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Whisky Distilleries of Scotland

In Scotland, whisky is never spelt whiskey and the Scots themselves never refer to it as Scotch! Another important definition is that a malt whisky is the unblended product of a single distillery. Malt whisky distilleries are mostly found in Highland Scotland, with the valley of the River Spey as a major centre, and also on the island of Islay. However, no matter where you travel in Scotland and want to find out more about Scotland’s national drink, there should be a distillery within easy travelling distance.

For example, there is at least one distillery each within easy reach of Edinburgh and Glasgow, several accessible easily from the main A9, and malt whisky distilleries are also on the islands of Jura, Skye, Orkney (mainland).

Remember that not every distillery is open to visitors, and it is best to check in advance if you are seeking information on the origins of a particular malt whisky. On the other hand, many have custom-built visitor centres and offer tours and tastings. The tour will take you through the main stages of the distilling process, with its curious vocabulary of distilling terms such as mash tun, worts receiver, wash still and so on. It is likely the mystique of ‘the angels’ share’ will also be explained and, just to clarify everything, there is often an audio-visual presentation, in addition to the café and shop where you can buy the malt whisky at the place of its birth.