20 May 2023

Scotland’s whisky distilleries

There’s never been a better time for whisky tourism – especially if you’re in Scotland.

Last year, World Whisky Day launched its annual ‘Eight Distilleries to Visit Before You Die‘ series. The aim was to highlight some of the very best distilleries across the world, from America to Australia, from Finland to South Africa.

For many whisky enthusiasts, despite a welcome explosion in world whisky, the distilleries of Scotland and their surroundings remain the most charming, the most enticing and the most beautiful of all.

Not surprisingly, whisky distilleries are one of the UK’s leading tourist attractions. In 2017, some 1.9 million people paid a visit to the 120+ whisky distilleries in Scotland. But with so much choice and variety available, from Highland Park in Orkney to Annandale in the Scottish Borders, deciding which of Scotland’s whisky distilleries to visit is no mean feat.

A hub for Scotland’s whisky distilleries

Map of Scottish Distilleries

Distillerytours.scot is a hub where visitors to Scotland and locals alike can discover all of Scotland’s whisky distillery visitor centres. It’s an independent venture committed to helping people make the most of their distillery trips. The hub can be searched by distillery or area, and a ‘Plan Your Trip’ section provides tips on planning as well as information on local places to stay and things to see and do.

Blair Bowman, the Founder of World Whisky Day and best-selling author of The Pocket Guide to Whisky: featuring the Whisky Tube Map, is the Global Ambassador for Distillerytours.scot. He says:

“Distillerytours.scot is an incredible project. We have a wealth of distilleries here in Scotland and this has brought them together in one place. It’s the go-to platform for tourists coming from the four corners of the world to experience Scotch whisky and I’m proud to be the Global Ambassador for it.”

Vote for your favourite

It’s impossible to say which Scottish distillery is the ultimate, the one you need to visit before you die – but we like to think you’ll have some thoughts of your own. Head over to Twitter and tell us which is your favourite Scottish distillery and why.

And if we’ve whetted your appetite for a spot of whisky tourism, head over to Distillerytours.scot to plan your full trip.

Slàinte!





Close up of a person holding a dram of whisky in a Glencairn glass

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