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TOUR THE BEST DISTILLERIES IN SCOTLAND’S 5 WHISKY AREAS
Whisky is the national drink of Scotland, and with over 130 distilleries across the country, there are plenty to pick from. Scotland is broken up into 5 whisky areas: Speyside, The Lowlands, The Highlands, Islay and Campbeltown. Each region adds its own mark to whisky, using the fine natural resources of water and barley to create the drink. Here is a what each of the 5 whisky areas provide.
Speyside
Speyside is home to the famous Speyside Malt Whisky Trail and accounts for more than half of the country malt whisky distilleries. The trail goes from Glenlivet up to Forres in the North of the Cairngorm National Park. Along the trail, you will visit 8 distilleries and Speyside Cooperage which is where whisky barrels are made. The trail following the River Spey is in the tranquil countryside and the region is famous for its fruits and sometimes peaty and smokey flavours.
The Lowlands
The Lowlands area spans across the south of the country including everywhere below Dundee to Greenock, encompassing Edinburgh and Glasgow. Whisky produced in the Lowlands is known for being much lighter than products from the rest of the country. The flavours are very delicate and the whisky from Auchentoshan near Glasgow distils their whisky three times, the only Scottish distillery to distill that many times adds to the light flavours.
The Highlands
The Highlands region includes some of the islands and thus has a wide variation of flavours. This is a region where you can taste a wide range of Scotland’s offering, from light and sweet to salty and rich flavours, the Highlands has it all. The Glencadam distillery in Brechin, is known for having a creaminess and has been producing their single malt for nearly 200 years.
Islay
Islay’s whisky is renowned for its strong peaty flavour and being an island on the west coast of Scotland, the wind blows the sea salt in and this makes its way into the whisky. This creates a uniquely rich taste with Laphroaig having the strongest flavours and this is a signature flavour for Islay. Laphroaig ages their whisky in a variety of years. Their signature product is aged for 10 years, however some of their more exclusive bottles are aged for as many as 40 years.
Campbeltown
Campbeltown is in the south west of Scotland on the Mull of Kintyre and is the smallest of all of Scotland’s whisky areas. With only 3 distilleries, this makes the flavours of the region the rarest, with a once slightly fishy flavour in the earliest 20th century.Glen Scotia is one of the few to have outlived the other distilleries in the region and their rich, smokey flavour draws visitors to the area every year.
Making the most of your time in Scotland is one of our super powers. We will spend our time making sure you get the most out of your whisky holiday in Scotland. With exclusive tours and tasting sessions, your whisky experience will be a memorable one.
