Speyside Whisky Trail

Programme

Day 1: Cairngorm Nationalpark and Edradour

Individual arrival in Edinburgh/Glasgow. Pick up your rental car from the airport and head north via Scotland’s landmark – the famous Forth Rail Bridge. Past the heather-clad granite plateaus of the Cairngorm National Park your journey takes you to the Speyside, the heartland of Scottish Single Malt. In Pitlochry, visit Edradour Distillery, one of Scotland’s smallest – and one of the few remaining family-owned – distilleries. In the afternoon you arrive in Grantown-on-Spey, a beautiful Victorian spa town in Speyside. Accommodation: Grantown-on-Spey

Day 2: Speyside Cooperage, Glenfiddich and Aberlour

The number of distilleries in the Speyside is huge, as more than half of all Scottish distilleries are located here. In the morning you can watch the coopers of the Speyside Cooperage at work. More than 100,000 barrels per year are produced by hand for the surrounding distilleries. In Dufftown, enjoy a guided tour of Glenfiddich Distillery, one of the first Scottish distilleries to market its whisky as a Single Malt. Here you can taste the 12, 15 and 18 year old Glenfiddich. At lunchtime, take stroll along the River Spey or enjoy local specialties such as smoked salmon in one of the quirky cafés in Aberlour. In the afternoon, a visit to the Aberlour Distillery is highly recommended. Their tours and exclusive tastings are popular with many whisky lovers. Accommodation: Grantown-on-Spey

Day 3: Glen Moray, Gordon & MacPhail, Glenfarclas

The morning drive takes you on a scenic route through Dava Moor to Elgin, one of Scotland’s two whisky capitals. There are eight distilleries here. Visit the Glen Moray Distillery and take a special guided tour with tutored tasting. In the historic centre of Elgin, you can then browse the shop of the most famous whisky bottler Gordon & MacPhail. After a short stop at Scotland’s most important cathedral ruins, Elgin Cathedral, head to Glenfarclas Distillery. The distillery in the “Valley of the Green Grass” is one of the few distilleries in Scotland that is still family-owned and does not operate as part of an international megacorporation. The whiskies of Glenfarclas mature almost exclusively in former sherry barrels and enjoy an excellent reputation not only with blenders. Accommodation: Grantown-on-Spey

Day 4: Glenlivet and Glendronach

In the morning you can visit the Glenlivet Distillery, which is located right in the heart of the Cairngorm National Park and is one of Scotland’s most famous distilleries. Then head east. The whiskies produced here officially belong to the whisky region of the Highlands. Passing the Ardmore Distillery, built during the industrial boom of the late 19th century, you’ll drive to a jewel of Scottish distilleries, Glendronach Distillery. Here the whisky is still distilled with traditional methods as two hundred years ago. Join Frank Massie’s connoisseur tour. The former distillery manager is one of the real legends of the whisky industry and will guide you through the distillery on this special tour. In the warehouse you will taste the whisky directly from the barrel. Accommodation: Grantown-on-Spey

Day 5: Royal Deeside and Royal Lochnagar

In the morning you will drive another scenic route through the Central Highlands of Scotland. You will pass old stone bridges, fortresses, ski resorts and heather plateaus. Not far from the summer residence of the British Royal Family, you can visit the Royal Lochnagar Distillery. Warehouse No. 1, Scotland’s only dutypaid warehouse, stores the barrels of most Diageo distilleries for training purposes. Diageo employees and malt advocates from all over the world come here to be trained in smelling, tasting and dazzling. After a tasting, continue your way through stunning Glenshiel and reach Edinburgh around 4pm.

Services

Tour includes

• 4 overnight stays in 3-4* B&B accommodation (en-suite), based on 2 people sharing
• Scottish breakfast
• hire car for 5 days from/to airport including insurance and Sat Nav
• Scotland road map
• Comprehensive info pack including leisure and restaurant recommendations
• 24/7 emergency hotline

Not included

• flights
• lunch and dinner
• fuel
• admissions
• additional driver

Optional add-ons

• £69 pp additional night in Edinburgh/Glasgow B&B, based on 2 people sharing (£41 single supplement)
• £89 pp additional night in Edinburgh/Glasgow hotel, based on 2 people sharing (£61 single supplement)
• from £50 per day car hire extension
• from £300 per day for chauffeur (includes expenses)

Additional Information

Duration: 5 days
Participants: from 2 pax
Start: Edinburgh/Glasgow Airport
Finish: Edinburgh/Glasgow Airport

When deciding on your travel dates, please bear in mind that we require at least 6 weeks to prepare. Every trip is meticulously planned and organised, and the information pack is compiled with great care and attention. We also have to allow time for the information pack to be delivered (postal delivery can take on average 4 weeks in Europe). If you do want to travel at short notice, please contact us by email. Thank you for your cooperation!

Dates & Prices

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