Customised Private Tours with Timberbush Tours

Are you a fan of whisky? Does the idea of a wee dram by the fire on one of Scotland’s most beautiful islands, surrounded by dramatic scenery (and potentially a bracing west coast wind) sound like the perfect cosy night?

Scotland is world renowned for whisky, known as scotch whisky across the world, or simply scotch. Here, it is known in Gaelic as “uisge-beatha”, or “the water of life”. Whisky is one of Scotland’s most important exports and industries, and a crucial part of our economy. It is made all over the country and split into 6 main regions: Highlands, Speyside, Lowlands, Campbeltown, Islands, and Islay. Each region often having its own characteristics, but with many sharing similarities. 

Islay is home to no less than 8 of, what are said to be, some of the best distilleries in Scotland and the world, with more on the way - giving credence to the island’s reputation as a whisky haven. As you can imagine, all these visitors to a small island in the summer can lead to it getting busy, so winter can be a great time to go. It might be a bit chilly, potentially windy, but isn’t that what Scotland’s all about? Plus, the whisky will keep you warm anyway!

Whilst on tour, we could stop at the following distilleries:

Bowmore Distillery – the oldest licensed distillery on Islay and one of the oldest in Scotland.

Ardbeg Distillery – founded in 1815 and still going strong today, despite closing briefly in the 1980s. Ardbeg is also the only distillery in the world that can say it was the first whisky in space after having 20 vials sent to the International Space Station in 2011. The whisky was returned in 2014 for tests to investigate the interaction.

Lagavulin Distillery – the favourite drink of Parks and Recreation’s character, Ron Swanson, featuring many times in the series, especially when the character visits the distillery.

Laphroaig Distillery – often considered one of the most strongly flavoured whiskies on the island, using the local flavours of the island and its abundance of peat.

Bruichladdich Distillery – a distillery doing things a bit differently to the others, producing one of the only unpeated whiskies on an island so famous for its unique, often heavily peated (smoky flavoured) whiskies.

The island is quite small at around 25 miles long, so travelling between the distilleries won’t take too long, and you’ll get to see almost every corner of the island, taking in the magnificent sea views and local wildlife as you do so. So, if your favourite dram doesn’t come from one of the distilleries above, we can go to another instead.

During the time on the island, we can arrange two-nights’ accommodation at your choice of hostel, bed & breakfast or hotel.

Do you want some great whisky without having to jump on a ferry, and also see some historic landmarks on the way? This one-day tour could be the perfect option for you. This is a great tour if you’re a whisky novice or expert but also want to experience more of Scotland by visiting historic sites, monuments and landmarks. On this tour we can stop at some of the following locations:

The Kelpies – opened in 2014 and already one of Scotland’s most iconic sculptures standing at over 100ft, the Kelpies are the tallest sculptures in Scotland and the largest equine sculptures in the world. To learn more about The Kelpies, and the creatures that inspired them, follow this link. 

Stirling Castle – one of the largest castles in Scotland and an architectural marvel, this castle dominates Stirling’s mountainous skyline. Some of its structures date back as early as the 14th century and it had been the site of the crowning of some of Scotland’s kings and queens including Mary, Queen of Scots as well as being the location of the baptism of Mary’s only son, James VI of Scotland, and James I of England.

Wallace Monument – a 220ft tall monument commemorating one of Scotland’s heroes, William Wallace, leaving an impressive mark on Stirling’s skyline.

Glenturret Distillery – Scotland’s oldest distillery, still using traditional methods, hand crafting its whisky using the only remaining hand operated mash tun in Scotland.

The Birks of Aberfeldy – a circular path through mixed woodland, named after a poem by one of the most famous Scots of all time – Robert Burns, of whom a statue sits at the entrance to the path. A must visit for any poetry fan. The name of this tour takes inspiration from a famous Robert Burns’ poem, The Author’s Earnest Cry and Prayer, as well as an episode in season three of Outlander.

Dewar’s Distillery – set in the heart of Perthshire, this distillery offers an amazing whisky and chocolate tasting after  a tour of the distillery.

Pitlochry and Blair Athol Distillery – situated in Pitlochry, another of Scotland’s oldest working distilleries, it stands at the gateway to the Scottish Highlands. It’s source of water – the Allt Dour – flows through the grounds from the nearby Ben Vrackie, leading to the whisky’s distinct flavour and smooth finish.

Dunkeld – a picturesque village separated by its neighbouring town of Birnam by the river Tay. It was the site of the 1689 Battle of Dunkeld, fought between Jacobite soldiers supporting the restoration of the then deposed Stuart king, James VII and a government regiment supporting the usurper William of Orange and Queen Mary II.

Queensferry and the Forth Bridges – one of Scotland’s most impressive sights and true marvels of engineering, the three bridges dominate the environment near the seaside town of Queensferry and make an excellent photo stop. The oldest of the three bridges, the Forth Rail Bridge was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2015 and the three bridges together are excellent examples of engineering over three centuries.