Speyside Whisky Trail
3 day tour
Relax with a dram in Speyside’s finest malt whisky distilleries on this tour from Edinburgh.
Tour map
Highlights
Places you'll explore
Dunkeld - This cathedral’s architecture is a fascinating mix of Gothic and Norman styles.
Cairngorms National Park - Gaze in awe at Scotland’s most beautifully rounded peaks.
The River Spey - One of Scotland’s most important rivers for salmon farming and whisky distilling.
Elgin - Visit this town and explore the best little whisky shop in the world.
Speyside Cooperage (Wed departures only) - Learn about the lifecycle of a whisky cask.
Four Whisky Distilleries - Compare and contrast the whiskies of four distinctly delectable distillers.
Royal Deeside - Throughout history the Royal Family have loved exploring this gorgeous region of Scotland.
Your journey
Join this tour and wake up in a whisky lover’s paradise. This tour takes you to Speyside, home of over half of Scotland’s malt whisky distilleries. You get the chance to explore four distilleries, learn how whisky is intertwined with Scottish culture, and venture through the beautiful Cairngorms National Park.
Tour Details
Students, and seniors over 60
- Unfortunately, we only carry passengers over 18 years old on this tour
- Pack your waterproof clothing and walking shoes
- One 15 kilogram bag per person
- Transport in a 16 seat Mercedes mini-coach
- Air conditioning as standard
- The stories and services of a Rabbie's driver-guide
- Entry fees to visitor attractions
Itinerary
Day 1
- Travel through the inspirational landscapes of the Cairngorms National Park
- Sample your first delicious whisky of the tour
You head north to the historic village of Dunkeld for a short walk through the forest to some dramatic waterfalls.
After lunch in Pitlochry, you can sample the delights of Scotland's highest distillery at Dalwhinnie, near the source of the River Spey. Once you’ve warmed with a little dram of whisky, you continue through the Cairngorms National Park before reaching Grantown on Spey, your base for two nights.
Day 2
- Be amazed by the whisky selection in Gordon & MacPhail, Elgin
- Understand the craftsmanship of the whisky cask at the Speyside Cooperage
A whole day exploring Scotland’s most famous whisky region. After a scenic drive towards the coast, your first stop of the day is at the family owned Benromach Distillery, where you can go on a personalised tour.
From here it’s a short distance to Elgin. Here you can visit Gordon and Macphail, one of the world’s leading specialist whisky bottlers and suppliers.
You travel back up the Spey to Craigellachie for a visit to the Speyside Cooperage, where you see another aspect of the whisky making process (Wednesday departures only).
After lunch here or in nearby Aberlour, you visit Cardhu Distillery. Cardhu is the most important whisky in Johnnie Walker Black Label. From here you travel back to Grantown on Spey.
Day 3
- Admire the peaks of the famous Cairngorms National Park
- Walk in the footsteps of the Royal Family in the beautiful Royal Deeside region.
You travel through the beautiful Cairngorm Mountains on route back to Edinburgh. In the morning you visit Glenlivet, which is both a distillery and a beautiful glen with serene walks and wonderful wildlife.
You then enjoy the majesty of Royal Deeside. You 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.
Itinerary and distillery visits are subject to change.
Customer Reviews
A Prose - inspired and written on the last day of trip
Jean JJ Ye Posted on 21/05/2017Whisky Galore from the Mash Tun in Speyside A Reflection on my experience with Rabbies Speyside Whisky Trail, Wed-Fri 17-19 May 2017 Water is so precious but free here in Alba land, Flora and fauna adding value to the drams distilled, Idylic for this ancient craft to yield, mature and thrive Singularly distinctive, outstanding, the love and envy of the world, Keepers and drinkers of the whisky carefully profit, or otherwise, Aye - Yes in Scots, Rabbies tour evokes endless taste butts Naw - No in Scots, never say no to brand Scotch. Slaintie: congratulations on the bespoke Team USA and Team GB, Cheers: commendation on driver Stewarts first official whisky trail try The water of life entails Head, Heart and Tail process Stewart holds the three dear and blends new qualities: elementary HEAD: headstart, what a brainy loon from his native Kirkintolloch, HEART: genuinely warm showcase the Amazing Grace of Scotland, TAIL: surely prize-winning under his kilt as that in Scotsman PS - Stewart Ross, our driver, had displayed some of the best hospitality, humour and enjoyment known. Mash Tun was the venue where we dined and loved very much The song Scotsman was hillariously entertaining with greatest humour touching the iconic kilt and classic question: whats under it. Every word in the prose was freshly brewed and distilled during my three days venture. Huge thanks for my fellow travellers on the same bus: we hestitated to say Rabbies deliberated two groups for Stewart: team USA and Team GB. They are Bo, Arc, Wendy, Lynn, Richard and Tony, Davie, Jim (James) and me Jean. Thanks to all whod played a part!
