A carefully crafted tour to give malt whisky fans an excellent introduction to the Highland & Speyside whisky regions
Watch VideoThis tour is only available as a private tour in 2023. Our private whisky tours are conducted in our 16 mini-coaches and, as such, are best suited to groups of 6+. Prices start from £1195 per day per group.
by more than 2400 happy customers
#1 for tours from Inverness and Invergordon
You will be collected from your Inverness accommodation 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.
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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 your accommodation at around 6pm, after a wonderfully informative day of Speyside sights, smells and samples!
CloseThis tour will not be running on a scheduled basis in 2023.
If you have a group of 6+ please feel free to contact us about scheduling a private Whisky Tour for your group. We have guides who are whisky experts, plus an executive 16-seater mini-coach, both of which are available on selected dates for private tours.
If you have a group of less than 6 then unfortunately we are unable to assist you. The reason for this is that our smallest vehicle is a 16-seater, so the tour is priced on this basis.
Whilst we would love to be able to accommodate requests for tours/tastings at other distilleries, unfortunately it has become very tricky to do this. Over the last 10 years of operating whisky tours some distilleries have become exceptionally popular and, as a result, many are less willing/able to welcome groups. We have worked with a number of the popular brands over the years but there is nothing at all we can do if they decide to cancel our bookings at the last minute. This inevitably leads to disappointment and frustration for our guests, which is the last thing that we want. Consequently, we only work with selected distilleries. Whilst they may not be the big brands, they all offer an excellent, authentic experience for WOW guests.
If there is somewhere specific you would like to visit please feel free to ask and we will do what we can..just no promises!
We would recommend running the tour from 8.15am to 6.30pm, in order to maximise the time that we have in Speyside.
As most whisky distilleries can only accommodate small groups, we use our smallest mini-coach for this tour; a 16-seater executive mini-coach. It is well-equipped with reclining seats, AC, USB chargers, panoramic windows, and even a glass roof. You will certainly be travelling in style for this tour.
We would suggest having 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.
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.
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.
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.
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With over 10 years of experience as a tour director and guide, Andrew prefers to consider himself as a storyteller, amateur historian and, above all, an ambassador for Scotland
Founder & Tour Guide
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Gordon founded WOW Scotland in 2010 and hasn’t looked back since. He is passionate about showcasing his homeland, and is continually striving to create the best possible experiences for every guest.
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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.
