Cornelius Amann
October 06, 2026
5/5
Scotland: Whisky in Speyside and Islay
7 days from Edinburgh to Glasgow: two nights in Speyside with three distilleries and a cooperage, Loch Ness and Oban, then two nights on Islay for Laphroaig, Ardbeg and the Kildalton coast.
7 days · Edinburgh to Glasgow · up to 12 guests
Loch Lomond from the shore at Luss Photo: S. Alexander Gilmour, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Loch_Lomond_(25052553995).jpg)
The facts
At a glance
- Length
- 7 days, 6 nights
- Start and end
- Edinburgh to Glasgow
- Group size
- 7 to 12 guests
- Activity level
Easy
Easy: mostly standing on distillery tours, with stairs and uneven warehouse floors, and short walks of up to about 2 km on paths and grass. Day 4 is the long drive, about five hours with stops. Optional riverside and coastal walks of 3 to 4 km on days 3 and 6, and every tour can be sat out.
- Meals included
- 6 breakfasts, 6 lunches, 2 dinners
- Room of your own
- + CAD 1,040 (estimated price)
- Season
- April to October
Highlights
Why this trip
- An introductory tasting of the five whisky regions on Edinburgh's Royal Mile
- The Glenlivet in its quiet glen on the afternoon you reach Speyside
- Coopers rebuilding casks by hand at the Speyside Cooperage, then a warehouse tasting from the cask at Glenfiddich
- A free afternoon on the Spey, with the Speyside Way to Telford's 1814 bridge at Craigellachie
- Loch Ness from the quiet east shore at Dores and Foyers, and the Fort Augustus locks on the way to Oban
- The ferry across the Sound of Jura to Islay, with the van and your guide on board
- Laphroaig, Ardbeg and the 8th-century Kildalton Cross on Islay's south coast
- Loch Lomond at Luss on the way into Glasgow
What makes this trip different
Free time is part of the plan
Free time and choices are marked on the days they fall.
Solo without the penalty
A room of your own is + CAD 1,040 (estimated price).
Day by day
Itinerary
Tap any stop on the map to open that dayClick any stop on the map to open that day
Arrive in Edinburgh
Edinburgh Airport to your hotel in the Old Town, then the Royal Mile on foot
- Dinner
- Stay in Edinburgh
Fly into Edinburgh Airport (EDI) and a driver meets you for the 30-minute run into the city.
Afternoon
Land by about 2 pm to make the afternoon.
Evening
If you land later, you miss the Royal Mile walk and the introductory tasting and join us at dinner; arriving the day before is easy to arrange. Your See Sight Tours guide meets the group at the hotel and walks you up the Royal Mile, the spine of the Old Town between the castle and Holyrood, with its closes and wynds dropping steeply either side. Near the castle esplanade we stop for an introductory whisky tour and tasting that maps the five Scotch regions, Speyside, Highland, Lowland, Campbeltown and Islay, so you know what you are tasting for the rest of the week. The guide explains how the days run: who drives (never anyone in the group), how tastings work, and how to take a dram home instead of drinking it. Dinner tonight is together, at a restaurant a short walk from the hotel.
Included
- Private transfer from Edinburgh Airport (EDI)
- Royal Mile walk with your guide
- Introductory whisky tour and tasting of the five Scotch regions on the Royal Mile
- Welcome dinner
Optional experiences
- Edinburgh Castle, if you arrive the day before (entry not included)
Free time: Free until mid-afternoon, depending on your flight; land after about 2 pm and you miss the Royal Mile tasting
Activity: About 1.5 km on foot on the Royal Mile, uphill on cobbles towards the castle.
Over the Highland line to Speyside
Edinburgh to Pitlochry, then the A9 to Grantown-on-Spey, The Glenlivet and Aberlour
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Speyside
- Drive about 4 h
We leave Edinburgh at about 8:30 and cross the Forth on the Queensferry Crossing, then run north past Perth into the Highlands.
