A carefully crafted tour to give malt whisky fans an excellent introduction to the Highland & Speyside whisky regions
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by more than 1750 happy customers
# 1 on TripAdvisor for Scotland tours from Inverness
You will be greeted in Inverness (either at the bus station or at selected hotels) by your WOW Scotland guide, who will show you on-board our executive WOW mini-coach ready for departure at 8.15am.
The first hour of our journey is spent travelling east, first along the shores of the Moray Firth then through the Morayshire towns of Nairn and Forres. The farmland and coastal scenery differs vastly to that seen on any of our other tours and your guide will explain why this landscape has been instrumental in the area’s rich whisky production history; Speyside boasts the largest concentration of whisky distilleries in the world (50 at last count)!
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Our first stop is in the historic town of Elgin at the Glen Moray Distillery, which has been producing single malt since 1897. Since its inception the distillery has been using a variety of distinct casks to mature their whisky. This is an unusual practise, which continues today, as the whiskies are matured in the on-site warehouse in everything from sherry and chardonnay to port casks, producing a intricate range of flavours .
We will enjoy an in-depth tour of the distillery, which will give you a great foundation for the day ahead. Following the tour you will be treated to a tasting flight of three of their excellent whiskies, in order that you can sample the unique breadth of cask flavours for yourself.
Please note that, in the event that Covid19 restrictions prevent the distillery from resuming tours in 2021, we have organised for you to participate in a tutored tasting instead. The whole Whisky Tour has been designed in this way so that, even if restrictions are as tight as in 2020, we should still be able to have a great day out!
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Casks are an integral component of the whisky production process, with the flavour and quality of whisky being partially determined by the type of cask it is matured in. At Speyside Cooperage, the largest working cooperage in the UK, highly skilled coopers are still using traditional skills to restore and repair casks. We will be treated to a 4D audio-visual presentation, before heading to the viewing gallery to admire the coopers at work. You can even try your hand at making a mini-cask too!
After our tour of the cooperage you will have the option to sit and enjoy some lunch in their barrel-themed coffee shop.
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Our next stop is at Glenfarclas Distillery, one of the few distilleries in Scotland which is still family owned, and a favourite of our customers due to its informal ambience and unique history. Here we will enjoy an introduction to the distillery and a dram in the unique surroundings of their bonded warehouse. After that we will be accompanied inside, where we will enjoy a second tasting of this traditional Speyside malt, with heavy sherry influence, in the luxurious surroundings of The Ship’s Room.
As with all of the places we visit on the tour, you will have some time to purchase whisky and whisky-themed gifts in the gift shop here, before we embark on our journey back to the Highlands for our final stop of the day.
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Here, whisky production is believed to have been a way of life since as far back as the fifteenth century. Hundreds of years of experience may go partway to explaining why their whisky is so special, and we wholeheartedly agree with their motto of having “a whisky which is as easy to enjoy as it is hard to forget”!
At Tomatin Distillery you will be taken on a one hour tour, which includes visits to the still house and the warehouse, and a unique opportunity to go inside a mash tun. This special tour will round off your day of whisky very nicely indeed. After the tour you will be encouraged to “experience the softer side of the Highlands” with tutored tastings of three specially selected drams.
On the way back to Inverness your guide will be happy to give you information about his recommended whisky bars in Inverness, for those who are keen to sample a few more drams before dinner! We will arrive back to Inverness Bus Station (or to your hotel in Inverness) at around 6pm, after a wonderfully informative day of Speyside sights, smells and samples!
CloseHere at WOW Scotland we only have two coaches, both of which were built to our precise specifications, to ensure the highest levels of passenger comfort. The vehicles have 30-seats and are very well-appointed with panoramic windows, comfortable reclining seats, USB ports under every seat and on-board WiFi. You can rest assured that you will be able to relax and enjoy the majestic scenery in complete comfort. You can read more about our coaches here.
Unfortunately this tour is not suitable for children under the age of 18, as some of the distilleries are unable to accommodate children on their tours. If an adult in your party is willing to look after the children at the experiences/tastings they are unable to participate in then it may be possible for children to join the tour in some cases, but only if they are over the age of 6. Please contact us to discuss this.
We will have lunch at the Speyside Cooperage’s barrel-themed cafe (which is adjacent to the gift shop, for those who want to browse while they wait!). Lunch is at your own expense.
We offer pick up from selected Inverness hotels. The full list of available hotels and timings will be available when booking your tour.
Unless you have booked hotel pick up, we pick-up from Stance 7 at Inverness Bus Station, Margaret Street, Inverness, IV1 1LT. Look out for the kilted WOW guide and WOW-branded coach and you won’t miss us!
Every distillery we visit has a shop selling their own whisky, plus a range of souvenirs, so we would definitely encourage you to buy your whisky enroute (just make sure you check your country’s rules regarding duty free, as you may well be limited to taking one or two bottles home!). We don’t stop at any other shops along the way.
There is a coffee shop at Glen Moray and also one at the Speyside Cooperage, where we stop for lunch. There are no other shops or cafes on the route so please feel free to bring refreshments with you on the coach.
This tour departs promptly at 8.15am (0815). Please ensure that you are ready to board the bus at 8.05am as we will leave promptly at 8.15am, and are unable to wait for any latecomers! The tour will return to Inverness city centre at approximately 6.30pm (1830). Tt is possible that we may return a bit later than this although we always try to keep to our schedule as much as possible.
Founder & Tour Guide
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Gordon founded WOW Scotland in 2010 and hasn’t looked back since. He loves talking about the Scottish Highlands, both on tour and on the TV and radio.
Tour Guide
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Prior to being a tour guide, Rob ran successful food and tourism businesses in Edinburgh and Perthshire. He has now been in the Highlands for 16 years, where he loves to indulge in his joint passions of golf and hiking.
