Relax with a dram in Speyside’s finest malt whisky distilleries on this tour from Edinburgh.
Lindores Abbey Distillery – The oldest written reference to whisky mentions this location. Sample a dram at the modern distillery and drink in the history.
Dalwhinnie Distillery – Try not to get too light-headed as you sample whisky at Scotland’s highest distillery.
Cairngorms National Park - Gaze in awe at Scotland’s most beautifully rounded peaks.
Speyside Cooperage* - Learn about the lifecycle of a whisky cask.
Cardhu Distillery– The first distillery pioneered by a woman, Helen Cumming
The River Spey - One of Scotland’s most important rivers for salmon farming and whisky distilling.
Elgin - Visit this spirited town and explore the best little whisky shop in the world.
Royal Deeside - Throughout history, the Royal Family have loved exploring this gorgeous region of Scotland.
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.
Students, and seniors over 60
You 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 distiller in the country.
After lunch in Braemar, you can sample the delights of the Royal Lochnagar distillery*. The outstanding flavour of its whisky was appreciated by Queen Victoria and Prince Albert on one of many visits to their summer residence, Balmoral Castle.
Once you’ve warmed with this dram of “the gentle spirit”, you continue through the Cairngorms National Park before reaching Grantown-on-Spey, your base for two nights.
* All tours departing between 1st November 2022 and 31st March 2023 will visit the Whisky Castle, a whisky specialist shop where you have a three-dram tasting.
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 Glen Moray*, where you can try whisky matured in a wide selection of casks.
You travel back up the Spey River to Craigellachie for a visit to the Speyside Cooperage**, where you see another aspect of the whisky making process.
After lunch in nearby Aberlour, you 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 you travel back to Grantown-on-Spey.
*Glen Moray operates different opening hours in winter; therefore, we will visit an alternative Speyside distillery.
**Speyside Cooperage is only visited on Monday and Wednesday departures.
In the morning you visit Scotland's highest distillery at Dalwhinnie, set in splendid mountain scenery at the heart of the Cairngorm National Park.
You then leave the Highlands and journey south to Perthshire. Pitlochry is your lunch stop and later you drive to the Hermitage to get close to nature. Here you can take a fantastic woodland walk amongst the tallest trees in Britain and admire the Black Linn Falls.
From here the route south takes you to Dunkeld, where you've got some time to explore, and then over the Firth of Forth and back to Edinburgh.
**Itinerary and distillery visits are subject to change.
You stay two nights in Grantown-on-Spey in the Cairngorms National Park.
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.
Once you've booked your tour, we'll reserve all your accommodation, and your driver will drop you off with your hosts.
We'll reserve your room(s) with one of our preferred accommodation suppliers and you'll pay them directly when you check-in. Most accommodation hosts don’t accept credit cards, so be prepared to pay cash.
You won't be able to choose which Hotel/B&B you stay in, but we will confirm the named property and exact prices on your first day of tour. If it's important for you to know where you're going to be staying in advance, or if you want to stay in a specific Hotel/B&B, we recommend that you select the option to book your own accommodation.
Plans can change, so we let you alter your accommodation choices for free within the first 48 hours of booking. After this time, amendments aren't guaranteed and carry a surcharge. Please contact rooms@rabbies.com if you have any questions.
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 may be liable for the cost of your first nights’ accommodation for each separate accommodation booked. If you cancel less than three days before departure, you may be liable for all your accommodation costs.
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.
The prices below are for guidance only and are based on 2022 rates. We’re working with suppliers to bring you the most up to date pricing for tours departing in 2023.
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 £35 - £50 per person per night based on shared accommodation. A single standard room is £45 - £70 per night.
B&B En suite
The showering and toilet facilities are private, and breakfast is included in the price. The cost is £45 - £65 per person per night based on shared accommodation. A single en suite is £75 - £90 per night.
Hotels
Hotels have a bar or restaurant and provide evening meals. Breakfast is included in the price. The cost is £75 - £90 per person per night based on shared accommodation. A single is £90 - £150 per night.
Hostels
Please note, we're unable to book hostels for this tour at the moment. You may still be able to book hostel accommodation yourself if you choose to the option to book your own accommodation for your tour.
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 based on dorm beds is £19 - £30 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).
If you have any more questions, you can read our FAQs, call us on +44(0)131 226 3133, or email rooms@rabbies.com.
The UK and Ireland's historic city centres are full of narrow streets and winding roads. So, to speed up your departure, we only pick up from our central meeting points. What's more is leaving the city using the most direct route also reduces the carbon footprint of our tours.
We don't recommend bringing your car into the centre of our departure cities. It can be hard to find parking, and there are excellent public transportation services.
Arrive 15 minutes before your departure time. Due to waiting restrictions, we can't wait for you if you're late.
If you're late for your tour, our cancellation policy applies.
We have a cancellation period of 48 hours for our one day tours, 15 days for two to nine day tours, and 21 days for 10+ day tours. If cancelled outside this period, we'll give you a full refund minus a 10% admin charge. If you cancel inside this period, refunds are at our discretion. Click here to view full terms and conditions.
Your tour will always follow the itinerary as closely as possible. While there are ongoing coronavirus restrictions throughout the UK and Ireland, itineraries are more likely to change than usual as opening hours and capacities at many visitor attractions are reduced and subject to change. Your driver-guide will keep you up to up to date on the road, and we'll try to get in touch about any large changes prior to your departure.
Due to logistical reasons, we're unable to let you pre-book a seat on the bus. But our comfortable 16-seat mini-coaches have huge windows. So, you'll always get a good view.
Unfortunately, we have no on-board toilet facilities, but you'll have regular comfort breaks.
We aim to accommodate everyone. To read more information on how we do this, click here to go to our accessibility guide.
We regret we don't carry children under the age of five on our scheduled tours.
You can ask us about the tours we recommend for younger children. And if your child is less than 1.35m tall, you should let us know, so we can provide them with a suitable booster seat.
We want you to enjoy Britain and Ireland. And we believe the best way to do this is to get you off the mini-coach and out exploring. So, we give you plenty of time to take photos, go walking, and explore ancient ruins.
We exclude visitor attractions in your tour price because it lets you travel your way. It means you can pamper yourself with a luxury lunch or skip an attraction whenever you feel like it.
You don't need to. We stop in small towns, villages, and rural eateries where you can choose whatever meal pleases both your taste buds and your budget.
Let's be honest, our driver-guides would never refuse a cheeky bonus. But it's up to you, and the amount is entirely at your discretion.
We advise you take out travel insurance.
You're protected by ABTOT when you chose to let us reserve your accommodation on a multi-day tour. This means you can claim back anything you've paid us if we become bankrupt. Read our terms and conditions for more information.
If you have any more questions, call us on +44(0)131 226 3133, email tours@rabbies.com , or check out our full FAQs .
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