Portnahaven, Islay

Islay & the Whisky Coast

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Overview

Itinerary

What's Included?

Why Book a Small Group Tour?

Accommodation & Prices

Overview

Small Group Tours

6 Nights

Prices from: £995 per person
Start: Edinburgh
Finish: Edinburgh
Tour duration: 4 days
Availability: April - October
Transport: Luxury mini-coach and tour guide

Highlights

Edinburgh

Edinburgh is Scotland’s ancient capital city and a hub for culture and creativity. Sample a dram in one of Edinburgh’s traditional Whisky Pubs, explore The Royal Mile and enjoy a tour & tasting session at The Scotch Whisky Experience.

Whisky distilleries

Known as the ‘Whisky Island’, Islay is home to some of the finest whiskies in Scotland, including Lagavulin, Laphroaig, Bowmore, Kilchoman and Ardbeg. Enjoy tasting the deliciously rich and smoky spirits as you make your way around the island.

Charming Bowmore

Home of Islay’s oldest distillery, Bowmore is a wonderful place to explore on foot. Tour the distillery, enjoy lovely views of picturesque Loch Indaal and visit the small shops and pubs along its main street.

Kilmartin Glen

Kilmartin Glen is one of the world’s most significant archaeological landscapes. Discover the standing stones, chambered cairns and carvings of our Neolithic and Bronze Age past as you travel through this atmospheric glen.

Islay's coastline

Explore Islay’s breathtaking, Atlantic West coast with sweeping beaches, rugged cliffs, amazing birdlife and dramatic seascapes. Take a stroll along the coastline and recharge your batteries.

Loch Lomond

Relax on the bonnie banks of Loch Lomond at the heart of Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park, where quaint loch-side villages enjoy stunning views of the surrounding hills.

A Whisky Lover’s Tour of Islay

This holiday includes a four day specialist whisky tour of Islay, home to Scotland’s finest peaty whiskies, including Lagavulin, Laphroaig, Bowmore, Kilchoman and Ardbeg.

Discover the distinctly smoky flavours of Islay’s unique whisky distilleries and explore its awe-inspiring rugged coastline. For the whisky enthusiast, this tour will give you in-depth knowledge, and even better – you won’t need to drive anywhere yourself!

Travelling west from Edinburgh, the tour visits Loch Lomond, Oban, Inveraray and Islay – ‘Queen of the Isles’. Your first stop is the stunning Trossachs National Park famous for its rugged mountains and deep lochs, where you can sample local delicacies and enjoy the fresh Highland air.

Oban is known as ‘The Seafood Capital of Scotland’, and is home to a small distillery, so you may wish to indulge in a dram of scotch and a delicious seafood lunch, before catching the ferry to Islay. Your base on the island will be the town of Bowmore, birthplace of the oldest licenced distillery on Islay.

Your whisky tour takes in the very best of Islay’s world-class distilleries, known for their distinctive smoky whiskies and unique heritage, history and traditions. Learn about the process of making single malt whisky and explore the island’s many historic attractions and natural landscapes – as you spend time trading notes with your fellow whisky lovers.

This tour will enhance your knowledge of whisky, make you fall in love with Islay and let you sample lots of incredible scotch – all without having to drive anywhere yourself.

Itinerary

This is our suggested itinerary for our Islay & the Whisky Coast small group tour. This tour combines a four day group guided experience with independent sightseeing days in Edinburgh to make the most of your time in Scotland.

We love the opportunity to use our first-hand knowledge and experience to design and deliver the perfect, bespoke holiday experience for you.

You may wish to extend your holiday before or after your small group tour, or combine it with another of our tours.

