / wheelchair access.

Most distillery tours in Speyside Scotland are not wheelchair accessible/suitable for those with mobility impairments as they are in old buildings with lots of stairs. We'd normally recommend you have a look at Euan's Guide - a purpose built website that makes it easier for disabled persons to find great places to go - however only two Speyside distilleries are currently listed ( Cardhu and Macallan ). If you have mobility issues and there is a particular distillery you wish to tour, contact the distillery directly to see if they can organise something for you.

• Cardhu Distillery tours are your best bet for wheelchair accessibility, with an accessible toilet, lift, and four accessible parking spaces. The still room has stairs but the spirit safe and stills are viewable from a wheelchair accessible viewing area. For more information see Cardhu's profile on Euan's guide . Cardhu consulted Euan's guide when redoing the visitor's centre.
• The Macallan Estate tour and tasting experiences are wheelchair accessible, with an accessible lift and four accessible parking spaces - see Macallan's Distillery Tour Terms and Conditions for more information.
• Aberlour ( see their accessibility statement ), GlenAllachie and Glenfarclas Distilleries are wheelchair accessible in the shop and tasting rooms only - the tours involve stairs. There are wheelchair accessible bathrooms. GlenAllachie have a virtual tour option available. 
• The Benromach Distillery Visitor Centre's centre is wheelchair accessible however the distillery tours are not (stairs).

About the author

Amanda is an Australian-born photographer, digital nomad and whisky lover. Her passion for travel and whisky lead her to Islay, where she fell in love with an Ileach (an Islay native). Amanda and Roddy now share their Spirited Adventures.

Related Posts

Glenfarclas distillery | grant family owned since 1865.

Did you find this post helpful? Did we miss anything? Do you have questions?

What are your tips or stories? We'd love to hear them!

This may seem silly but due to medication I can’t drink alcohol and can’t drive but my partner loves whisky. We would love to do some tours. Would I still have to pay the full price.

Hi Dorothy. Quite a few distilleries offer a ‘driver’s dram’ / take away samples, meaning you pay the same price, but your partner can have your samples later (and this will be a helpful option for your partner if they’re the one doing the driving). Others may be able to offer discount tours (or even complimentary) for a non-drinker. It would definitely be worth contacting the distilleries you want to visit and asking them, as it could save you quite a bit of money (I would do this before you travel so that you can narrow down which distilleries to visit).

Perhaps you can help me. What is the best way to find a driver/tour guide for a 1 day tour of Dufftown area distilleries? We would like to be picked up at our AirBnB in Kenmore Aberfeldy, visit Macallan & Balvenie distilleries & ride the Keith & Dufftown Railway.

I’ve not used any services personally in that area, but I’ve had a bit of a look for private tour taxi services, and there’s one based out of nearby Killin that might be able to help you out.

They’ve just been awarded Taxi Service of the Year and they have some fabulous reviews. They have 4 and 8 seater vehicles available. If they cant help you out they might be able to refer you to another local operator who can.

https://www.facebook.com/SaltirePrivateHire

https://saltireprivatehire.uk/private-scenic-tours/

The main thing I’d keep in mind for the tour you’re proposing is that it’s 2.5 hours drive from Kenmore to Dufftown – so most of your day will be spent in the car driving. It wont leave much time for visiting distilleries and train tour unless you plan to start your day very early. You’re much closer to Blair Athol, Dewar’s, Royal Lochnagar and Dalwhinnie (I’d normally suggest Edradour but they ceased tours due to COVID risks/staff shortages).

https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=1JnLdvvWy_zUWPHdj9WgQIkYDi44&usp=sharing

Please note that Balvenie requires prior appointment to visit the distillery (not even the shop is open without an appointment) https://www.thebalvenie.com/tour-the-balvenie-distillery/ and they appear to only do tours Monday to Friday.

The Macallan can be visited externally without a prior booking but if you want to do a tour and see inside the distillery then you must book well in advance. Currently their booking system is only showing dates up to the 31st May. https://www.themacallan.com/en/distillery/book-experiences# – generally they are open on Thursday to Sunday only – the tours are 2.5 hours so its going to be hard to fit that in with Balvenie and the train.

The train operates Friday to Sunday.

The only common day for all 3 is Friday. I think you will be very rushed if you try and do all three though. I’d pick one distillery to tour in the morning (Balvenie has tours on Fridays at 10.00 & 11.00 – Macallan haven’t released times yet), have a nice lunch, then jump on the train.

