Speyside Whisky Trail: 2 nts Grantown-on-Spey
Contact DHTour at 1-888-597-3519 or 905-639-9954 or dhtour@dhtour.ca to book.
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.
3 DAYS / 2 NIGHTS / MAX 16 GUESTS
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.
Benromach Distillery – They say all Speyside whiskies used to be smoky. This distillery brings the classic flavour back to life.
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.
Glenlivet Distillery – Tucked away in a remote glen you’ll find one the most famous flavours of Scotland.
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.
Edinburgh (Google Map)
Check-in closes at 8:30am (tour departs at 8:45am) – Gate J and Gate K, Edinburgh Bus Station, St Andrew Square, Edinburgh, EH1 3DQ
Edinburgh
6:30pm
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.
You head north through the Kingdom of Fife, stopping for refreshments along the way before heading to Glenshee viewpoint for a view out over the kingdom. You then enter the UK’s largest National Park, Cairngorms National Park. This will be a stunning drive, so keep your cameras ready.
You stop in Braemar and have some time for lunch and a little explore. A bite to eat is a good idea though because your next stop is 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. If the group is feeling up to it, you can stop in at The Whisky Castle shop for another cheeky tasting along the way.
*If your tour departs after 1st April 2024, on this day you’ll visit Lindores Abbey Distillery and visit The Whisky Castle instead of Royal Lochnagar Distillery.
Time for some fun. Today you spend the whole day exploring Scotland’s most famous whisky region. Your first stop is 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.
After lunch in nearby Aberlour, you travel along the Spey River to Craigellachie for a visit to the Speyside Cooperage*, where you see another aspect of the whisky making process.
After a scenic drive towards the coast, you head to Glen Moray, where you can try whisky matured in a wide selection of casks.
Time permitting, your driver-guide might stop in at Sueno’s Stone for a quick photo, where you can admire this incredible Pictish standing stone. From here you travel back to Grantown-on-Spey.(B)
*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. Lying in the heart of Scotland, Pitlochry is a beautiful little town with plenty of shops, restaurants, and cafes. The time is yours to explore and have some lunch.
From here the route south takes you to the stunning wee village of Dunkeld, where you’ve got some time to explore before heading to your final whisky experience of the tour.
Lindores Abbey Distillery is a modern Scottish distillery built on the site of the first ever recorded distiller in the country. The beautiful flavours of their whisky have been enjoyed since 1494, owing its origins to the Tironensian monks that lived at Lindores Abbey, or the ‘Church by the Water’, over half a millennium ago.
You then over the Firth of Forth, take in the magnificent South Queensferry bridges, and head back into Edinburgh. (B)
**Itinerary and distillery visits are subject to change.
**If your tour departs after 1st April 2024, on this day you’ll only visit one distillery – Dalwhinnie Distillery
| Departure Dates and Days | Double/Twin (pp) | Single Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2023: November to December – Wednesday | $770 | $830 |
| 2024: January to March – Wednesday | $770 | $830 |
| 2024: April to May – Monday & Wednesday | $880 | $1,050 |
| 2024: June to September – Monday & Wednesday | $900 | $1,080 |
| 2024: October – Monday & Wednesday | $880 | $1,050 |
| 2024: November to December – Wednesday (Except December 25) | $830 | $1,010 |
| 2025: January to March – Wednesday (Except January 1) | $830 | $1,010 |
All guaranteed departures.
| Departure Dates and Days | Double/Twin (pp) | Single Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2023: November to December – Wednesday | $850 | $925 |
| 2024: January to March – Wednesday | $850 | $925 |
| 2024: April to May – Monday & Wednesday | $990 | $1,220 |
| 2024: June to September – Monday & Wednesday | $1,020 | $1,250 |
| 2024: October – Monday & Wednesday | $990 | $1,220 |
| 2024: November to December – Wednesday (Except December 25) | $950 | $1,180 |
| 2025: January to March – Wednesday (Except December 1) | $950 | $1,180 |
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.
