32 Best Sights in Scotland

The smallest distillery in Moray was founded in 1898. It's now owned by the spirits company Gordon & MacPhail and produces an array of distinctive (often slightly peaty) malts, as well as its distinctive Red Door gin. An informative hourly tour will lead you through the facilities, including seeing the poignant signatures of distillery managers before and after a 15-year closure in the late 20th century. Tours end with a tutored nosing and tasting.

Bowmore is the grand old lady of Islay's distilleries, and a tour is a must for any visitor. In business since 1779, the distillery, like all Islay whisky makers, stands by the sea. Standard tours include a walk around the malting areas and the stills, and connoisseurs can opt for in-depth tours that include tutored tastings.

Established in 1881, the Bunnahabhain (pronounced Boon-a-ha-bin) Distillery sits on the shore, with dramatic views across to the Paps of Jura. This is one of Scotland's most picturesque and evocative malt whisky distilleries, redolent of a preindustrialized era.

A 20-minute drive south of Kingussie on General Wade's Military Road (A889) lies Scotland's highest Highland distillery: Dalwhinnie. It's also the coldest, as the village of the same name—which comes from the Scottish Gaelic "Dail Chuinnidh", meaning "meeting place"—has the lowest average temperature in the country. The distillery was founded here, on the edge of the Cairngorms National Park, in 1898, with the site chosen for its access to spring water from the nearby Lochan na Doire-uaine. You can find out all about Dalwhinnie's origins and its whisky-making process on a short, fun, and informative guided tour (£17) that includes a tasting of three single malts paired with handcrafted chocolates. For a more comprehensive tour and tasting experience (with six whiskies, including exclusive bottlings) opt for the "Expressions" tour (£65). In both cases, take-out taster drams are available for drivers. Don't fancy a tour? Then simply stop by for a drink in the distillery bar, while admiring the surrounding mountain scenery.

This small north coast distillery proves that Scotland's craft-spirits boom has stretched to the very edges of the mainland. Run by husband and wife team Martin and Claire Murray, Dunnet Bay Distillery has gained plaudits and prizes galore for its Rock Rose gin—notable for its use of sea buckthorn, rhodiola rosea (the eponymous "rock rose"), and other coastal botanicals. The distillery also produces a superb vodka called Holy Grass. As well as selling the spirits neat, there are also fun, seasonal cocktail releases, from the gingerbread espresso martini to the winter-spiced negroni. You can tour the "wee" distillery all year-round, including taking a stroll around the herb garden and greenhouse (lean down to sniff the deliciously citrusy lemon verbena). Children younger than 18 are allowed to visit and are admitted on the tour free of charge with an accompanying adult.

Whisky may be Scotland's most famous spirit, but gin also has a long and storied history here. Edinburgh Gin is a small distillery and visitor center just off Princes Street, offering tours and tastings that give a fascinating insight into craft gin production. You'll see two copper stills, Flora and Caledonia, which helped kick-start the now award-winning operation and are still used to make some of their experimental, small-batch gins. (Note that the main range, including the navy-strength Cannonball Gin and the coastal botanical-infused Seaside Gin, are now produced at a larger facility in Leith). Try the Distillery Tasting Experience (£25), the Gin Cocktail Experience (£45), or the latest tasting event, then head into the Heads & Tales bar to sample some more Scottish gin cocktails.

This historic distillery on the northern edge of Rothes has been producing award-winning single malts since 1840, and it's still going strong today. An impressive visitor center provides guided tours of the distillery, revealing its distinctive blend of centuries-old traditions and cutting-edge technology, as well as offering private tastings. There's a shop and café, too. But the biggest draw here is the stunning Victorian gardens; walk along the snaking path and pass pristine lawns, rare blooming flowers, gently flowing streams, and pretty pagodas. On your walk look out for a small cave and a locked safe; these were used to store founder Major Grant's private whisky collection, so he could share a dram with his walking companions.

Many make Glenfiddich Distillery their first stop on the Malt Whisky Trail. The independent company of William Grant and Sons Limited was the first to realize the tourist potential of the distilling process. The company began offering tours around the typical pagoda-roofed malting buildings and subsequently built an entertaining visitor center. There are various tours for discerning visitors that include nosing and tasting sessions. Look out for viewings of the current Glenfiddich Distillery Artists in Residence's work.

