Scotland's Whisky Trail

Explore Scotland's beautiful capital, winding your way through the cobbled streets of the old town; delving into its history at Edinburgh Castle; exploring the Walter Scott monument; and heading down to the waterside at Leith. Head to Calton Hill or climb Arthur's Seat for the best views of the city.

Edinburgh is Scotland’s capital city and nicknamed the Athens of the North for its grand Georgian architecture. It’s the New Town that earned the city this sobriquet: its elegant neoclassical terraces were inspired by the buildings of Ancient Greece and though it’s called the New Town, this neighbourhood is already nearly 300 years old.

Edinburgh’s Old Town dominates the city from atop a volcanic outcrop and Edinburgh Castle balances perilously on the edge. The Royal Mile runs down to the Palace of Holyroodhouse, the official residence of Her Majesty the Queen in Scotland. The Windsor connections can be seen at a hidden location in the district of Leith, where the Queen’s Royal Yacht Britannia is now docked. Explore Edinburgh’s highlights with your expert guide and discover what makes this city perennially popular.

Visit the Society's 28 Queen Street address with your guide for an introduction to Scotland's most famous tipple. Over 132 distilleries are represented at the Society and your guide will help you navigate the vast array on offer. As you sample different type, you'll learn how the properties and the earth and soil in which each whisky is produced influences its taste.

J.K. Rowling wrote the original Harry Potter stories while living in Edinburgh, making the Scottish capital truly a place of pilgrimage for Potter fans. With an expert local guide, visit the cafes where Rowling used to write and explore Greyfriars Kirkyard, which inspired Tom Riddle’s graveyard in The Goblet of Fire. Edinburgh’s fine architecture is world-renowned and with your guide you’ll also see some of the places that inspired the design of Hogwart’s and Diagon Alley

From high-end department stores to boutiques and exclusive gift shops, spend some time browsing the shops of Edinburgh.

The Lowlands encompass the southern half of Scotland between the Highlands and the English border, along with Edinburgh, Glasgow, Dundee and Aberdeen. This string of towns and cities along what’s known as the Central Belt between the Firth of Forth and the Clyde are home to most of Scotland’s population and is a region rich with history, culture and grand old architecture. Alongside traditional country pursuits such as fishing and grouse shooting, to which vast estates and stately homes are dedicated to, walking, rock climbing and mountain biking are increasingly popular in the area, the latter thanks to a fabulous network of forest trails across the region. Some of the most famous golf courses in the world can also be found here.

Blair Castle is unlike any other castle in Scotland. Its baronial architecture and beautiful setting in wooded grounds with mountainous backdrop are typical enough, but a couple of accidents of history have set Blair Castle apart. In 1844 Queen Victoria spent three weeks at Blair and during her stay granted the Duke a private army, the Atholl Highlanders, today the only private army in Europe. In more recent times, the castle passed to a branch of the family currently residing in South Africa.

Pitlochry is a bustling town is home to many excellent shops but is perhaps most famous for the intriguing salmon ladder, a construction that allows fish to swim upstream during the breeding season. Nearby, local distilleries retain traditional artisanal production methods while introducing the drink to a new generation of connoisseurs.

Whisky is one of Scotland’s most successful exports and with good reason: this famous beverage evokes the spirit of Scotland and nowhere is more intrinsically linked to it than the region of Speyside. Barley is distilled in fresh Highland water, and the region in which it is grown gives a different taste to the final product. In Speyside the whiskies have either a light and grassy or rich and sweet palette and the region has no shortage of producers with largest concentration of distilleries in Scotland based here. Join your guide to learn more about one of Scotland’s finest products.

Ballindalloch Castle is set at the heart of a traditional Highland estate, not far from Inverness on Speyside. The 16th century castle itself is picture perfect, often called the ‘Pearl of the North, and it is perhaps the finest surviving examples of a Scottish Baronial Castle with elegant reception rooms and well-tended gardens. You’ll be hosted for an exclusive tour by Laird and Lady Macpherson-Grant, whose family stewardship dates back to the 15th century. After time to explore the grounds, visit the Estate’s private distillery and end with a whisky tasting accompanied by the Ballindalloch Distillery Host.

Loch Ness is home to the legendary Loch Ness Monster, first reported in 1934. Nessie may have turned out to be fictional, but this corner of Scotland lies at the gateway to some of the country’s most stunning scenery. By volume, it is the largest lake in the British Isles and contains more fresh water than all the lakes in England and Scotland combined. The loch itself is overlooked by the ruins of Urquhart Castle, a medieval fortress that has stood for centuries at the crossroads of Scotland’s history.

Enjoy a ride on the Jacobite steam train, made famous as the Hogwart’s Express in the Harry Potter movies. The train is one of the best ways to view the stunning scenery of the West Coast.

Skye’s rugged landscapes and dramatic mountain scenery are unrivalled among the islands of the West Coast. There are a only few roads crossing the island and its isolated position has ensured it retains a strong and proud Gaelic identity. There is a thriving arts and crafts tradition on the island and photographers from far and wide are attracted not only for the peaks and valleys but for the extraordinary abundance of wildlife, both on dry land and in the sea, that Skye is famous for.

Talisker is the oldest working distillery on the Isle of Skye, set on the shores of Loch Harport in the village of Carbost. Tour of the distillery, seeing its five copper pot stills and the traditional worm tubs that make our Talisker so unique, then take a look at the casks in the warehouse where the Angel’s Share is lost to evaporation during maturation. End with a taste of the-award winning, alluring, sweet, full-bodied single malt.

Glencoe is undoubtedly one of the most awe-inspiring sights in the whole of Scotland. Site of the 1695 Massacre of Glencoe, today it is a hauntingly beautiful Highland glen which evokes the spirit of the clans who ruled this land for centuries.

Made famous by the song The Bonnie Banks o’ Loch Lomond, this freshwater loch is one of Scotland’s most evocative sites. The loch marks the beginning of the Highlands and the magnificent scenery of the Trossachs forms the backdrop to this spectacular location.

Glasgow is the beating heart of modern Scotland. The country’s sporting, music and financial capital, Glasgow is a hard-working and thriving city. The city packs in a fair amount of culture too, from the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum to Glasgow Cathedral and the historic Provand’s Lordship, the oldest house in the city. The creations of Glasgow’s most famous son, Charles Rennie Mackintosh, can be seen all over the city from the Willow Tea Rooms to the Mackintosh House at the Hunterian Museum.

Scotland's largest city is a thriving metropolis renowned for its culture and style. It is home to world-class museums and galleries, a vibrant arts scene and some of Scotland's best shopping and nightlife. The city itself has a rich and diverse history, reflected in its architecture which ranges from the 18th-century warehouses of Merchant City to the red sandstone Victorian buildings that line its squares and crescents. Then there are the silver space-age constructions of the Glasgow Science Centre and the Clyde Auditorium, affectionately known as the Armadillo.