Spectacular Tour By David
keith petersen Posted on 20/04/2017My wife and I went on a 3 day Speyside tour and our guide was David. The 1st day he was wearing a Scottish Kilt. What a traditional way to start a wonderful tour in Scotland. His knowledge of the Scotland country was so inviting and interesting. Between driving and explaining the history of Scotland, he played beautiful traditional Scottish music. What a wonderful way to enjoy a day in one of the most beautiful places on earth. I plan to return to Scotland some day and hopefully David can show me more of what Scotland offers. My stay will definitely be longer this time. Thanks again to Rabbies tour and David. Cheers!
Excellent tour
John Wallace Posted on 19/10/2016I wanted to combine a liking for whisky with revisiting old haunts from my past, and this tour definitely hit the spot for me and met my expectations. We had party Pete as a driver and guide. Very knowledgeable - commentary was a good mix of history, culture and places of interest, as well as whisky. Really enjoyed the way he ran the tour, fitting in extras where we had time to spare, giving us plenty of time to indulge at the distilleries and whisky shops. I booked at short notice, and organised my own accommodation in Grantown on Spey - Haus Alba - Rabbies should consider it as an option - only two rooms but a superb BB. Travelled with nice folks from all parts of the globe - thoroughly enjoyable - great value. Would definitely travel with Rabbies again.
Great Tour with Keith
Bent Ritter Posted on 01/06/2016Thanks for that wonderful Tour with our Guide and Driver Keith , he was very well informed about everything that did interest us.We saw so much besides the planned Tour.Great that the whole Tour was accompanied with the Musiv according to landscape , history or legends of that place.Very nice people on the bus and also in service at the Hotel and so on.Very nice accomodation on the tour.Phantastic pub in Granton on Spey.Thanks Keith and Rabbies.
Trip
Marie Åström Posted on 27/07/2015The experience me and my family had during this trip was spectacular. Party Pete is absolutly wonderful as a guide. We loved every minute of our jurney. It made me want to vivite the highlands again.
amazing
Boyd penner Posted on 25/05/2015We had an amazing tour / holiday with Keith as our guide. Amazing history and sites were shared. Keith played an amazing array of Scottish music too. We had an amazing stay at the Ravenscourt in Downton on Spey. In addition we had a great couple of nights with great pies at Craigs as well as many laughs and pints. Im sad to not be doing additional days on this tour as we had so much fun. I would recommend this tour in a second. The sites, stories, and the whiskey were great. Thanks, Boyd and Heather.
party Pete
Richard Howe Posted on 19/05/2015Great tour guide, made us remember everything almost like revision. Thoroughly enjoyed the tour although my liver may have a second opinion. Lovely group of people also.
Party Pete
Andrew Posted on 09/10/2014Great job Party Pete on the tour on 1/10/2014-3/10/2014
Scotland Memory - Speyside Whisky Trail 3 Day Tour
Michael Phelps Posted on 01/08/2014Great three-day tour of Speyside departing from Edinburgh. Barney was our driver and guide and provided background on Scottish history and a friendly knowledge of whisky history and flavor, punctuated with just the right amount of contemporary Scottish and local Edindburgh politics (the drive-cursed trams were two weeks old at the time of our tour). Visited Benromach, Glenlivit and Dalwhinnie distilleries and the Speyside Cooperage as well as the Herimitage and Cairngorm National Park. The trip was paced to stop every hour or so and some of the best memories are from Barney's casual tales during those stops and visiting the small towns and even a sandy lakeside beach along the way. The trip is a big circle and we stayed at the Garth Hotel in Grantown on Spey each night (don't miss the best food and drink in town there). There were twelve of us on the tour. I'm not normally a tour-taker and so was happily surprised with Barney's company on trip and the comfort of the van on rural roads on some rather warm summer days.
