Our friends at Dream Escape have shared 10 of their favorite Scottish whiskey experiences with us, so we know the whiskey connoisseurs among us are going to want to read on...

The bar in the Fife Arms in Braemar in the Highlands of Scotland — *Photo courtesy of The Fife Arms*

No trip to Scotland is complete without a wee dram...or two, or three, or—you get the idea! Whiskey is one of the biggest draws for travelers to Scotland, and for good reason. Whiskey is Scotland’s biggest international export, and it’s so popular that it is simply called “Scotch” all around the world.

Our friends at Dream Escape know Scotland from top to bottom, and they recently let us in on their ten favorite Scottish whiskey experiences, so we knew we needed to share. This should provide plenty of inspo for your next Scotland itinerary.

1. The Fife Arms

*Bertie’s Bar at The Fife Arms (photo courtesy of The Fife Arms)*

Only ten miles west of the Royal Lochnager Distillery, The Fife Arms is a must-stay hotel for anyone with a taste for whiskey. This charming 19th-century Highlands hotel features Scottish heritage rooms and Bertie’s Whisky Bar, named for Queen Victoria’s eldest (and hedonistic!) son. It stocks 365 whiskeys, one for each day of the year, arranged by flavor profile (fragrant, fruity, rich, and smoky) rather than region.

Special whiskey tastings can be arranged, both at the hotel—in the cellar with the hotel’s sommelier—and at the surrounding distilleries, including the Royal Lochnager at Crathie by Balmoral Castle. The unforgettable Dram at the Dam experience allows you to sample the 12-year-old whiskey as well as the Distillery Only Bottling, available in European oak casks, while standing at the dam that supplies water to the distillery.

Best of all, The Fife Arms is part of our trusted Virtuoso network of hotels, meaning we can offer the following Poe Perks to all of our clients:

Upgrade on arrival, subject to availability
Daily full Scottish breakfast for two guests per bedroom
$100 equivalent food & beverage credit utilized during stay
Dean's Angus McCoo Shortbread in a presentation tin
Early check-in/late check-out, subject to availability
Complimentary Wi-Fi

2. Lindores Abbey Distillery

Lindores Abbey is the spiritual home of Scottish whiskey, and it has been revived after 523 years to take a new, modern approach to whiskey production! What better way to explore this ancient site than with the owner of the distillery? Have a whiskey and chocolate tasting at its ruined abbey location and the Legacy Bar, have dinner in the main production area surrounded by copper stills or in the Apothecary blending room, or learn to blend a range of curious tinctures in an apothecary experience like nothing you’ve ever seen.

3. Johnnie Walker Princes Street

Even if you’ve been to Edinburgh before, it’s not likely you’ve been to Johnnie Walker Princes Street yet, as it only opened in the summer of 2021! This eight-floor visitor experience celebrates the world’s best-selling Scotch whiskey. The center tells the story of Johnnie Walker, who in the 1820s began selling whiskey in Kilmarnock. It is crowned by two superb rooftop bars, the Explorers’ Bothy (for private whiskey tasting experiences) and the 1820 Cocktail Bar (for food pairings and private dining in the Blue Room). We can also arrange a private visit to the Makers’ Cellar, where you can taste whiskey directly from the casks.

4. Glengoyne Distillery

Scottish whiskey tasting — *Photo courtesy of Dylan de Jonge on Unsplash*

Glengoyne, founded in 1833, is located just ten miles north of Glasgow below a picturesque waterfall, right on the Highland Line, which divides the Scottish Lowlands from the Highlands. This means that its whiskey matures in the Lowlands but is produced in the Highlands! Glengoyne takes particular pride in the fact that their copper stills are the slowest in the world, and the prolonged contact with metal brings out fruity, sweet notes in their whiskey.

We can arrange for you to taste their single malt whiskey paired with the “Best Chocolate in the World” from Iain Burnett, the Highland Chocolatier. Afterwards, create your very own single malt in the Sample Room, an experience you won’t find anywhere else in Scotland, bottling and labeling it to take it home with you. Alternatively, go for a whiskey tasting beside the waterfall for a truly tranquil experience.

5. The Macallan Distillery

Speyside is home to the densest concentration of distilleries in Scotland, one of which is the Macallan at Craigellachie. Macallan is an easy whiskey to love. It is neither too smoky nor too sweet, and its single malts have been a gateway whiskey for many a newbie into the whiskey world. After a major reinvestment, the distillery was reopened to the public only a few years ago, and it has won major awards for British architecture since then.

The circular Macallan Bar is the place to sample some of their best single malts. Learn the distillery’s history on a discovery tour and explore the Macallan Whisky Wall. We can also arrange a guided tour of their legendary Cave Priveé for a tutored tasting of some carefully selected Macallan whiskeys, before visiting the Macallan Bar for a final whiskey experience.