Afternoon
Pitlochry is our first long stop, about an hour and a half out: a short woodland walk above the town towards the Black Spout waterfall, then a sit-down lunch on the main street. After lunch the A9 climbs over the Pass of Drumochter and along the edge of the Cairngorms National Park to Grantown-on-Spey, where the river that names the whole region comes into view. Our first Speyside distillery is The Glenlivet, in a high, quiet glen once known for illicit stills, for a tour and tasting in the middle of the afternoon. From there it is about half an hour to our hotel in Aberlour or Craigellachie, where we stay two nights.
Evening
The evening is free: most village hotels here have a whisky bar, and the guide will point you to the ones worth the walk.
Included
- Short woodland walk above Pitlochry towards the Black Spout
- Sit-down lunch in Pitlochry
- The Glenlivet distillery tour and tasting
Easier option: Stay in Pitlochry's main street for coffee instead of the woodland walk.
Free time: Evening free in Aberlour or Craigellachie
Activity: About 1.5 hours on foot, on woodland paths and distillery floors with stairs.
Casks, Glenfiddich and Glen Grant
Craigellachie to Dufftown, then Rothes and back to Aberlour, a short loop in the heart of Speyside
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Speyside
- Drive about 45 min
A whole day in Speyside with little driving. We start at the Speyside Cooperage in Craigellachie at 9:30 or 10, depending on the tour slot we book ahead: from the gallery you watch oak casks being taken apart, charred and rebuilt by hand, which is where much of a whisky's colour and flavour comes from. Dufftown is ten minutes on, a small town with several working distilleries around it. Glenfiddich, still owned by the family that founded it in 1887, takes us through its stillhouse and warehouses, and our tour there ends with a warehouse tasting drawn from the cask (if a different distillery hosts it on your dates, we tell you when we confirm).
Afternoon
Lunch is a sit-down meal in Dufftown. In the early afternoon we drive to Rothes for Glen Grant, a Victorian distillery with tall, slender stills and a garden behind it, for a tour and tasting. We are back in Aberlour by about 4:30 and the rest of the day is yours: the Speyside Way along the river, or a dram by the fire.
Included
- Speyside Cooperage visit, Craigellachie
- Glenfiddich distillery tour with a warehouse tasting, Dufftown
- Sit-down lunch in Dufftown
- Glen Grant distillery tour and tasting, Rothes
Easier option: Skip the Glen Grant tour and rest at the hotel; the guide picks up a sample for you if the distillery allows.
More active option: Walk the Speyside Way from Aberlour to Craigellachie and its 1814 Telford iron bridge, about 4 km each way, in the free late afternoon.
Free time: Late afternoon and evening free
Activity: Mostly on your feet indoors, about 2 hours of standing at the cooperage and Glenfiddich; three tastings in one day, each with a drivers' dram kit if you would rather take it home.
Down the Great Glen to Oban
Aberlour to Inverness, down the east shore of Loch Ness by Dores and Foyers to Fort Augustus, then Fort William and the coast road to Oban
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Oban
- Drive about 5 h
Evening
This is the long day, about five hours of driving, and we chose it over two one-night hotel changes. We leave at 8:30, pass through Inverness and take the quiet east shore of Loch Ness, stopping on the beach at Dores at the north end of the loch, then at Foyers for a short walk down to the falls. The road climbs over the hills to Fort Augustus, where the Caledonian Canal climbs out of the loch through a flight of five locks; lunch is a sit-down meal there, and you can walk the locks while the food comes. Fort William sits under Ben Nevis, the highest mountain in Britain, and on a clear day the summit shows above the town. The last hour follows Loch Linnhe south through Appin, with a photo stop for Castle Stalker on its tidal island, into Oban by about 5. Five stops break the drive into legs of about an hour. Oban is a harbour town, and the evening is free for seafood by the pier.
Included
- Loch Ness from the beach at Dores
- Short walk to the Falls of Foyers
- Sit-down lunch at Fort Augustus by the Caledonian Canal locks
- Ben Nevis views from Fort William
- Castle Stalker viewpoint at Appin
Optional experiences
- Oban distillery tour in the town centre (booked ahead, at your own cost)
Easier option: Stay by the van at Foyers rather than walk down to the falls.
