Distillery & Brewery Tours
Scotch Whisky Tours around Scotland
I have selected and number of Distilleries and Breweries in and around Edinburgh which distill and brew there produce and have a large following throughout Scotland and some worldwide.
Each have there own tours where you can see their produce being made and taste the product.
I have also included a selection of Scotch Whisky Distilleries throughout Scotland
Origins of Scottish Whisky
The Water of Life
Alcohol has been around since the Egyptians were building the Pyramids, giving the workers beer and bread to help them through the hot days. Wine has also been known to be in existence for up to 10,000 years through religious scripts. It is not known when Whisky was first made but records of distillation are shown from the 11th century. The first written record of whisky was in 1494.
The name whisky originally from the Gaelic "Uisge Beatha", meaning 'water of life'.
In 1644 the Scottish Government imposed a tax on whisky and in 1707 after the union of Scotland and England a malt tax was introduced on the 23 June 1725 which caused riots over Scotland, this indirectly increased the cost of making whisky, as malt is the main ingredient.
In 1824 George Smith the originator of the Glenlivet whisky was the first to gain a legal licence to distil whisky when the English government introduced a law to legalize the production of whisky.
The oldest bottlers of whisky are Cadenhead’s who have been bottling whisky since 1824.
Whisky and all alcoholic drinks are restricted to persons of over 18 years and should not be consumed by anyone younger.
Tartan
Definition of Tartan
Official definition of Tartan from the Scottish Register of Tartans Act (2008) Section 2
Section 2: A tartan is a design which is capable of being woven, consisting of two or more alternating coloured stripes which combine vertically and horizontally to form a repeated chequered pattern. The tartan pattern is traditionally known as the sett of the tartan. Below are a number of examples of Scottish Tartans and 2 American, which can be found on the Scottish register of tartans. Pop in to The Edinburgh Clothing Company at 93 South Bridge Edinburgh to see if you can find your Clan Tartan or see www.tartanregister.gov.uk for all tartans registered in the Scottish tartans register a comprehensive list is also available on www.thesotlandkiltcompany.co.uk/clan-shop.
Originally Tartan was normal everyday clothing which was made locally to the area you lived. Tartan was seen by the
English as a form of uniform, an Act of parliament band the wearing of tartan in 1747, this was the Act of Proscription. This came about due to the Jacobite uprising which ended at the Battle of Culloden 1746. The Act of Proscription was ended by George III in 1782 which allowed highland dress to be worn again after 35 years being outlawed. There are 34 US States with their own tartan.
Glenkinchie Distillery
Home of Johnnie Walker's Lowland Distillery
To start, this is for over 18 years old only, as we will be visiting a whisky Distillery and Gin Distillery and tasting both Whisky and Gin and other produce. You will visit The Glenkinchie Distillery and Visitor Centre where you will tour the distillery and taste the whisky. You will have time to look around the shop and try more whisky before you buy. There is also a unique Bottle your own from a whisky cask.
Drinkaware.co.uk​
ND Distillery
Gin & Rum
NB Gin Distillery
The NB Distillery started in a kitchen just like the old way of distilling. The owners once settling on the correct formula and made from the best source produce and water they opened their first distillery.
Now NB Gin is known worldwide and the latest product is a Golden Rum which is not to be missed.
​
Holyrood Distillery
The Holyrood Distillery and Visitor Centre is located near Arthur Seat at St Leonard’s Hill.
Holyrood Distillery is the first distillery to produce a single malt whisky in over 100 years.
Holyrood whisky Distillery was awarded in the Icons of Whisky Awards,
Best Scottish Attraction 2021.
Take the tour and try the whisky and Gin produced here in Scotland.
Belhaven Brewery Tour
Belhaven Brewery was started by the Benedictine Monks circa 800 years ago and is the oldest brewery in Scotland. Belhaven is a successful independent brewery one of its kind in Scotland.
Belhaven Visitor Experience and Shop
where you can try the award winning Beers see where and how its made.
Belhaven beers are all made from a fresh water source and the secret Belhaven yeast.
Our top beers are Belhaven Best and Belhaven Black and a number of award winning craft beers and ales.
Stewart's Brewery Tour
Stewart’s Brewery opened in 2004 by Steve Stewart and his wife Jo. With many craft beers enjoy
a tour of the brewing facility and have a meal and buy some gifts.
