Scotch Whisky is more than a drink; it is very much a part of Scotland’s culture and identity. Each Scotch Whisky region boast their distinct flavours coming from their iconic landscapes, soil, climate and indeed, local traditions.
The Islay region produces a smoky flavour thanks to the use of peat, which can be found all over the island, in their malting process. Also being close to the sea, some of the Islay distilleries say their whisky has a taste of the salty sea air. We have a fantastic Islay Whisky and Jura Tour which starts from both Glasgow and Edinburgh where you can learn more about some of our personal favourite whiskies on one of our favourite islands.
You can then compare Islay, with the light, subtle flavours of the Speyside Region. The Spey River is the fastest flowing River in Scotland and as a result, has very soft and pure water which is ideal for whisky production. The area is famous worldwide for its whisky and thanks to being so far from the tax man in the 19th century; their distilleries thrived while others were forced to close. We offer a 5 Day Speyside and Highlands Whisky Tour from Glasgow and Edinburgh, and we would be delighted to bring you on this whisky lovers pilgrimage.
We then move on to the floral flavours of the Highland Whisky region, probably one of the more diverse in taste as it covers a much larger geographic area, but you will be sure to get a fantastic dram in a beautiful setting. We often visit at least one Highland distillery on our multi-day whisky tours to Islay and Speyside but can also offer an excellent tour as a private option where we will bring you to some different distilleries in the region. The great thing about this is that we can tailor to your time requirements and plan your trip between a few of these distilleries while you also have the chance to enjoy the beautiful Highland scenery.
In days gone by, the Campbeltown region was the most successful, thanks to its easy access to the Atlantic Ocean to sell to the United States. Unfortunately, the prohibition in America nearly killed off any whisky production here, and today, only three remain. Whisky continues to be very much a part of the area’s heritage, and you can enjoy a trail around all the forgotten distilleries of the past. The three distilleries left, not only produce fantastic whisky but offer amazing whisky experiences too. We conduct tours to Campbeltown as a private option, and we can bespoke the visit around your needs.
Finally, there is the Lowland Whisky Region which is an area on the rise with many new distilleries in the pipeline to open in the coming years. Due to the area’s proximity to the largest cities, the area was first to be targeted by the tax man and they had a hard time dodging him. The other problem some of these lowland distilleries had, was that they were hit during the Naxi Blitz during the 2nd World War – the Sacrilege. A few of the distilleries in this region have also had an influence by our Irish cousins across the sea, who emigrated to Scotland during the 19th century and you may find one to be triple distilled as a result. We visit a few of the Lowland distilleries during our Multi-Day Whisky tours as linked above and on our Stirling Castle, Trossachs and Whisky Tour, where we visit the Auchentoshan Distillery. You can also have the opportunity to join us on a private tour around the distilleries in this area which is entirely possible in a day from either Glasgow and Edinburgh.
Slàinte Scotland Tours
Slainte Scotland / Clyde Coast Tourism Ltd
74 Davaar Road
Greenock
PA16 0RD
Scotland
