Itinerary
Day 1 - Arrival in Edinburgh & Panoramic Tour of the City
On arrival at Edinburgh Airport you will receive a warm Scottish welcome from your kilted tour guide who will provide you with a Panoramic Tour of our majestic Capital City. Visit the historic Old Town and the World Heritage Site architecture of the New Town, before arriving at your Luxury Hotel on Princes Street in the heart of Edinburgh.
This evening you will dine in the unique setting of the Amber Restaurant at the Scotch Whisky Heritage Centre, an interactive visitor attraction which brings 300 years of Scotch Whisky history to life and allows visitors to experience the sights, sounds and smells of the “water of life”.
Day 2 - Travel to Islay
You will begin your journey to beautiful Islay, the most southern island of the Hebrides, and a place that is renowned for its smoky, single malt whiskies. Travel along the bonny banks of Loch Lomond before climbing over Rest-and-be-Thankful and down to the shores of Loch Fyne. Here you will stop for a delicious lunch at the Loch Fyne Oyster Bar Restaurant, the UK's largest oyster farm.
From here it is a short drive over to Kennacraig where your afternoon ferry will take you over to the island of Islay. With seven distilleries all running guided tours and pumping out thousands of gallons of whisky each year, a visit to the isle will give you ample opportunity to taste Scotland's national product. This is traditional whisky making in its full glory - from the malting of the barley, to the peat fired kilns and the famous warehouses by the shores of Loch Indaal.
You will be staying in Bowmore, the island's capital and home to Bowmore Distillery, the oldest distillery on Islay. Your 4* family run Inn has a magnificent setting overlooking the harbour where you will find superb accommodation in plush rooms and a top-notch award winning restaurant.
Day 3 - Whisky Distillery Tour and Golf at the Machrie Links Course
Travelling to the south of the island you will find whiskies for the true aficionado – the uncompromising full bodied malts of Ardbeg, Lagavulin and Laphroaig. These are real shrines for the pilgrim of the “water of life”.
After a short visit to Laphroaig Distillery, where they still cut their own Islay peat by hand, and Lagavulin, renowned for its long maturation which allows it to develop a complex, rich, peaty character you will join a tour at Ardbeg Distillery. Ardbeg is perhaps the most peaty malt whisky in the world. The distillery was purchased by Glenmorangie in 1997 after being closed for 16 years, and is now one of the fastest growing Islay malts. Following a tour you will enjoy a warming dram before a delicious lunch in the Old Kiln Cafe, housed under the old pagoda roofs.
For those who enjoy golf you will then be able to enjoy a round at The Machrie, a famous classic links course perched above the golden sands of Laggan Bay. Dating back to 1891, The Machrie hosted the British Open in 1901 and is an unforgettable golfing experience.
In the evening you will visit the stunning setting of Bowmore Distillery Visitor Centre which has stood on the shores of Loch Indaal since 1779 and is widely recognised as one of the finest single malt Scotch whiskies in the world.
We will arrange a private Craftsman’s Tour where you will enjoy the benefits of decades of expertise as the secrets of Bowmore are revealed. Following a tour of the distillery you will enjoy a tasting and dinner in the wonderful Visitors Centre with its views over Loch Indaal.
Day 4 - Tour of Caol Ila Distillery and Depart Islay
During your final day on the Island you will visit Caol Ila Distillery situated on the north eastern shores of Islay. Here you will see two of the finest views in the world of whisky - distillers at work tending the six copper stills, and the magnificent view across the Sound of Islay to the spectacular Paps of Jura.
We will then arrange for you to join the afternoon ferry from Port Ellen and return to the Mainland and your return journey to Edinburgh.
Please note, that due to the limited accommodation that is available on Islay we recommend that group sizes for this itinerary are limited to 20 people.