Free time: Evening free in Oban
Activity: The longest drive of the trip, about five hours, with short walks at each stop. The Foyers path is steep steps.
Kilmartin Glen and the ferry to Islay
Oban to Kilmartin Glen and Tarbert, then the CalMac ferry from Kennacraig to Islay
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Islay
- Drive about 2 h
We head south from Oban at about 8:30 to Kilmartin Glen, one of the richest prehistoric landscapes in Scotland: a line of burial cairns and standing stones runs down the valley floor, and you can walk between them on level grass.
Afternoon
After about an hour and a half there, we drive on along Loch Fyne to Tarbert, a fishing harbour on the narrow neck of Kintyre, for a sit-down lunch. Kennacraig, the ferry terminal for Islay, is ten minutes away. The van goes on the CalMac ferry with us and the crossing takes about two hours, down West Loch Tarbert and across the Sound of Jura, with the Paps of Jura rising to the north. Sailing times change by day and season, so the order of lunch and Kilmartin may flip on your date; if the sailing is early, we shorten Kilmartin to the main cairns and take lunch on board. We land at Port Ellen or Port Askaig in the late afternoon and drive to our hotel on the island for two nights.
Included
- Kilmartin Glen cairns and standing stones with your guide
- Sit-down lunch in Tarbert
- CalMac car ferry from Kennacraig to Islay, with the vehicle
Easier option: Stay by the van at the first cairn rather than walking the whole line.
Free time: Evening free on Islay
Activity: About 2 km of level walking on grass at Kilmartin; the ferry has a cafe and lounge.
The Kildalton coast: Laphroaig, Ardbeg and the cross
Islay's south coast to Laphroaig, Ardbeg and Kildalton Cross, and back
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Stay in Islay
- Drive about 1.5 h
The south coast of Islay east of Port Ellen holds three famous peated whiskies within a few kilometres of each other, joined by a footpath.
Morning
We start with the first tour of the morning at Laphroaig, where you see the floor maltings and smell the peat smoke that defines the island's style, then finish with a tasting.
Afternoon
Ardbeg is next, for a shorter tour, its own tasting and a sit-down lunch at its cafe in the old kiln. In the afternoon the road narrows to single track through woods to Kildalton Cross, a carved stone cross of the late 8th century standing in an old churchyard, one of the finest early Christian crosses in Scotland. We are back at the hotel by about 4, with time to walk the shore or visit Lagavulin's shop on your own.
Evening
Tonight is the farewell dinner, local seafood if the boats have been out.
Included
- Laphroaig distillery tour and tasting
- Ardbeg distillery tour and tasting, with a sit-down lunch at its cafe
- Kildalton Cross and the old chapel
- Farewell dinner on Islay
Optional experiences
- Bowmore or Kilchoman distillery tour in the free late afternoon (booked ahead, at your own cost)
Easier option: Ride the van between the distilleries and skip the walk to the chapel ruins.
More active option: Walk the Three Distilleries Path from Laphroaig past Lagavulin to Ardbeg, about 3 km on a surfaced path beside the road, and meet the van for lunch.
Free time: Late afternoon free
Activity: Two tastings today; drivers' dram kits where offered. The Kildalton road is single track.
Back to the mainland, Loch Lomond and Glasgow
Islay ferry to Kennacraig, then Inveraray, the Rest and Be Thankful, Loch Lomond and Glasgow
- Breakfast and lunch
- Drive about 3 h
Morning
We take the morning ferry back to Kennacraig, about two hours. The sailing that gets us to Glasgow on time may be the first of the day, which can mean leaving the hotel at 6 or 7 am with breakfast packed or on board; we confirm the time with your dates.
Afternoon
From Kennacraig the road follows Loch Fyne to Inveraray, a planned Georgian town on the shore, where we stop for lunch. Then we climb through Glen Croe to the Rest and Be Thankful pass and drop to Loch Lomond at Tarbet, following the west shore south to Luss, a conservation village of slate cottages on the water, for a last walk by the loch. We drop you in the city centre near George Square by about 4:30 pm, or at Glasgow Airport (GLA). Book a flight leaving after about 7 pm, or stay on in Glasgow; Islay to Glasgow flights also exist if you would rather fly back from the island at your own cost.
