Food and drink

Whisky en distilleerderijen

The five Scotch whisky regions, the Speyside Malt Whisky Trail, the distilleries and breweries in our guides, and what to know about booking and driving.

Feiten voor het laatst gecontroleerd op 1 nov 2026. Britlens is onafhankelijk: lees ons redactiebeleid.

Ben Nevis Distillery, Fort William, Glencoe & Ben Nevis
Ben Nevis Distillery, Fort William, Glencoe & Ben NevisPhoto: Jousset, CC BY-SA 4.0
Talisker Distillery, Isle of Skye: Portree & Dunvegan
Talisker Distillery, Isle of Skye: Portree & DunveganPhoto: Chmee2, CC BY-SA 3.0
Torabhaig Distillery, Isle of Skye: Portree & Dunvegan
Torabhaig Distillery, Isle of Skye: Portree & DunveganPhoto: thejackrustles, CC BY-SA 2.0

The whisky regions

The Scotch Whisky Association names five Scotch whisky regions, defined and protected under the Scotch Whisky Regulations 2009: Campbeltown, Highland, Islay, Lowland and Speyside. Campbeltown, Speyside and Islay lie within the wider Highland region.[1] All Scotch whisky must be matured in oak casks for at least three years.[1]

Our Highlands guide covers Skye, Oban and the Black Isle, where several of the distilleries below are; Edinburgh and Glasgow have city distilleries and whisky attractions.

The Malt Whisky Trail

The Malt Whisky Trail follows the River Spey in Moray Speyside and lists nine sites:[2] Benromach, Cardhu, Dallas Dhu, Glenfiddich, Glen Grant, The Glenlivet, Glen Moray, Speyside Cooperage, Strathisla. Check each site’s own page for opening and tours.

Distilleries and breweries in our guides

35 places from our region guides. “Booking page” means the official site had a tour booking page when our guides last checked it; it is not a guarantee of availability.

Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire

  • Royal Lochnagar Distillery Distillery or whisky attraction · Royal Deeside

Devon

  • Plymouth Gin Distillery Distillery or whisky attraction · Plymouth

Edinburgh

Glasgow

Islay and Jura

Isle of Arran

Mull and Iona

North Coast 500

Noord-Ierland

Orkney

St Andrews and Fife

The Outer Hebrides

Schotse Hooglanden

More tours and tastings: distillery and brewery experiences. Pubs: our pubs guide.

Driving and drinking

Scotland’s drink-drive limit is lower than the rest of the UK: 22 micrograms of alcohol per 100 ml of breath (50 mg per 100 ml of blood), against 35 micrograms (80 mg) in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. GOV.UK says it is impossible to say how many drinks that equals.[3] If you are driving between distilleries, do not drink, or plan a tour by public transport: see driving in Britain.

Questions

What are the Scotch whisky regions?

The Scotch Whisky Association names five protected regions: Campbeltown, Highland, Islay, Lowland and Speyside. Campbeltown, Speyside and Islay lie within the Highland region.

Can I drive after a distillery tasting?

Be careful: Scotland’s drink-drive limit (22 micrograms per 100 ml of breath, 50 mg per 100 ml of blood) is lower than in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, and GOV.UK says it is impossible to say how many drinks equal a limit.

Do I need to book a distillery tour?

Where our data shows a booking page on the official site, the entry below says so. Tour times and availability vary, so book on the distillery’s own site before you travel.

Bronnen

Read on the dates shown. Rules, dates and services change: check the source before you rely on it. Pages marked “not read” refused automated access, so we state nothing from them beyond their existence.

  1. Scotch Whisky FAQs (opens in new tab), Scotch Whisky Association, read 1 November 2026
  2. The Malt Whisky Trail (opens in new tab), The Malt Whisky Trail, read 1 November 2026
  3. The drink drive limit (opens in new tab), GOV.UK, read 1 November 2026