I hope this helps

Kind Regards

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Speyside Distillery Guide

This is our Moray Speyside distillery guide, here you will find out about the wonderful array of historic and iconic distilleries that are based in our region. Discover the intriguing history behind our great distilleries, uncover secret tales of their past and learn about how they operate in present day.

A number of the following distilleries offer amazing tours that show the fascinating distilling process and many of the tours also offer a tasting session at the the end.

This is whisky country, this is Moray Speyside.

We would suggest contacting each distillery ahead of your visit as many are at different stages of re-opening after the COVID-19 restrictions and all require pre-booking for tours.

Aberlour Distillery

“the mouth of the chattering stream”

Main Street, Aberlour, Moray, AB38 9PJ

+44(0)1340 881249

Built on its current site in 1879 by James Fleming, Aberlour has grown to become the no.1 single malt in France which is the world’s largest volume market. Fleming was a great benefactor to the village paying for the local Hospital and Village Hall to be built, he also bequeathed the funds in his will to pay for the graceful Victoria Bridge which spans the River Spey a few hundred metres from the distillery.

www.aberlour.com

ALLT A’BHAINNE DISTILLERY – Located in Dufftown but closed to public. Allt A’Bhainne Website .

Ballindalloch Distillery

“Baile na Dalach”

Ballindalloch, Moray, AB37 9AA

+44(0)1807 500331

The first single estate distillery built in the region and only using barley grown on Ballindalloch Estate. The estate and castle are home to the MacPherson-Grant family, the current owner being the 23rd generation to live there and going back to the construction of the castle in 1546.

www.ballindallochdistillery.com

Balvenie Distillery

“Baile Bhainidh” (Beathens Farm)

Dufftown, Moray, AB55 4BB

+44(0)1340 822210

Whisky creation is still overseen by David Stewart, a 56 year veteran of the Scotch Whisky Industry. The distillery offers you the chance to take in a working Maltings, a rarity now on Speyside. Balvenie was the second distillery built Wm Grant and his family, the first being Glenfiddich.

www.thebalvenie.com

Benriach Distillery

“speckled mountain”

Longmorn, Elgin, Moray, IV30 3SJ

+44(0)1343 862888

The latest site on Speyside to offer tours and also a great new Visitor Centre experience, founded by John Duff who also built the nearby Longmorn Distillery. A small site but offering a wonderful range of diverse whiskies.

www.benriach.com

Benromach Distillery

“shaggy mountain”

Inverene Road, Forres, Moray, IV36 3EB

+44(0)1309 675968

Brought back to life in 1998 by the Urquhart family, owners of the independent bottle Gordon & MacPhail the distillery has went from strength to strength. A small production team led by Keith Cruickshank ensures the highest quality at every stage.

www.benromach.com

BRAEVAL DISTILLERY – The highest distillery in Scotland sits near The Glenlivet distillery in Chapeltown. It is closed to the public.

CAPERDONICH DISITLLERY – The Caperdonich Distillery has now been dismantled and no longer exists.

Cardhu Distillery

“black rock”

Knockando, Aberlour, Moray, AB38 7RY

+44(0)1340 872555

Regarded by many as the Speyside home of the Johnnie Walker family of Blended Whiskies, Cardhu dates back to the days of illicit distillation. Sitting high on the hills above the River Spey there are some wonderful views all around.

www.malts.com/en-gb/distilleries/cardhu

Cragganmore Distillery

“the big rock”

Ballindalloch, Moray, AB37 9AB

+44(0)1479 874700

Located very near to where the River Avon joins the River Spey, another one of those signposts you have keep a lookout for this time on the left as you approach Ballindalloch. Founded in 1869 as much for the natural resources as it was for the location of the Speyside railways of which many of the distillery owners were directors of.

www.malts.com/en-row/distilleries/cragganmore

DAILUAINE DISTILLERY – Is closed to the public but was once the the largest distillery in Speyside. It is located in Aberlour.

DALMUNACH DISTILLERY – Located in Carron this distillery is now closed to the public and offers no tours.

DUFFTOWN DISTILLERY – Founded in 1895 in Dufftown, this distillery is now closed to the public.

Dunphail Distillery

“t aking the traditions of the past to shape the whisky of tomorrow ”

Dunphail, Moray, IV36 2QR

Dunphail is a resolutely traditional distillery, dedicated to crafting the finest whisky the way it used to be made. From malting the highest quality barley from side to side to a demanding production regime that is completely guided by hand, we take all the time that is necessary with every stage of our whisky making process.

www.dunphaildistillery.com

GLENBURGIE DISTILLERY – Located near Alves the Glenburgie is not open to visitors.

