Even if you don’t like whisky, it would be a shame to go to Scotland without visiting one of the original distilleries. Some of these distilleries have produced the finest whisky globally for hundreds of years.
You don’t even need to try it, it’s the experience that counts. And if you do try it, you might surprise yourself at how much you like it. Whisky straight from the barrels of the distillery is smooth, full of flavour, and warm – it’ll definitely put some hair on your chest as it goes down.
Read on for the ultimate guide to Scotland’s best distilleries in 2025.
Strathisla Distillery – Keith, East Scotland
The Strathisla Distillery claims to be a sensory experience – depending on how many whiskies you drink, the main sensory experience you might have the next day is a headache.
This beautiful riverside distillery has over 235 years of experience creating the finest whisky Scotland can supply. The rich yet smooth Chivas Regal blends and iconic Speyside malt are famous from this distillery. And, fun fact if you didn’t know, the Chivas Regal was the world’s first luxury whisky.
If you take a tour, you’ll taste some of the rarest and exclusive drams in Scotland and even have the chance to create your own blend.
There are multiple tour options available:
- Strathisla maturation tour and tasting: 1 hour, £55pp
- Strathisla Distillery tour and tasting: 1 hour 20 minutes, £22pp
The whiskies produced here include:
- Strathisla 15 Year Old 1st Fill Barrel
- Caperdonich 18 Year Old 2nd Fill Butt
- Chivas Regal 18 Blended Scotch Whisky
- Chivas Extra Sherry
- Chivas XV Blended Scotch Whisky
As one of the most famous and popular distilleries in Scotland, it’s 100% worth a visit.
Ardbeg Distillery – Islay, West Coast Scotland
The famous Ardbeg Distillery is the Islay single malt Scotch whisky distillery in Ardbeg on the South coast of the Isle of Islay – it’ll blow your socks off.
It’s not as much of a looker as the Strathisla Distillery, but the vibe you get from the outside is that it’s a rugged place that knows how to produce incredible whisky. According to their website, whisky connoisseurs have said the distillery is “as close to perfection as makes no difference.” We can’t argue with that, can you?
Here, six of their Ardbeg expressions have won globally prestigious whisky awards, including the Whisky of the Year, Scotch Whisky of the Year, and the World’s Best Single Malt awards.
With over 200 years of experience producing whiskies smooth and rich enough to win these awards, it’s no wonder it has made it onto our list.
Tour experiences include:
- The classic distillery experience (core range drams): 1 hour 15 minutes, 3 x 15ml drams, £22.50pp
- The classic distillery experience (limited edition drams): 1 hour 15 minutes, 3 x 15ml drams, £40pp
- The classic tasting experience (core range drams): 1 hour 15 minutes, 5 x 15ml drams, £22.50pp
- The weekend whisky wander: 1 hour 30 minutes, 4 x 15ml drams, £80pp
The whiskies produced here are all the Ardbeg brand, a heavily peated Islay whisky with a strong smoky flavour.
Some of the options include:
- Ardbeg 10 Years Old
- Ardbeg Wee Beastie
- Ardbeg AN OA
- Ardbeg Bizzare BQ (Limited Edition)
- Ardbeg 25 Years Old (Limited Edition)
Glenfiddich Distillery – Speyside, Scottish Highlands
You can’t go wrong with a distillery tour in the Scottish Highlands.
The Glenfiddich Distillery, located in Speyside, is one of the most historic-looking distilleries in Scotland. Producing one of the most famous whiskies that we’ll all have seen in the supermarkets, Glenfiddich Whisky, we had to finish strong with this one.
The farmhouse-looking exterior hides a glorious-tasting whisky waiting for you to try. What makes this distillery so iconic is that it’s a family-run distillery, and the family actually built it with their bare hands. And that was the beginning of the story, started by William Grant in 1886.
Glenfiddich, Gaelic for Valley of the Deer, took one year to build, brick by brick, until the first drop of whisky fell from a barrel on Christmas Day 1887 – what a celebration that must have been.
The distillery tours include:
- The Glenfiddich Explorer Tour: 1 hour 30 minutes, £30pp
- The Glenfiddich Malt Master Tour: 2 hours 30 minutes, £75pp
- The Glenfiddich Distillery Milestones Tour: 4 hours, £250pp
The whiskies produced here include:
- Glenfiddich 12 Year Old
- Glenfiddich 14 Year Old
- Glenfiddich Gran Reserva
- Glenfiddich Gran Cru
And so many more that there are too many to continue listing.
You won’t regret booking a distillery tour in Scotland. Like we say, even if you don’t like whisky, it’s about the experience. And, who knows, you might like whisky by the end of it!