The light color and delicate floral taste of the Speyside whiskies is exemplified in Glenmorangie, one of the best known of the Highland whiskies. The picturesque distillery in Tain, 8 miles south of town across Dornoch Forth, offers fascinating tastings that reveal how the taste is achieved (the secret's in the exceedingly tall stills). The Classic Tour (£20) includes three drams while the Innovation Tasting (£50) offers a chance to sample four prized malts.

Having come this far, you've earned a dram of the local single malt at one of Scotland's northernmost distilleries. It was founded around the turn of the 19th century by Magnus Eunson, a church officer who dabbled in illicit stilling. The Spirit of Orkney tour is highly recommended and takes you through the essential aspects of this near-sacred process, from the ingredients to the hand-turning of the malt, the peating in the peat kilns, the mashing, and finally the maturation in oak casks. This smoky peaty malt can be purchased all over Orkney, as well as from the distillery's austere shop.

Despite Edinburgh's long history of whisky production, there hadn't been a single malt distillery in the city for almost a century until this place opened in 2019. Today, Holyrood Distillery's state-of-the-art visitor center, set within an old railway station in the shadow of Salisbury Crags, plays host to entertaining and informative (if pricey) one-hour tours, including tastings of their Height of Arrows gin and New Make Spirit (the whisky is still busy maturing in barrels). Just a short walk from the Old Town, Holyrood attracts a younger and hipper crowd than most Scottish distilleries.

The open aspect and closeness to the sea explain the taste of Arran's well-respected single malt, light and airy and with the scent of sea and fields. The round white building housing the distillery sits comfortably among fields and hills in the northernmost part of the island. The CASKS café--restaurant is a comfortable place for a long lunch. Tours and tastings are offered.

Opened in 2015, this island distillery rapidly gained a reputation for its distinctive gin, infused with coastal botanicals including sugar kelp. Its first malt whisky, called The Hearach (the Gaelic term for an inhabitant of Harris), went on sale in 2023. The distillery conducts guided tours (£17.50) every weekday from March to October—call to book in advance.

Beneath a vast, undulating, turf-covered roof that mimics the outlines of the surrounding moorland, the Macallan Estate is now an exciting whisky tourism hub for Speyside. The Discovery Experience tour lasts over two hours and includes nosing and tasting of some of the distillery's distinctively sherry-tinctured malts. All tours must be booked in advance.

Unusually for a distillery, Pulteney is situated very close to the town center, and it has been for almost 200 years. The spirit produced here, known as "gold," was once in the shadow of the town's other big "silver" industry—herring fishing. But, despite a hairy period of prohibition, it has easily outlasted its competition. The brooding brick distillery is open for tours and tastings, so join the standard one-hour tour (£10) for a behind-the-scenes look at the facilities and a taste of the award-winning 12-year-old Old Pulteney—famed for its smooth, faintly briny character with a lingering, butterscotch-sweet finish. Or, for £25, experience all this plus additional tastings of three older expressions.

Tobermory's cute little distillery has been making distinctive malts (the peaty Ledaig and the unpeated, lighter-tasting Tobermory) since 1798, though there have been intervening decades when it was "silent" and produced no whisky. It was relaunched in 1993, and a tour here is a more personal experience than is offered by some bigger, better-known distilleries. Visitors can also sample the distillery's newest product: its own artisan gin.

Established in 1897 and once the largest malt distillery in Scotland, Tomatin is more of a large industrial complex than a typical pagoda-roofed Speyside distillery, yet the working nature of this place makes for a fascinating tour. Knowledgeable and playful guides take visitors through every step of the whisky-making process, with fun extras like a chance to stand inside a disused mash tun, and a photo op with barrels dating back to the mid-1900s. Tours conclude with a tasting of three single malts, including the heavily peated Cu Bocan—worth the price of admission alone. Tomatin Distillery is located 13 miles northwest of Boat of Garten, on the road from Inverness.