GLENDULLAN DISTILLERY – Producers of The Singleton this distillery is situated in Dufftown.

GLEN ELGIN DISTILLERY – Owned by Diageo and situated in Elgin but currently closed to the public.

Glenfiddich Distillery

“the valley of the deer”

Dufftown, Moray, AB55 4DH

+44 (0)1340 820373

Started in distilling on Christmas Day 1887 under the auspices of William Grant and still owned by the same family today. Glenfiddich went a long way to taking Single Malt Scotch Whisky to the world in the early 1960’s and also the first ever Visitor Centre.

The only distillery on Speyside with its own bottling facilities on site.

www.glenfiddich.com

“is the only distillery named after a family, the founders J&J Grant”

Elgin Road, Rothes, Moray, AB38 7BS

+44(0)1340 832218

Famous for its beautiful gardens as much as it is for its distillery, the site offers and experience for everyone. The garden is filled with plants from all over the world brought back by the owners in the 19 th century, there might also be a ghost story or two also to look into.

www.glengrant.com

The Glenlivet

“valley of the smooth flowing one”

Minmore, Ballindalloch, Moray, AB37 9BS

+44(0)1340 821720

A newly renovated Brand home experience awaits guests in summer 2021 with a complete re-build within the current buildings. One of the largest distilleries single malt distilleries in Scotland producing 21 million litres every year, it was also one of the founding distilleries in the industry as we know it today.

www.theglenlivet.com

GLENLOSSIE DISITLLERY – Is situated in Elgin but closed to the public and offers no tours.

Glen Moray Distillery

“glen sea settlement”

Bruceland Road, Elgin, Moray, IV30 1YE

+44(0)1343 550900

The only distillery in the county town of Elgin and located on the banks of the River Lossie, the site can be seen as you leave the town heading west. Known for its imaginative use of casks the distillery has been at the forefront on innovation over the past decade.

www.glenmoray.com

GLENROTHES DISTILLERY – The Glenrothes sits on the edge of Rothes town centre. It is closed to the public.

GLEN SPEY DISTILLERY – Is situated in Rothes but is closed for tours and the public.

KININVIE DISITLLERY – The Kininvie Distillery is located in Dufftown but no tours are available.

KNOCKANDO DISTILLERY – Closed to the public and not offering tours.

LONGMORN DISTILLERY – Can be found just outside of Elgin but is closed to the public.

The Macallan

“the field of St. Fillan”

Easter Elchies, Craigellachie, Moray, AB38 9RX

+44(0)1340 872280

The view from the new distillery out across Speyside is one of the most memorable you will find, that alongside the most modern distillery on Speyside will leave memories that will last a long time. One of the original distilleries founded in 1824 after the passing of the Excise Act of 1823 which made legitimate distilling more feasible.

www.themacallan.com

MANNOCHMORE DISTILLERY – Is closed to the public and can be found outside of Elgin.

MILTONDUFF DISTILLERY – Miltonduff Distillery is part of the Gordon & MacPhail family and can found southwest of Elgin but is closed to he public.

MORTLACH DISTILLERY – Founded in 1823, the Mortlach Distillery can be found in Dufftown. It is closed to the public and offers no tours.

PARKMORE DISTILLERY – Is located in Dufftown but is closed to the public for tours.

PITTYVAICH DISTILLERY – The Pittyvaich was run between 1974 and 1993 but is closed to the public now.

SPEYBURN DISITLLERY – Speyburn Distillery in Aberlour has been running since 1897 but is closed to the public.

Tamdhu Distillery

“black hill/little dark hill”

Knockando, Aberlour, Moray, AB38 7RP

+44(0)1340 870221

Built in 1898 just before the huge Whisky crash instigated by Pattisons in Edinburgh, the distillery has grown in prominence over the last decade. Renowned for the use of exceptional ex-sherry casks it offers a rich intense whisky hidden from view almost on the banks of the River Spey.

www.tamdhu.com

TAMNAVULIN DISTILLERY – Tamnavulin was founded in Ballindalloch in 1966 but offers no tours to the public.

