Islay & the Whisky Coast 2025/2026

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1-888-597-3519

905-639-9954

dhtour@dhtour.ca

4 Days / 3 Nights (Cottage)
Availability : March - October
Start: Edinburgh, Scotland
End: Edinburgh, Scotland

Islay & the Whisky Coast: 3 nts Bowmore

Contact DHTour at 1-888-597-3519 or 905-639-9954 or dhtour@dhtour.ca to book. 

You may know a thing or two about whisky. Like how taxes forced distillers to produce only at night, or how the Scots consider it the ‘water of life’. But even if you’re knowledgeable about whisky, you’re going to learn a lot more on this four day whisky tour on Islay, ‘Queen of the Hebrides’. You taste the smoky flavours of Islay’s single malts, explore the historic sights of Islay, and spend your time trading notes with fellow whisky lovers at six different distilleries.

4 DAYS / 3 NIGHTS / MAX 16 GUESTS / SMALL COACH

Tour Details
Places you explore

Bowmore Distillery – Islay’s oldest distillery, on the shores of the picturesque Loch Indaal.

Oban – This bustling Victorian harbour town offers excellent seafood and a charming intimacy.

Lagavulin Distillery – With its distinctive pear-shaped stills, Lagavulin is one of Scotland’s oldest distilleries, set against the backdrop of the Dunyvaig Castle ruins.

Kilchoman Distillery – From barley to bottle, this is the only farm distillery on Islay, bringing a revival to traditional farm distilling techniques.

Laphroaig Distillery – Pronounced “la-froyg” this Islay distillery was founded in 1815 by members of Clan Donald and still produces many iconic spirits today.

Ardbeg Distillery – This established 18th-century distillery’s spirits are “as close to perfection as makes no difference.”

Pick Up Location & TIme

Edinburgh  (Google Map)
Check-in closes at 8:15am (tour departs at 8:30am) – Gate J and Gate K, Edinburgh Bus Station, St Andrew Square, Edinburgh, EH1 3DQ

Drop off Location & Time

Edinburgh
8:00pm

Price Includes

  • 3 night Bed 'n Breakfast accommodation
  • Transport in a 16 seat Mercedes mini-coach
  • Air conditioning as standard
  • Daily full Scottish breakfasts
  • The stories and services of an English-speaking driver-guide
  • Tour and tasting at Ardbeg Distillery (Friday departures include a visit to Ardbeg Distillery (Still House only) and 4 drams of whisky)
  • Tasting and Lunch at Kilchoman Distillery
  • Tour and tasting at Bowmore Distillery
  • Tour and tasting at Laphroaig Distillery (2 drams of Whisky). Monday departures will visit Lagavulin Distillery instead of Laphroaig Distillery
  • Bunnahabhain Distillery (New inclusion for 2026) - includes 3 drams of whisky

Meals

  • 3 breakfast
  • 1 lunches
  • 0 dinners
  • 0 teas

Price Excludes

  • Entry fees to visitor attraction
  • Airfare
  • Transfers
  • Pre / Post hotel nights
  • Driver / Tour Leader gratuity is at your discretion
  • Travel Insurance
What to Expect

Explore in 16 seat mini-coaches, always taking the scenic route, you have great views through large windows, and you’re free to sample the local tipple without worrying about driving. Our driver-guides are world famous for their knowledge, facts, quirky stories, history, and fairy-tales. They truly take you beyond the guidebooks and into your adventure. You make your trip your own. We provide the timetable; and you can choose where you want to eat and which attractions you pay to see. So, if you want to skip a castle and read your book by a mountain view, you can.

On the tour departing on Monday and Friday, we reserve rooms in the beautiful Bowmore Distillery Cottages.

The cottages have between three and six twin bedrooms. Due to the shared nature of the accommodation, individual bedrooms don’t have lockable doors. The kitchen and lounge facilities are shared with other passengers, and basic self-service breakfast ingredients are provided. Full Scottish breakfasts are available at the nearby hotels if you prefer, payable locally.

Itinerary

Day 1 Loch Lomond & Oban

Departing from Edinburgh, we begin our journey to Islay, the home of peaty whisky, where tradition, nature, and craftsmanship come together to create legendary spirits. As we head northwest, the landscape transforms, from the rolling farmlands of the Lowlands to the forested hills and mountains surrounding Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park. Known for its breathtaking scenery and abundant wildlife, this region is marked by rugged crags, shimmering lochs, dense forests, and tales of the legendary hero and outlaw, Rob Roy MacGregor. A short stop in the charming village of Callander, with its gleaming loch, provides a refreshing break before continuing the journey.