6. Rothes Glen

This newly refurbished exclusive-use castle in Moray is only three miles from the Glen Spey Distillery and can house up to 30 guests. This splendid baronial hunting lodge is known as the “home of the whiskey connoisseur,” so it is the perfect place for a group of whiskey lovers to embrace life as the Scottish nobility might have done in centuries past.

We can arrange private whiskey tastings at Rothes Glen, and you’ll also be within easy reach of Speyside, with that high concentration of distilleries we mentioned above. The owner of Rothes Glen is Damian Riley-Smith, founder of Whisky magazine, who refers to the castle as his “whiskey heaven.” Each room is whiskey-inspired, with bedrooms featuring a set of Glencairn glasses and a decanter to fill with your favorite selection from the extensive collection. It is the perfect base from which to explore this area of Scotland, that is a veritable whiskey paradise!

7. Glenmorangie House & Distillery

Whiskey tasting at Glenmorangie House & Distillery — *Photo courtesy of Dream Escape*

Glenmorangie’s Highland distillery offers the chance to learn of the past and look forward to the future of whiskey. Tour the old, damp cellars, and explore the Lighthouse with Dr. Bill Lumsden, one of the most innovative minds in Scotch whiskey. In this modern glass structure, Bill toils away on single malts that won’t be enjoyed until the 2040s or 2050s!

Glenmorangie House is about ten miles from the distillery, always ready to provide a warm welcome into its whiskey-inspired interiors. Enjoy a private lunch or dinner in the woodland area behind the distillery or treat yourself to a tasting with members of the whiskey creation team, who will regale you with story after story about their craft.

8. Jura & Ardfin

For an unforgettable experience with yet more stunning Scottish scenery, Jura is an absolute must, with its landscape of wild mountains, peaceful lochs, and stormy seas. It is also home to the most glamorous accommodation available in the whiskey haven that is the Scottish Isles: Ardfins’ Jura House. Island hop from Jura to Islay for yet more whiskey options, or perhaps make the journey in style in a private helicopter.

Jura is extremely remote, with only one road and a pub, so it’s not a surprise that world-famous Jura Distillery is the only one on the island. It is run by a close-knit bunch of friends who love telling stories over a dram. Along with whiskey experiences, you’ll find private boat tours, spectacular beaches, and the legendary Ardfin Golf Course, which only opened to the public a few years ago. Jura House is available on an exclusive-use basis, and the Quads is a luxury hotel and originally one of Ardfin's agricultural buildings.

9. Highland Park Distillery

The Highland Park distillery was founded in 1798 by Magnus “Mansie” Eunson, a preacher by day and a whiskey smuggler by night. The current staff at Highland Park are quite as eccentric as their founding father, including a Latin-speaking violinist as the manager, who is assisted by a part-time boat builder and a boxing champion. It is located on the gloriously remote and windswept Orkney Islands, which have been inhabited for over 5,500 years and are known for Viking legacies, remarkable Neolithic sites, haunting wartime remains, stunning listed buildings, and some of the world’s most breathtaking scenery.

Orkney’s winter winds, which are often in excess of 100 miles per hour, mean that there are no trees on the island. As a result, Highland Park whiskeys are smoked with a heather-flavored moorland peat, which gives it its distinctive taste. We can arrange private tastings of the complete Highland Park core editions, right up to the 30- and 40-year-olds...and sometimes even the 60-year-olds! This incredible experience is held in a private room, where you’ll hear stories of Vikings and smugglers to complete the atmosphere.

10. Laphroaig Distillery

Whiskey distillery tour at Laphroaig Distillery on Islay in the Scottish Isles, Scotland — *Photo courtesy of Kurt Liebhaeuser on Unsplash*

We would be remiss if we put together a list of whiskey experiences without delving into beautiful Islay, the southernmost island of Scotland’s Inner Hebrides, one of the best whiskey-producing areas in the world. Though the island is only 239 square miles in size, it is home to nine of Scotland’s greatest distilleries, including Laphroaig, Lagavulin, and Ardbeg.

We can arrange special experiences at any of these distilleries, but our pals at Dream Escape tell us that Laphroaig is particularly special. In fact, their Head of Guiding, Rosie, actually owns one square foot of the land here—as can you! Plant your flag or family crest in the peat before celebrating with a wee dram back at the distillery. The Laphroaig Single Malt is by appointment to Prince Charles, who has been photographed shoveling in the peat himself.

Feeling inspired to jet off for a wondrous whiskey adventure? We can plan a personalized itinerary for your Scottish explorations at the drop of a hat, making sure you are given the VIP treatment—and as many tipples along the way as you’d like!

If you’d like to Go Away to Scotland (or anywhere else in the world), simply contact us. We will design a customized itinerary to set you on your way.

10 Wondrous Whiskey Experiences in Scotland