Tomintoul Distillery

“little hill of the barn”

Tomintoul, Ballindalloch, Moray, AB37 9AQ

+44(0)1807 590274

Just over the hill from The Glenlivet nestled in the valley of the River Avon, pronounced A’an . Tomintoul is a fairly recent distillery being opened in built in 1964. Avonside was also a place where many illicit distillers would have been based.

www.tomintouldistillery.co.uk

TORMORE DISTILLERY – The beautiful Tormore Distillery was built in 1953 in the heart of Speyside. It is closed to the public.

Speyburn Distillery

“it is Speyside. Nothing more. Nothing less.”

Rothes, Aberlour, Moray, AB38 7AG

+44(0)7977706676

Embark on a journey of discovery and experience the heart of Speyburn with our exclusive behind-the-scenes distillery tour and tasting. Our tour guides will take you on an immersive adventure through the ages of dedication, expertise, and tradition that culminate in the creation of our award-winning single malt whisky.

www.speyburn.com

Strathisla Distillery

“the valley of the Isla”

Seafield Avenue, Keith, Moray, AB55 5BS

+44(0)1542 783044

Spiritual home to both the Chivas Regal and Royal Salute Blends. The oldest working distillery in the highlands of Scotland starting production in 1786. Regarded by many as one of the most picturesque distilleries in Scotland.

Of all of the activities offered chance to blend your own whisky is a must-do.

www.chivas.com

With thanks to Ian Logan @iantheguardian

Honest guide to Scotland & N. England

Aberlour Distillery

📌 Charlestown of Aberlour, Moray ★★★★

🛠️ No tours due to construction work – tastings still available (checked August 2023)

This picturesque distillery offers one of the better visitor experiences on Speyside, on the edge of the attractive village of Charlestown of Aberlour. James Fleming began producing whisky here in 1880 and became something of a local philanthropist, also paying for a nearby hospital and a bridge across the River Spey. The distillery is now owned by Chivas Brothers; we like combining the tour and tasting with a short walk to the nearby Linn Falls – together making an excellent half day excursion.

📌 West end of Charlestown of Aberlour 🧭 O.S. Grid Reference: NJ 264425 🛰️ GPS coordinates: 57.466963,-3.227933

🚌 Bus to Charlestown of Aberlour 🚗 Car park

⌚ Tuesday to Sunday, early April to late October; Tuesday to Saturday, late October to early April except Christmas / New Year period 🎫 £20+ depending on tour type, adults only 🔗 aberlour.com

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Availability Search for  Cardhu Distillery & Visitors Centre

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Cardhu Distillery & Visitors Centre

Discover the warm-hearted spirit of our Speyside home where we create our premium whisky, evoking ripe orchard fruit, fresh grass, and mellow cereal. Come experience the warmest of welcomes, the heartfelt embrace of Cardhu, the Speyside Home of Johnnie Walker.

Discover the warm-hearted spirit of our Speyside home where we create our premium whisky, evoking ripe orchard fruit, fresh grass, and mellow cereal. Come experience the warmest of welcomes, the heartfelt embrace of Cardhu, the Speyside Home of Johnnie Walker. Our founding women, Helen and Elizabeth Cumming, were treasured for their determination, skill, generosity, and loyalty to the community, forever defining Cardhu as a whisky with heart. This was the first distillery to partner with John Walker & Sons, and for 200 years, the elegant, smooth, sensual character of Cardhu has been at the centre of shared celebrations around the world.

Cardhu proudly serves as one of the Four Corner of Scotland Distilleries of Johnnie Walker. We distil the Speyside Malt that is enjoyed around the world on its own and as the heart of Johnnie Walker whiskies.

We have a wide range of experiences available. Discover the right one for you and book online on our website.

If you want to experience the full generosity of Helen and Elizabeth Cumming’s legacy, you’ll delight in our tasting offers and dram flights.

We want all of our guests to have a positive visitor experience. Find out more about our accessible facilities and plan your visit.

Transport and Parking

Accessibility.

• Accessible Parking Or Drop-off Point
• Ramp to main entrance
• Accessible toilets

Dietary Options

• Vegetarian Meals available

Typical Prices

• Lunch Available
• Licensed Bar

Payment Methods

• American Express
• Credit Card

Awards & Schemes

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The content of many of our web listings is provided by third party operators and not VisitScotland. VisitScotland accepts no responsibility for (1) any error or misrepresentation contained in third party listings, and (2) the contents of any external links within web listings ((1) and (2) together hereinafter referred to as the "Content"). VisitScotland excludes all liability for loss or damage caused by any reliance placed on the Content. The Content is provided for your information only and is not endorsed by VisitScotland.

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