FIVE Day Private Speyside Whisky Tour from Edinburgh
Your fabulous 5-Day Private Speyside Whisky Tour from Edinburgh, starts from your chosen departure point in the city.
Leaving from Edinburgh, we travel through the Scottish Highlands, to the magical hidden valleys and glens of Speyside. Here you will have the opportunity to taste and nose, arguably some of the best whisky in the world.
On our 5-day Speyside Whisky Tour, we will visit eight different distilleries in Speyside, including the Speyside Cooperage, and distilleries in both the lowlands and the highlands.
Speyside Whisky Tour Itinerary Highlights from Edinburgh
Day 1 – Kingsbarns Whisky Distillery, St Andrews, Dunnottar Castle, Glen Garioch Distillery
Day 2 – Glenfiddich and Balvenie Distilleries
Day 3 – Speyside Cooperage, Cardhu and Glenfarclas Distillery
Day 4 – Glen Moray Distillery, StrathIsla or Benromach Distillery
Day 5 – Glenlivet Distillery
5-Day Speyside Itinerary from Edinburgh
Day 1 – Edinburgh, The Kingdom of Fife and Aberdeenshire
Departing from Edinburgh on our 5-day Speyside Whisky Tour, we travel over the Queensferry Crossing that spans the Firth of Forth, into the Kingdom of Fife. Journeying through the ancient Kingdom, we take the Fife Coastal route to Kingsbarns Whisky Distillery near St Andrews, in the East Neuk of Fife.
Now the waiting is over, and that anticipated moment arrives, when you can select the Kingsbarns Whisky Flight, served in the unique surroundings of this converted old farmstead into the very popular Kingsbarns Distillery.
Our spiritual whisky tour continues to St Andrews, “Home of Golf”, where you have the choice of many delightful eateries to soak up the much-savoured wee drams.
Saying farewell to St Andrews, we embark on a 90-minute scenic drive west to the dramatic Dunnottar Castle. This romantic and haunting rustic ruin is an absolute must-see on your way to Speyside.
Our road trip continues to the village of Oldmeldrum, which is often referred to as the “Granary of Aberdeen” for its production of top-quality barley. This old market town hosts one of the oldest whisky distilleries in Scotland, Glen Garioch. You can opt to visit the fabulous distillery gift shop, taste some fabulous whisky or join in a whisky tour.
NB The Kingsbarns and Glen Garioch Distillery visits are subject to availability at the time of booking, and also optional.
Overnight Inverurie or Westhill
Day 2 – Speyside Whisky Day Tour
After a scrumptious Scottish breakfast, we travel on to Dufftown, “The Whisky Capital of The World”. Our first Speyside Whisky Tour of the day begins with a visit to the world-famous Glenfiddich Distillery, founded by William Grant in 1887.
Today, Glenfiddich Distillery is one of the few single malt distilleries to be entirely family-owned.
This immersive experience, led by a knowledgeable distillery guide, will plunge you into the fascinating heritage of the Glenfiddich Distillery. Over the course of 90 minutes, you will be captivated by intriguing tales surrounding the distillery and enlightened on the age-old secrets behind Speyside whisky distillation.
Brace yourself for a sensory journey as you indulge in four generous tastings from the impressive Glenfiddich collection. This is an adventure that promises to leave you both far more knowledgeable and awe-struck by the artistry of Speyside Whisky making.
As the Glenfiddich Whisky Tour comes to an end, we have the option of dining at the Glenfiddich Distillery Malt Barn Coffee Shop and Bar, for a bite to eat, and dare I say, a bar full of fine Speyside Malt Whisky from around the region, to choose from.
The afternoon’s adventure of your exciting Speyside Whisky Tour follows next. Here the renowned Balvenie Distillery awaits, conveniently situated within the majestic Glenfiddich Estate. Known for its exceptional quality, the Balvenie Whisky Tour Experience is hailed as one of the finest in the Speyside region, showcasing its own malting and on-site cooperage. Prepare yourselves for an unforgettable two-and-a-half hours at the Balvenie Distillery, indulging in a truly exceptional Speyside Whisky experience.
Overnight Dufftown, Aberlour or Craigallechie
Day 3 – Speyside Cooperage and Cardhu Whisky Distillery
Your journey begins with an exciting morning visit to the Speyside Cooperage Visitor’s Centre, nestled in the charming town of Craigallechie. The one-hour ‘Toasting Tour”, commences with a captivating video presentation that delves into the rich history and craftsmanship behind whisky barrel making. As the video concludes, we ascend to the viewing gallery, granting us a magnificent vantage point to observe the coopers shaving and shaping casks.
Before leaving the Cooperage your group will join your guide for a dram of the Cooperage’s own label 10-year-old Speyside Malt Whisky in the Toasting Room.
Our Speyside journey continues as we travel to the Cardhu distillery situated in Knockando. The Cardhu distillery was founded by the illustrious John Cumming in 1824, after he decided to err his criminal ways by going straight, after many convictions of whisky smuggling escapades.
Cardhu was the first Speyside Whisky Distillery to partner with John Walker & Sons, and today offers a fantastic variety of tours and tastings that you can select from here.
Travelling back to our hotel, time allowing, we will stop off at Glenfarclas Distillery to browse their shop and sample a dram or two of their Speyside Malt Whiskies.
Overnight Dufftown, Aberlour or Craigallechie
Day 4 – Speyside Whisky Adventure to Glen Moray and Strathisla or Benromach Distilleries
We begin our day early, as we make our way to The Glen Moray Whisky Distillery in Elgin. This small authentic Speyside Whisky Distillery has an excellent variety of Speyside whisky tours available such as The Original Distillery Tour, The Intermediate Tour, Chocolate and Whisky Experience Tasting, The Wine to Whisky Experience, The Ambassador Tour and The Glen Moray House Experience.
After your tour, we will have time to browse the Glen Moray Visitor Centre, which has a super coffee shop offering light lunches, homemade soups, cakes and biscuits.
Following lunch, you have the optional visit of either the StrathIsla Distillery in Keith or the Benromach Distillery in Forres. Both of these Speyside distilleries offer fantastic whisky experiences.
We will then travel back to our hotel accommodation for our last night in Speyside.
Overnight Dufftown, Aberlour or Craigallechie
Day 5 – The Glenlivet Whisky Distillery
After a hearty breakfast, we make the short journey to The Glenlivet Whisky Distillery. This 200-year-old distillery has been awarded The World’s leading Whisk(e)y Distillery Tour and Scotland’s Leading Whisky Distillery Tour at the World Travel Awards and Green Tourism Gold Awards for 2023.
We then reluctantly say our goodbyes to Speyside, as our journey continues southward. Time permitting, we will make a brief stop at the House of Bruar, en-route to your selected accommodation in Edinburgh, Scotland’s capital city.
Book your Speyside Whisky Tour from Edinburgh
We would strongly advise you to book your Speyside Whisky Tour Experience from Edinburgh as soon as possible to avoid disappointment. The Speyside Whisky Distilleries have limited spaces available on their distillery tours.
If this is the tour for you, then please don’t delay in contacting James & Lesley at Tour Guide Scotland at the earliest opportunity to reserve your Speyside Whisky Tours, you’ll be glad you did!