We continue through winding trails and hidden glens within the Trossachs National Park, before journeying onward through the mountainous landscapes of the Western Highlands to reach Oban for lunch.

The port town of Oban was once the strategic heartland of powerful, feuding clans. Today, however, it’s celebrated as the “Gateway to the Isles” and is renowned for its fresh seafood straight off the boats. For an authentic taste of local flavor, visit the Oban Seafood Hut, located right by the ferry terminal. This local favorite offers affordable seafood platters featuring scallops, langoustines, crab, and lobster, all fresh from the sea. After indulging in these local delicacies, we continue through Kilmartin Glen, where you can explore standing stones and ancient strongholds that date back over 1,500 years. At Kennacraig, we board the evening ferry to Islay.

The two-hour ferry ride to Islay offers the perfect opportunity to relax and enjoy the stunning views. Keep an eye out for dolphins or the Paps of Jura, the mountains that mark the approach to Islay, the “Queen of the Hebrides.” Upon arrival, settle into your accommodation in Bowmore, a peaceful town by Loch Indaal, where you’ll stay for the next three nights.

Your overnight accommodation will be in Bowmore.

On this tour we have pre-booked a number of rooms in the beautiful Bowmore Distillery Cottages. These are self-catering cottages in the grounds of the distillery itself and offer a unique accommodation experience. The cottages have between 3 and 6 bedrooms and these are all en-suite but are NOT serviced during your stay. The kitchen and lounge facilities are shared and self-service continental breakfast ingredients will be provided. PLEASE NOTE THAT DUE TO THE SHAREDNATURE OF THE ACCOMMODATIONINDIVIDUAL BEDROOMS DO NOT HAVE LOCKABLE DOORS.
When these rooms are full we will use nearby B&Bs.

Day 2Bowmore, Bunnahabhain, & Kilchoman Distillery

Today, we focus on savouring some of the finest and most unique whiskies on Islay. We begin at Bowmore Distillery, which has captured the essence of Islay for over 240 years.

Explore the rich history of Bowmore Distillery, uncover the secrets of its production process, and enjoy a tasting of three drams of their signature sweet and smoky whisky, along with a complimentary whisky glass. Afterward, we’ll continue along the coast to Kilchoman Distillery for a tour and a lunch featuring local specialties.

Bowmore Distillery’s silent season starts between 7th July and 18th August 2025. If your tour departs during that time, your experience will slightly differ, instead of visiting the production site, you will do cask tasting.

Kilchoman is Islay’s only Single Farm Single Malt Scotch Whisky, reviving the traditional “barley-to-bottle” process to create a whisky that’s 100% Islay. On Rabbie’s exclusive tour, explore the production site and savour Kilchoman’s unique whisky, with notes of peat smoke, crisp citrus, spice, and fruit. Afterward, enjoy a lunch featuring local flavours. Following lunch, we’ll travel through Islay’s scenic countryside to your third distillery of the day, Bunnahabhain, where you can experience the unpeated, salty notes of whisky in Islay’s most remote distillery.

Kilchoman Distillery closure, the tour departing on 13th May 2025, visit Caol Isla instead. Tour departing on 6th September 2025 visit Ardnahoe.

Return to Bowmore, where you can relax by the loch, enjoy the local pubs and seafood, or take a leisurely stroll through the streets lined with whitewashed houses, soaking in the town’s charm and history.

Your overnight accommodation will be in Bowmore. (B)

Day 3Ardbeg & Laphroaig or Lagavulin Distillery

Today, we explore the southern side of the island, home to some of the most famous whiskies in Scotland: Laphroaig, Lagavulin, and Ardbeg. We take a scenic drive southward to Ardbeg, passing narrow, winding roads flanked by rolling green hills, fields dotted with sheep, and stretches of open moorland. As we approach Port Ellen, we’ll pass through areas dense with peat bogs, a key element in Islay’s smoky whisky production, contrasting with the vibrant green landscape.