Included
- CalMac car ferry from Islay to Kennacraig
- Lunch in Inveraray
- The Rest and Be Thankful pass
- Loch Lomond and Luss
- Drop at Glasgow city centre or Glasgow Airport (GLA)
Activity: An early start is likely, set by the ferry. Book a flight leaving after about 7 pm.
- Edinburgh1 night
- Speyside2 nights
- Oban1 night
- Islay2 nights
- Glasgowend
- Overnight stop
- Day trip
- By boat or train
Wildlife and weather: Expect rain and wind on some days in any month; the distillery days are indoors, so weather matters most on the day 4 drive and the ferries. May, June and September bring long, mild days. Seals and seabirds are common along the Islay shore.
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Before you book
Right for you?
Good for you if you want
- Whisky drinkers who want Speyside and Islay in one week without anyone having to drive
- The curious: tastings are optional and the landscapes, ferries and towns carry the days
- Couples where one drinks and one does not
- Travellers who want two-night stays and a small group rather than a coach
Not for you if you want
- Anyone under 18, who cannot join the tastings
- A first visit wanting Skye, Glencoe and the castles: see our Edinburgh, Highlands and Isle of Skye trip
- Travellers who want several distilleries a day or rare-cask collector tours; we keep to two or three tastings a day
- Anyone who dislikes ferries or a five-hour drive day or a 6 am ferry start
Minimum age: 18
Book flights after we confirm your seat.
6 nights
Where you'll stay
Your hotels are named in your trip confirmation.
- Edinburgh1 night
- Speyside2 nights
- Oban1 night
- Islay2 nights
One price
What's in the price
Included
Accommodation
- 6 nights: 1 in Edinburgh, 2 in Speyside (Aberlour or Craigellachie), 1 in Oban and 2 on Islay (Port Ellen or Bowmore, confirmed with your dates)
- Central hotels of a 3-star-plus standard with private bathrooms, a short walk from places to eat; we name each hotel when we confirm your dates
- Rooms shared, or your own for a supplement
Transport
- Private transfer from Edinburgh Airport (EDI) on day 1
- A private minivan and professional driver for the group from day 2 to day 7, sized for 7 to 12 guests and single-track island roads
- CalMac car ferries from Kennacraig to Islay and back, with vehicle space booked
- Drop at Glasgow city centre or Glasgow Airport (GLA) on day 7
Your guide
- A See Sight Tours guide with the group for the whole trip
- The site guides on every distillery and cooperage tour
Activities
- Edinburgh: Royal Mile walk and an introductory whisky tour and tasting of the five regions
- Pitlochry woodland walk
- The Glenlivet distillery tour and tasting
- Speyside Cooperage, Craigellachie
- Glenfiddich distillery tour with a warehouse tasting, Dufftown
- Glen Grant distillery tour and tasting, Rothes
- Loch Ness at Dores, the Falls of Foyers, Fort Augustus locks and Castle Stalker viewpoint
- Kilmartin Glen
- Laphroaig distillery tour and tasting
- Ardbeg distillery tour and tasting
- Kildalton Cross
- Loch Lomond at Luss
- All parking and site fees for included stops
Meals
- 6 breakfasts
- 6 lunches, on days 2 to 7
- 2 dinners: a welcome dinner in Edinburgh and a farewell dinner on Islay
Not included
- International flights to Edinburgh and from Glasgow
- UK Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA)
- Travel insurance
- Dinners not listed (days 2 to 5 and day 7)
- Drinks with meals and whisky bought to take home
- Optional distillery tours in free time (Oban, Bowmore, Kilchoman)
- Tips
- Personal expenses
- Islay to Glasgow flight, if you choose to fly back
Extras
- Room of your own
- CAD 1,040 (estimated price)
When you can go
Dates and prices
Pick your start date when you request to book. We check that date and confirm it in your quote.
Prefer to travel without a group or guide? Ask us about arranging hotels, transport and city tours for you to travel independently.
