Ten picturesque Scotch whisky distilleries

There is a lot to enjoy on a visit to Scotland including a visit to one or more whisky distilleries.

For many people Scotland is one of the most beautiful countries in Europe, if not the world. Stunning landscapes of hills, lochs and coastline make it a hugely popular tourist destination; the weather means it is not always a great idea to spend too much time outside.

Visitors flock to the capital Edinburgh as well as other historical and interesting areas such Glasgow, Stirling, Inverness and the Highlands.

One of Scotland’s biggest and best known exports is whisky, the drink contributes around £800million to the Scottish economy. The whisky industry is closely linked with tourism as many distilleries also function as tourist attractions.

It can be a fun and educational day out at a distillery and here is a look at just 10 picturesque whisky distilleries.

Glenmorangie

Just off the A9, in the Scottish Highlands, north of Inverness and at the town of Tain is the Glenmorangie distillery. Visitors can look all around the distillery and the warehouses and even stay at Glenmorangie House.

Balblair

North of Tain close to the waters of the Dornoch Firth lies the beautiful Balblair distillery.The distillery is within site of the Clach Biorach standing stone, which is more than 4,000 years old and it was an important gathering place for the Picts. It is apt to think that this could still be considered an important meeting place now – for whisky fans at least.

Ardbeg

If you take a visit to to the island of Islay there are a number of distilleries to visit, as this picture shows the Ardbeg distillery nestles on the coastline and is very picturesque. 

Isle of Jura

The island of Jura is just seven miles wide, 30 miles long and has one road, one hotel and one distillery. The distillery is home to the Isle of Jura whisky.

Glenlivet

Nestled amongst the rolling hills of Speyside is the Glenlivet distillery, which was re-opened in 2010 and where tours take place daily between April and October.

Speyburn

It is easy to see from this photograph why the Speyburn distillery, which sits in a valley on the northern edge of Rothes, is often called Scotland’s most photographed distillery.

Talisker

Talisker is the only distillery on the isle of Skye. Although, for some, the bridge may have taken away a little of the romance of a ferry trip from the mainland to Skye, it is still worth a visit and if you do go to the island, why not visit Talisker?

Aberlour

The Aberlour distillery is in the heart of Speyside, situated roughly halfway between Aberdeen and Inverness. The distillery’s visitor centre has been awarded five-star status by the Scotland National Tourism Board, so is clearly worth a visit.

Glenfiddich

Arguably home to one of the best-known whisky brands, the Glenfiddich distillery is set in the heart of the Scottish Highlands. Glenfiddich means “Valley of the deer” in Gaelic and it is a beautiful part of the world. 

Lagavulin

Lagavulin is another whisky from the isle of Islay, and as this picture shows it is situated right on the water side. If you enjoy a smokey whisky in picturesque surroundings then this is definitely worth a look.