Distillers at Ardbeg Distillery are resilient pioneers with a rocky 200-year history. They’ve created a whisky, which is out of this world, as they’re the first to send this spirit to outer space to mature. Enjoy a Rabbie’s exclusive tour and tasting of three drams of their exceptional whisky. Then, savour fine Scottish produce in Ardbeg’s beautiful restaurant, offering direct views of the rocky coastline and the Atlantic Ocean.

If your tour departs on Friday, you will only do a tasting at Ardbeg Distillery If your tour departs on Friday, your visit to Ardbeg will not include a full tour of the distillery facilities, instead it will include a visit to the still house and four drams of whisky.

Throughout the day, your driver-guide will take you to historical sites like the ruins of Kildalton Church, home to an 8th-century cross, one of Scotland’s finest early Christian monuments. Surrounded by Islay’s tranquil countryside, this site offers a glimpse into the island’s spiritual past. Later, we visit a distillery that varies by departure day. On Mondays, the tour visits Lagavulin Distillery, with their whisky packed with deep richness, signature smoothness, and bold layers of smoke you’ll never forget. If the tour departs on Wednesday or Friday, you’ll visit Laphroaig Distillery that has been capturing the wild landscape in every bottle for over 200 years.

Return to Bowmore for your last evening on the island.

Your overnight accommodation will be in Bowmore. (B)

Day 4 Inveraray & return to Edinburgh

This morning, we head to Port Ellen to catch the ferry back to the mainland, leaving the rich aromas of whisky behind as we take in the fresh, clean air of Scotland’s West Highlands.

As you sail from Islay, take in sweeping views of the island’s rugged coastlines, iconic distilleries, and the towering Paps of Jura on the horizon. The open waters offer the chance to spot marine life, so keep an eye out for dolphins, seals, and sometimes even minke whales or basking sharks.

Traveling along the coast, we’ll reach the picturesque village of Inveraray. With its historic buildings, old boats, and a great whisky shop, this is your lunch stop. You can sample local specialties, explore the town, visit the 18th-century Inveraray Castle (open April–October), or tour the Old Jail. Next, we head east through the rugged Arrochar Alps, stopping at the ‘Rest and Be Thankful’ viewpoint. Then, we continue to Loch Lomond & the Trossachs National Park, making a short stop in the charming village of Luss, known for its quaint houses and stunning loch views.

With time, the rugged mountain peaks and forest-filled glens of the majestic Highlands change into the flat fertile plains of the Lowlands as we return to Edinburgh.

You arrive in Edinburgh in the early evening. (B)

*Itinerary and distillery visits are subject to change.

Dates and Prices - Bowmore Distillery Cottages
Departure Date Double/Twin (pp) Single Rate
2025: June to September – Mondays and Fridays $1,730 $2,150
2025: October – Mondays and Fridays $1,620 $2,040
2026: March – Mondays $1,450 $1,790
2026: April to May – Mondays and Fridays $1,890 $2,350
2026: June to September – Mondays and Fridays $2,050 $2,510
2026: October – Mondays and Fridays $1,890 $2,350
2027: March – Mondays $1,890 $2,350

Please note:

The cottages have between three and six twin bedrooms. Due to the shared nature of the accommodation, individual bedrooms don’t have lockable doors.

The kitchen and lounge facilities are shared with other passengers, and basic self-service breakfast ingredients are provided. Full Scottish breakfasts are available at the nearby hotels if you prefer, payable locally.

All guaranteed departures.

Pricing

Pricing is per person (pp) based on twin/ double occupancy.
Rates are in $ CAD.


Contact DHTour at 1-888-597-3519 or 905-639-9954 or dhtour@dhtour.ca  to book.

Ask us for the best available pricing for your dates & choice of airline.

 

Notes
Mobility: All of our tours involve walking and require our guests to board and disembark our vehicles several times a day making this tour unsuitable for those with reduced mobility.

Luggage: You’re restricted to 14kg (31lbs) of luggage per person. This should be one piece of luggage similar to an airline carry-on bag (approximately 55cm x 45cm x 25cm / 22in x 17in x 10in) and a small bag for onboard personal items.

Luggage allowance – update for 2026:  You’re restricted to  permit one checked bag up to 20kg (44lbs), with maximum dimensions of 22in x 17in x 10in, as well as one small carry-on item. Checked luggage will be stored in the luggage compartment and will not be accessible during the journey. Carry-on bags should be compact and suitable for onboard storage. We kindly ask all passengers to adhere to these guidelines to ensure comfort and space for everyone.

Map

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