Karen's tour 4-6 July 2014
Frida & Tobias Posted on 06/07/2014We are beyond happy with our tour! Our guide Karen told us anything and everything about Scotland's history, whisky and culture. She made us all feel welcome and as if she truly enjoyed traveling with our group, and she managed to get more opportunities for 'wee tastings' than we could have hoped for. She was also flexible and adapted the routes to the group's wishes. Our B&B was nice and the bus very comfy. All in all: We will most def come back for another 'wee' tour! Best regards Tobias and Frida (AKA 'Anne Arkler') Sweden
Accommodation
Where does this tour stay overnight?
You stay two nights in Grantown on Spey in the Cairngorms National Park.
How does the accommodation work?
Your tour excludes accommodation; but when you book, you can ask us to reserve local accommodation for you, or you can choose to reserve your own accommodation in the overnight locations.
I want Rabbie’s to book my accommodation, what happens now?
Once you've booked your tour, we'll reserve all your accommodation, and your driver will drop you off with your hosts. You’ll pay your accommodation directly. Most don’t accept credit cards, so be prepared to pay cash.
What if I want to change my accommodation booking with Rabbie’s?
Changes to accommodation cannot be guaranteed and are subject to availability. A minimum amendment charge of £5.00 will apply.
I booked my own accommodation is there anything I need to do?
You’ll need to contact us with your accommodation details. Please only reserve accommodation within the overnight towns that your tour stops in.
Your driver will drop you off at your chosen accommodation as long as it’s relatively central. You can find a selection of hotels at hotels.rabbies.com.
What if I cancel my tour at short notice?
If you cancel less than three days before departure, you may be liable for the cost of your first nights’ accommodation. And occasionally you may be liable for all your accommodation costs.
What are the accommodation types and what do they cost?
We try to reserve accommodation that’s no more than a 20-minute walk from the town centre.
We regularly check our accommodation suppliers to ensure they reach a certain standard. The prices below are for guidance only.
B&B (Bed and Breakfast) Standard
The toilet and showering facilities are shared with at least one other room in the house, and the price includes breakfast. The cost is between £30.00 - £35.00 per person per night. A single standard is between £35.00 - £60.00 per night.
B&B En/suite
The showering and toilet facilities are private, and breakfast is included in the price. The expected cost for a room, based on two people sharing, will be between £40.00 – £50.00 per person per night.
The expected cost for a single room will be between *£55.00 - £80.00 per night.
Hotels
Hotels have a bar or restaurant and provide evening meals. Breakfast is included in the price. The expected cost of Hotel 3* is between £65.00 - £85.00 per person per night. Hotel 4* is approximately £75.00 - £120.00 per person per night.
Hostels
A hostel consists of dormitory rooms with 4 to 16 bunk beds. The bathroom facilities are a short distance from the dorm room. Kitchen facilities are equipped so you can make your own meals. The cost is between £15.00- £25.00 per person per night.
Please note that SYHA hostels only offer same gender dorms. Some independent hostels will offer mixed rooms (males and females together).
I have more questions, who can help me?
If you have any more questions, you can read our FAQs, call us on +44(0)131 226 3133, or email rooms@rabbies.com.
4 reasons to choose Rabbie's
Travel the local way on small group tours of 16 people or less
You'll have a guaranteed experience, or your money back
Guaranteed departures: you book, you go
Internationally recognised for our award winning experiences
Meet our guides
Recommended tours
The Isle of Skye - 3 day tour
Highlights: film locations, nessie, lochs, mountains, national parks, walks
Islay & the Whisky Coast - 4 day tour
Highlights: distilleries, ferry, gaelic culture, lochs, prehistoric sites, mountains
Isle of Arran Adventure - 3 day tour
Highlights: mountains, lochs, prehistoric sites, castles, distilleries, ferry
