Speyside Whisky Distilleries Open to the Public
The following Speyside distilleries are open to the public in normal times. Most of them have visitor centres.
Most of these whisky distilleries are open to the public and are open for regular tours. We specialise in putting together whisky tours which blend together some of the tours and experiences over one or more days. We provide private Speyside Whisky Tours for a maximum of three people and can include any of the above distilleries on your itinerary.
Surprisingly, very few distilleries have cafes or restaurants. Glen Moray does. Glen Grant, Glenlivet and the Speyside Cooperage used to but no longer do.
The Glenlivet
Glenlivet was founded by George Smith in the heart of whisky smuggling country. He was the first person to receive a licence for spirit production. Glenlivet is the oldest legal distillery in Speyside and is known as the single malt that started it all. The visitor centre no longer has a cafe but there is a shop and an exhibition area. There are regular tours throughout the day.
Glen Moray Distillery
Glen Moray sits on the western side of the city of Elgin in Moray. This area has a warm microclimate and conditions are such that the angels get more than their usual share here. Glen Moray's visitor centre boasts a shop, cafe and is a popular stop for tastings.
Benromach
First established in 1898, Benromach was reopened by Gordon & MacPhail in the 1990’s. They are a family company synonymous with laying down single malt whiskies from distilleries across Scotland and this heritage has been used to good effect in their whisky production which comes across in the distillery tour. If we are leaving from Inverness for your Speyside Whisky Tour, Benromach is a good stop for a distillery tour as it's the first Speyside Distillery we reach.
Aberlour
Aberlour Distillery was founded by James Fleming a local farmer. He was a well known figure in the community and gave some of his profits to build the town hall and cottage hospital. Situated close to the magnificent River Spey. Aberlour Distillery is only offering tastings at the moment as the distillery is being upgraded.
Cardhu
Cardhu has an appealing history with roots in illicit distilling and a strong female character in its formative years. Cardhu is known as the home of Johnnie Walker!
The Macallan
The Macallan is one of the biggest brands of whisky and yet the spirit is produced on the smallest stills in the Speyside whisky region. These stills were depicted on the back of a £10 note (Bank of Scotland). It's undergone a huge investment and the new visitor centre opened to visitors in June 2018. There are only limited numbers of tour spaces on certain days.
Speyside Cooperage
The Speyside Cooperage is a key component of the local whisky industry building, repairing and restoring barrels ready to be filled with the amber spirit. Casks are fundamental to the taste of whisky and it’s an impressive sight watching the crafters at work. There are regular tours throughout the day. There's a diverse range of quality products in the shop and the cafe sells homebakes.
We are based in Lhanbryde, near Elgin in Speyside and are ideally placed to run whisky tours throughout the area with local departure Speyside Whisky Tours. We depart from your accommodation in the Moray Speyside region including Forres, Elgin, Keith, Rothes, Aberlour and Dufftown.
There are many other distilleries in Speyside which are unfortunately not open to the public for visits. These include Longmorn distillery where Taketsuru once worked (one of key influencers in Japanese Whisky). Roseisle Distillery which is situated near Burghead is a key component of Johnnie Walker blends. Glenburgie near Forres is one of the main malts to be found in Ballantines.
We also depart from further afield including Speyside Whisky Tours from Inverness, Grantown and Aviemore.
If you are thinking about a Speyside Whisky Tour, we offer a number of tour types and we also can put together a tailor made itinerary for you to help you maximise your time on Speyside. There's some more information on our Whisky Tour page or make an enquiry.
- Glenlivet
- Benromach
- Strathisla
- Cardhu
- Glen Grant
- Glen Moray
- Dallas Dhu
- Benriach
- Macallan
- Glenfiddich
- Balvenie
- Aberlour
- Glenfarclas
- Ballindalloch
- Cragganmore
- Speyburn
- Tomintoul
Most of these whisky distilleries are open to the public and are open for regular tours. We specialise in putting together whisky tours which blend together some of the tours and experiences over one or more days. We provide private Speyside Whisky Tours for a maximum of three people and can include any of the above distilleries on your itinerary.
Surprisingly, very few distilleries have cafes or restaurants. Glen Moray does. Glen Grant, Glenlivet and the Speyside Cooperage used to but no longer do.
- Relax and enjoy your day with our private guided Speyside Whisky Tour
The Glenlivet
Glenlivet was founded by George Smith in the heart of whisky smuggling country. He was the first person to receive a licence for spirit production. Glenlivet is the oldest legal distillery in Speyside and is known as the single malt that started it all. The visitor centre no longer has a cafe but there is a shop and an exhibition area. There are regular tours throughout the day.
Glen Moray Distillery
Glen Moray sits on the western side of the city of Elgin in Moray. This area has a warm microclimate and conditions are such that the angels get more than their usual share here. Glen Moray's visitor centre boasts a shop, cafe and is a popular stop for tastings.
Benromach
First established in 1898, Benromach was reopened by Gordon & MacPhail in the 1990’s. They are a family company synonymous with laying down single malt whiskies from distilleries across Scotland and this heritage has been used to good effect in their whisky production which comes across in the distillery tour. If we are leaving from Inverness for your Speyside Whisky Tour, Benromach is a good stop for a distillery tour as it's the first Speyside Distillery we reach.
Aberlour
Aberlour Distillery was founded by James Fleming a local farmer. He was a well known figure in the community and gave some of his profits to build the town hall and cottage hospital. Situated close to the magnificent River Spey. Aberlour Distillery is only offering tastings at the moment as the distillery is being upgraded.
Cardhu
Cardhu has an appealing history with roots in illicit distilling and a strong female character in its formative years. Cardhu is known as the home of Johnnie Walker!
The Macallan
The Macallan is one of the biggest brands of whisky and yet the spirit is produced on the smallest stills in the Speyside whisky region. These stills were depicted on the back of a £10 note (Bank of Scotland). It's undergone a huge investment and the new visitor centre opened to visitors in June 2018. There are only limited numbers of tour spaces on certain days.
Speyside Cooperage
The Speyside Cooperage is a key component of the local whisky industry building, repairing and restoring barrels ready to be filled with the amber spirit. Casks are fundamental to the taste of whisky and it’s an impressive sight watching the crafters at work. There are regular tours throughout the day. There's a diverse range of quality products in the shop and the cafe sells homebakes.
We are based in Lhanbryde, near Elgin in Speyside and are ideally placed to run whisky tours throughout the area with local departure Speyside Whisky Tours. We depart from your accommodation in the Moray Speyside region including Forres, Elgin, Keith, Rothes, Aberlour and Dufftown.
There are many other distilleries in Speyside which are unfortunately not open to the public for visits. These include Longmorn distillery where Taketsuru once worked (one of key influencers in Japanese Whisky). Roseisle Distillery which is situated near Burghead is a key component of Johnnie Walker blends. Glenburgie near Forres is one of the main malts to be found in Ballantines.
We also depart from further afield including Speyside Whisky Tours from Inverness, Grantown and Aviemore.
If you are thinking about a Speyside Whisky Tour, we offer a number of tour types and we also can put together a tailor made itinerary for you to help you maximise your time on Speyside. There's some more information on our Whisky Tour page or make an enquiry.