Before you book
Booking terms
Nothing is charged now. Full terms and the cancellation schedule come with your quote, before you accept.
Business addresses
See Sight Tours Trips (USA): 3172 N Rainbow Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89108, United StatesSee Sight Tours Trips (Canada): 5305 50 Avenue, #1091, Red Deer, AB T4N 4B6, Canada+1-888-961-6584Guest reviews
What guests say
Reviews from guests on our day tours.
Jane
October 06, 2026
5/5
Susan
October 06, 2026
5/5
Tom L
October 05, 2026
5/5
MandL83
October 05, 2026
5/5
Darren O
October 05, 2026
5/5
Good to know
Questions
What does the whisky tour price include?
Six nights in central hotels, 6 breakfasts, 6 lunches and 2 dinners, airport and city transfers, a private van and professional driver, both Islay car ferries, your See Sight Tours guide throughout, and five distillery tours with tastings, a warehouse tasting, the Speyside Cooperage and the Royal Mile whisky tour. Drinks with meals, bottles you buy and tips are extra.
How big is the group?
The small group runs with 7 to 12 guests, one van and one guide. That size suits distillery tours and tasting rooms, keeps the whole group in one vehicle on the Islay ferry, and lets us use single-track roads that a full-size coach avoids.
Who leads the trip, and who drives?
A See Sight Tours guide travels with you from Edinburgh to Glasgow, and a professional driver handles the van, so nobody in the group drives and everyone can taste. Distillery staff lead the tours inside each site, with your guide alongside.
Do I have to drink whisky to enjoy this trip?
No. Every tasting is optional and most distilleries pack a drivers' dram kit for you to take home instead. The tours themselves, the cooperage, Loch Ness, Kilmartin Glen, the ferry and the Kildalton coast work for non-drinkers, and partners who do not drink often come along.
How fit do I need to be?
Not very. Most of the time you stand on distillery tours, with stairs and uneven warehouse floors, and walk up to about 2 km. Day 4 is a five-hour drive with stops. Longer walks on the Speyside Way and the Three Distilleries Path are optional, and any tour can be sat out.
I'm travelling solo. Do I pay a single supplement?
Only if you want a room of your own, which is from CAD 1,040 more and shown before you book. If you share, you pay the base price. Tell us when you request to book and we will say whether a same-gender roommate match is possible on your date; if not, you choose before paying anything.
When is the best time for a Scotland whisky tour?
April to October, when the days are long and the ferries run fuller timetables. Spirit of Speyside runs around the start of May and Fèis Ìle on Islay at the end of May; both are lively but rooms and tours sell out early, so ask before booking those dates.
How does booking work?
Choose a departure date and request to book. We confirm your place within 24 hours, and no payment is taken until we do. Prices are per person sharing a room, with taxes, from CAD 5,785 for the small group.
Can we travel privately or on our own dates?
Yes. The trip also runs as a private trip for your party only, on a date you choose, with your own guide, driver and van. If you would rather travel independently on your own dates, ask from the dates section and we will quote hotels, ferries and distillery bookings separately.
Do I need a visa or an ETA for the UK?
Canadian and US passport holders need no visa for a tourist visit but do need a UK Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA), applied for online before you fly for a small fee. Other nationalities should check the UK rules before booking; we can help.
Is Islay worth the ferry crossing?
For whisky, yes: Islay's heavily peated malts are a style of their own, and Laphroaig, Lagavulin and Ardbeg sit within a few kilometres on one coast. Two nights give a full island day. If weather cancels a sailing, the guide reorders the days, rebooks the next crossing and we cover any extra hotel night.
Are there early starts or long driving days?
Two, and we say so up front. Day 4 is about five hours of driving from Speyside to Oban, broken by Loch Ness, Foyers, lunch at Fort Augustus and Fort William; it saves two one-night hotel stops. On day 7 the ferry off Islay may mean leaving at 6 or 7 am. Other days start at about 8:30.
See Sight Tours has been providing travel services across North America since 2006. Operating in 20 cities across Canada and the USA, the company specializes in small group tours that offer personalized, high-quality experiences for travelers.
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