A warm welcome awaits you in Speyside, home to more than half of Scotland's malt whiskey distilleries. Sample local whiskey and enjoy the scenery of Cairngorm, Speyside, and Royal Deeside on a tasting trip from Edinburgh. Day 1: Head north through the Kingdom of Fife to Lindores Abbey Distillery. This modern Scottish distillery is built on the site of the first-ever recorded distillery in the country.  After lunch in Braemar, you can sample the delights of the Royal Lochnagar Distillery. The outstanding flavor of its whisky was appreciated by Queen Victoria and Prince Albert on one of many visits to their summer residence, Balmoral Castle.  If your tour departs between November 1, 2022, and March 31, 2023, you'll visit the Whisky Castle instead of the Royal Lochnagar Distillery. At this whisky specialist shop, you can enjoy a tasting of 3 drams. At the end of your first day, continue through the Cairngorms National Park before reaching Grantown on Spey, your base for 2 nights (accommodation included). Day 2: Enjoy a whole day exploring Scotland’s most famous whiskey region. After a scenic drive towards the coast, make your first stop of the day at Glen Moray Distillery, where you can try whisky matured in a wide selection of casks.  Travel back up the Spey River to Craigellachie for a visit to the Speyside Cooperage (Monday and Wednesday tours only). At this location, discover another aspect of the whiskey-making process. After lunch in nearby Aberlour, visit Cardhu Distillery, which is the first distillery pioneered by a woman, Helen Cumming. Today, Cardhu is the most important whisky in Johnnie Walker Black Label. From here, travel back to Grantown on Spey. Day 3: In the morning visit Scotland's highest distillery at Dalwhinnie, set in splendid mountain scenery at the heart of the Cairngorm National Park. Then, enjoy the majesty of Royal Deeside. Pass by Balmoral Castle, and stop in the village of Braemar in the heart of the National Park. From here, the route south passes over Scotland’s highest mountain pass, through Perthshire, and back to Edinburgh.

On Day 1 of the journey, we will be departing from Scotland's vibrant capital, Edinburgh, taking a moment to capture a few snapshots of its iconic Forth road and rail bridges, before venturing into the captivating Kingdom of Fife. This marks the beginning of our whisky pilgrimage that will start at Lindores Abbey Distillery, renowned for its historic whisky past. Here, we will embark on a distillery tour, learning about their whisky-making process, followed by a tasting of two different varieties. Lindores also produce their award-winning Aqua Vitae, a handcrafted botanical spirit, ideal on its own or with a splash of ginger ale and orange. Next up is the historical market town of Blairgowrie, where you can explore the town and grab some lunch (own expense) before heading to Royal Lochnagar Distillery, situated at the foot of the Cairngorm mountains and a mile away from Balmoral Castle. Here, we will get the chance to experience a tutored Warehouse Tasting of four different kinds of whisky, which cannot be sampled anywhere else! Finally, we will settle for two nights in Grantown-on-Spey, founded by Sir James Grant in 1766. Day 2 will begin with a scenic drive along the banks of the River Spey, and then we will pay a visit to the iconic Glenlivet Distillery for a Single Cask Tasting. It boasts an intriguing history of illicit distilling. Their whisky has gained worldwide recognition, so the tasting will certainly be a good one! After that, you can gain an understanding of the work of the cooper, who are in charge of the whisky casks, when visiting the Speyside Cooperage (subject to availability). Later on, we will make a stop at Strathisla Distillery, offering you the chance to master the art of blending and create your very own whisky! The final day will involve a tour and tasting at a distillery, followed by a farewell to Speyside and a return south.