Don’t drink and drive. Find out all about Brewing in the 21st Century
Shop, Taproom, Craft Beer Kitchen, Brewery Tour
Whisky Distillery Tours
Scottish Single Malt Whisky Tours
Six of the Best
Single Malt Whiskies, already tried the Whisky now come to where it’s made, in the Highlands of Scotland.
See where the water of life comes from the Burn to the Bottle.
Tour a Malt Whisky distillery and find out its history.
Now the good part.
Tasting the great nectar of Scotland. We can transport you from a set pick up point of your choice
No Drinking and Driving. Then drop you off back at your home destination.
Macallan Distillery
Single Malt Whisky
Easter Elchies, Craigellachie AB38 9RX
The Macallan single malt whisky licensed in 1824, distributed around the world.
Made for centuries on the Macallan (Maghellan) Estate.
The Macallan distillery is where the high quality single malt is made using oak casks
that give the unique taste no other whisky has. A taste not to be missed, arrange a tailor made tour of this unique distillery.
Glenlivet Distillery
Single Malt Whisky
Castleton of Blairfindy, Ballindalloch AB37 9DB
A name known around the world, Glenlivet near Ballindalloch, Moray, Scotland
in the Speyside region.
George IV on his visit to Scotland drank the famous malt (illegal at that time).
Glenlivet became the oldest legal distillery in the parish of Glenlivet.
Producing single malt Scotch whisky under license since 1824.
Whilst in Ballindalloch, why not visit the Ballindalloch Castle and Gardens since the 16th century.
The water that makes Glenlivet special comes from ‘Josie's Well’, and other springs near the distillery.
Glenfiddich Distillery
Single Malt Whisky
Dufftown, Banffshire AB55 4DH
Glenfiddich Malt Whisky has been produced by the Grant family since its founding in 1887.
The Distillery was literally built by hand, by the family taking a year to build.
Named by William Grant after the land purchased to build the distillery on
‘Glenfiddich’ Gaelic ‘Valley of The Deer’.
The water source is from the famous
Robbie Dhu Spring
Glenmorangie Distillery
Single Malt Whisky
Tain, Glen Morangie, Ross-Shire IV19 1PZ
William and Ann Matheson had a dream which they fulfilled in 1843,
when they founded the Glenmorangie Distillery. The Tarlogie Springs are the source of the
unique waters that give the fruity taste to Glenmorangie Malt Whisky.
Glenmorangie Whisky has been produced on the site since its founding.
Aberlour Distillery
Single Malt Whisky
Main Street, Aberlour AB38 9PJ
​Aberlour Distillery was first founded by the Grants in 1825 but in 1833 the built their own distillery in Rothes. Along came James Fleming, founding the present distillery in 1879.
The whisky is aged in both ex-Sherry and ex-Bourbon casks giving unique flavours.
Glenallachie Distillery
Single Malt Whisky
Glenallachie, Aberlour AB38 9LR
This Distillery is young in comparison to the 1824 starts.
However this is truly a
Scottish Malt whisky Distillery.
GlenAllachie Speyside
Single malt Scotch whiskies
Batch 4 of the10-year-old Cask Strength GlenAllachie Single Malt Whisky
Won the World’s Best Single Malt at the 2021 World Whiskies Awards
Rosebank Distillery
On the opening of the Forth & Clyde canal in 1790, the connection between Edinburgh in the east and Glasgow
in the west of Scotland gave a safe route for goods and people from coast to coast.
Many Distilleries were built along the canal banks, Rosebank was one of them in the village of Camelon.
Rosebank Distillery
Rosebank Distillery,
Camelon Rd,
Falkirk
FK1 5SQ
The Rankine Family
The Distillery was founded by James Rankine, a merchant of the town. The Rosebank distillery is the only surviving among all the distilleries opened along the canal. James Rankine purchased the maltings of the old Camelon distillery in 1840, his son then demolished the Camelon site and rebuilt it in 1868 as the now Rosebank Distillery. Rosebank was closed in 1993.
It continued to produce whisky for the conglomerate owner and the quality was lost to blends now after many years it has been rescued by an independent Ian Macleod Distillers in 2017. The Rosebank Distillery is back distilling great whiskies.
Take a Tour and buy the whisky with the money you would have spent on transport to the highland distilleries,
you will not be disappointed. ​