Day 1: Arrive in Edinburgh

Arrive in Edinburgh, Scotland’s majestic Capital City. Edinburgh is a great place to wander – narrow alleys, flights of stairs and hidden courtyards tempt you off the main streets at every turn and for a spectacular view of the city take a walk up Arthur’s Seat.
Overnight – Edinburgh

Day 2: Edinburgh Sightseeing

Enjoy a City Sightseeing Bus Tour, a visit to Edinburgh Castle and the Palace of Holyrood House and explore the many attractions of this beautiful city.
Overnight – Edinburgh

Day 3: Edinburgh to Islay

Your tour begins by departing Edinburgh and heading straight for the Highlands and the spectacular Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park. After sampling local delicacies, you will continue to Oban, ‘The Seafood Capital of Scotland’.

You will journey through the ancient Kingdom of Dalriada. There are more than 350 prehistoric monuments within a six-mile radius of the village of Kilmartin. Here you can visit the Kilmartin Standing Stones and community museum before catching the ferry to Islay, where you will spend 3 nights in Bowmore, the Island’s Capital.
Overnight – Bowmore, Islay

Day 4: Islay Sightseeing

Your day begins with a guided tour of Bowmore Distillery, the oldest licenced distillery on Islay. Today is quite flexible with a mixture of beautiful scenery, white sandy beaches, short walks and famous Islay whiskies – renowned for their strong peaty flavours and nurtured by the salty sea air. Highlights include the lovely sandy bays of Islay’s west coast, Kilchoman Distillery, Ardnahoe Distillery and Bowmore.
Overnight – Bowmore, Islay

Day 5: Islay Sightseeing

Explore the south of Islay, home to Laphroaig and Lagavulin followed by a tour, tasting and lunch with local produce at Ardbeg. Other options include the ruins of Kildalton church with its famous 8th Century Celtic cross, free time in Bowmore village or a visit to the community craft producers at Islay House Square and the woodlands along the River Sorn.
Overnight – Bowmore, Islay

Day 6: Islay to Edinburgh

It’s farewell to Islay as you take the ferry back to Argyll and head to the quaint village of Inveraray on the banks of Loch Fyne. The town is adorned with historic buildings, old boats, and a great whisky shop. Next stop is Loch Lomond, before you arrive back into Edinburgh in the early evening.
Overnight – Edinburgh

Day 7: Depart Edinburgh

After breakfast your unforgettable holiday will come to an end.

What's Included?

Your holiday includes:

Carefully selected en-suite accommodation for 6 nights including traditional Scottish breakfast
4 day Islay & Whisky Coast Tour by top of the range Mercedes mini-coach with a maximum of 16 passengers
Services of a professional driver-guide
Comprehensive information pack
Personalised itinerary with our recommendations for the best places to eat and drink and sightseeing suggestions
Map of Scotland
Tickets for the Edinburgh City Sightseeing Tour
All ferry crossings (as per your itinerary)
24-hour emergency contact number
Full financial protection

Your holiday doesn't include:

Travel insurance
Flights
Lunches and evening meals
Entry to visitor attractions

Why Book a Small Group Tour?

Your Tour Company

We work closely with an award-winning company whose expert guides truly take you beyond the guidebooks to explore the stunning scenery and extraordinary history of this country.

Some guides are history geeks and can tell you who owned every castle, others are geologists and know the age of every mountain. All of them are friendly, passionate people who are dedicated to making you fall in love with their home country.

Explore Scotland in a modern, air-conditioned mini-coach. You will never get lost, always take the scenic route and have great views, and you are free to sample the local tipple without worrying about driving.

Touring with a maximum of 16 passengers will allow you to meet people from all over the world and make friends for life. Knowing all of the arrangements are taken care of means you can sit back and relax. It’s an experience you will treasure for a lifetime.

Accommodation & Prices

Standard

Budget

We know that after a busy day of sightseeing an exceptional place to stay makes all the difference. That’s why the accommodation we select is hand-picked using our first-hand knowledge of the best places to stay. We specifically choose accommodation suitable for your tour, close to local attractions, pubs and restaurants.

Our discerning team have a wealth of experience, and we extensively research and regularly review all of the accommodation we select for our clients.

Please choose from one of our accommodation categories below.

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