Opened in 2017 as Skye's second-ever licensed distillery, Torabhaig debuted its single malt four years later. And just like those from Skye's first distillery, Talisker, the whisky is smooth, rich, and wonderfully peaty. Come for a tasting in the comfort of the beautiful courtyard, flanked by the old stone farmhouses where the magic happens. You can also join a guided tour of the distillery, though note that it's a small operation; don't expect photo ops in barrel-filled warehouses. If you have time, stroll from the distillery down to the pretty, ruined Knock Castle, a former stronghold of the Macdonalds of Sleat.

It may only have opened in 2014, but this pretty, pagoda-roofed distillery has already gained a stellar reputation for its smooth, mellow, and sometimes slightly peated single malts. Come for a guided tour to learn about the distillery’s history and ethos—it prides itself on its green credentials, with all its power and heat provided by local renewables—followed by a tasting of an Ardnamurchan dram in the bar. Whisky geeks might want to pay extra for the “Behind the Scenes” tour (£50), which includes a visit to the warehouse and several drams; you’ll need to book in advance online. The distillery is located in Glenbeg, about a 45-minute drive west of Strontian on the road to Ardnamurchan Lighthouse and Sanna Bay Beach.

As soon as you step into the old manager's office at the Balvenie Distillery—now gently restored and fitted with knotted-elm furniture—you realize the Balvenie wants to make sure that all visitors get to see, smell, and feel the magic of the making of this malt. The Balvenie is unusual because it has its own cooperage with six coopers hard at work turning the barrels. Tours (by appointment only) show the mashing, fermentation, and distillation process and end with a tasting.

The striking outline of Cardhu Distillery, whose main product lies at the heart of Johnnie Walker blends, is set among the heather-clad Mannoch Hills. Established by John and Helen Cumming in 1811, it was officially founded in 1824 after distilling was made legal by the Excise Act of 1823. Guides take you to the mashing, fermenting, and distilling halls, and they explain the malting process, which now takes place on the coast at Burghead.

This established distillery offers tours that demonstrate how Aberfeldy single-malt whisky is made (with a tasting at the end, of course); audio guides and interactive screens add to the appeal. There's also a worthwhile Heritage Center and a pleasant restaurant. The basic tours are £15, but there are more expensive tours for whisky experts (or those who want to become one) including cask tastings. Dewar's also makes blended whiskies.

Glenfarclas is one of Scotland's few remaining family-owned distilleries, passed down from father to son since 1865. That link to the past is most visible among its low buildings, where the retired whisky still sits outside: if you didn't know what it was, you could mistake it for part of a submarine. The tours end with tastings in the superlative Ship Room, the intact lounge of an ocean liner called the Empress of Australia.

The famous Glenlivet was the first licensed distillery in the Highlands, founded in 1824 by George Smith. Today it produces one of the best-known 12-year-old single malts in the world. The 90-minute Original Tour offers an introduction to malt whisky making, explains the distillery's history, and includes a free dram; more in-depth tours are available. There's a coffee shop with baked goods and, of course, a whisky shop. Visitors must be 18 or over.

To discover the delights of whisky distilling, sign up for the Distillery Tour at the Glenturret Distillery, which claims to be Scotland's oldest. Here you learn how whisky is made and why time, water, soil, and air are so important to the taste. A guide takes you through the distillery and to the bar where you can have a glass of Glenturret's famous single malt and try your skill at "nosing." You might cap your tour with lunch in the Wild Thyme café and restaurant. Signs lead to the distillery on the west side of the town.

The community of Craighouse has the island's only distillery, producing malt whisky since 1810. Tours must be booked in advance by phone or online.

Many malt whisky connoisseurs say the Lagavulin is the strongest-nosed of all Islay's peaty malt whiskies. You can find out why, and how, with a distillery tour and tasting here.

Arran's newest distillery (the little sister of the Isle of Arran Distillery in Lochranza) started making its distinctive, peaty single malts in 2019 and released the first batches for sale in November 2022. Tours include sniffing and sampling (with taster bottles available for drivers to sip later).

Laphroiag (say la-froig) is Islay's most distinctive malt, redolent of peat, seaweed, and iodine. You can take a tour of the distillery, then settle in for a spell of sipping at the whisky bar.

One of Scotland's oldest and smallest distilleries was founded in 1794, several years before the town where it now stands. It produces a well-known 14-year-old malt which, according to those who know, has a taste somewhere between the smoky Islay whiskies and the softer, sweeter Highland varieties—a distinctive West Highland flavor.