I am planning to go to a distillery or two while in Scotland. My flights home are EDI to Heathrow to CLT. Is there a way to bring a bottle of scotch home without putting it in checked luggage? Thank you.

Nope.

You can buy it in duty free at the airport. They seal it now and you can't open till after you arrive at Charlotte. You have a long layover in Heathrow? You can buy then. We brought back bottles from Dublin last trip. Tullamore had a two for 24.00 deal. Redbreat was 45 a bottle and it is 65 here in Fl. The euro exchange was very good.

What they said--checked luggage or duty free. Or ask the distilleries to ship to you at home.

(Digression: it helps to know the going rate in the US for bottles you see in duty free. Some are a good deal, others really aren't. OTOH, sometimes you see things that are either impossible to get in the US or in short supply, so again, being somewhat familiar with the field helps.)

Unless you are buying something very rare, you most likely will find it at home. The choices at duty free are quite limited.

"The choices at duty free are quite limited."

The ranges at World of Whiskies at T3 and T5 knock any distillery I've ever had the misfortune of going round into a cocked hat. Distilleries do have some scotches you can't easily buy in conventional shops - but usually because they're so preposterously expensive no real shop would touch them.

What's more, you can pre-order from a much wider range than will fit into an airport shop (http://www.worldofwhiskies.com/index...er-information ) so they have your bottle waiting for you at duty-free prices.

That is true Flanner, but unless it is a particularly unusual whisky, which isn't available, or is hard to find in the US, the price of it could well be lower in the US than in Britain, even at duty free prices.

" the price of it could well be lower in the US than in Britain, even at duty free prices"

Could indeed. But only the poster will know the effect of local taxes in his or her home state, which state the poster buys scotch in anyway and what the £ rate will be the day the purchase takes place.

The poster is presumably able to compare prices on the WoW website with his or her friendly neighbourhood - or cross-state border - Whiskeys (for in Dixie, they spell it funny) R Us. But you're right to point out that this is essential before assuming UK duty free will be cheaper than right next door to the poster's house.

as an aficionada, I would say that World of Whiskies is a crackin' outlet. But don't kid yourself you're getting a deal. We never buy en route to France because it's cheaper there. The tax on whisky (overall) is over 75% in the UK. Pretty fair chance that, if you can get it at home, it'll be cheaper there.

OTOH, I often buy on the way out, and leave it to be collected on teh way back, because WoW sells stuff I can only other wise get in specialist stores

Why <i>not</i> just put it in your checked in luggage? The distillery shops are well used to this and on request can pack your bottles in protective cases and/or bubble wrap. Then roll it up into a pair of jeans or a jumper in the middle of your check-in case. Have done this countless times with bottles or whisky, wine etc from all over the world, never once had a breakage.

Like Gordon R I have had whisky in my hold baggage many times and never had a problem.
Been a while since I was in WOW in Heathrow but found it to be an excellent place to get a bottle or two

I have traveled over many years with bottles of all sorts - wine, grappa, whiskey, in my checked luggage and never had a problem. Just wrap it in clothes or buy it in a suitable carton or box.

Thank you very much. Your replies were most helpful.

My Scots relations arrive in Boston every summer, happily, loaded down with special malts that are not exported owing to the small quantities produced.

They return home from Boston equally loaded down with "ordinary" malts that are cheaper in Massachusetts than in Edinburgh.

It is quite funny to think of bottles traveling from Islay to Boston and back to Edinburgh, but there you go! Haven't had a problem ever with damage in their checked bags.

How long is your layover at Heathrow?? Long enough for coffee outside security?

if you can't take the scotch in your hand luggage don't let it go to waste

just like this woman

http://www.theguardian.com/world/201...curity-control

We were in Dublin and exchange was like 1.09 that day so the Redbreast and Tullamore were no brainers. NY has a huge tax on liquor. I have a brother that has worked for a liquor distributor in De for a zillion years and people flock to that state to buy. They can't keep the smallest state line stores stocked. Just saying, it all depends on where you live in the USA. I have brought back our favorite schnapps from Germany in checked luggage many times. I take over those foam insulated wine bags to bring it back in. No problem.

I wish, txgirlinbda! only about an hour . Next trip !

Thank you for the good suggestions, Everyone.

If you're going to acquire scotch, do not buy whatever you can purchase in the US. Get something the distillery or the independent bottlers don't sell here. Fact is, there are tons of online retailers that will ship to you (the various state bans on alcohol shipments to private citizens are unconstitutional but private citizens generally don't have the incentive to fight the issue; that said, both Carolinas are listed among states that online retailers WILL ship to).

Buying at a distillery isn't necessary unless you're going to get something sold only at the distillery - e.g., Glenmorangie Cellar 13 used to be distillery or duty free only (dunno if that is still true). It's not like you're getting it any fresher.

And the distillery ranges are not the last of what you'll have available. First, the distilleries won't sell vatted malts - combinations of pure malt whiskies from > 1 distillery. Second, there are various independent bottlers who purchase casks from the distilleries, mature the whisky in their own warehouses, and sell on their own (Murray McDavid, Signatory, Provenance, Cadenhead, Old Malt Cask). Those bottlings are NOT on offer at the distillery but will be available at top retailers like Royal Mile Whiskies in Edinburgh, the Cadenhead shop in Edinburgh (for its bottlings) and others. Their quality varies just like any other whisky, but many are fantastic. World of Whiskies doesn't list independent bottlings online and I don't recall any the last time I visited one.

<Is there a way to bring a bottle of scotch home without putting it in checked luggage?>

Nope.