Whisky Galore - The Ultimate Malt Whisky Tour
Whisky Galore: The Ultimate Malt Whisky Tour
This tour is a must for every golfer and malt whisky enthusiast or anyone who wants to experience the ultimate Golf and Whisky Tour of Scotland. This multi-day tour explores Scotland’s Five Malt Whisky Regions, will visit some of our most famous distilleries and will allow you to play some of our very best golf courses. From Glenkinchie and Gullane in the Lowlands, to Laphroaig and the Machrie on Islay, from Glenmorangie and Royal Dornoch in the Northern Highlands to Glenlivet and Nairn in Speyside and from Machrahanish and Springbank in Campletown to Edradour and Gleneagles in Perthshire to name but a few, this is truly the opportunity to experience the very best Malt Whisky and fantastic golf courses that Scotland has to offer.
Scotland is synonymous as the Home of with Golf and the best Malt Whisky in the world and with over 120 distilleries producing fantastic whisky and over 550 golf courses, it truly is the home of Golf and Whisky. Our tour is designed to showcase our different whisky regions, our most famous distilleries, our very best golf courses.
During this tour, we will travel the length and breadth of Scotland, playing golf on some of Scotland’s magnificent golf courses, visiting stunning Islands, experiencing breathtaking scenery and fantastic cuisine and of course the very best Scotch Whisky.
We truly believe that this is The Ultimate Golf and Whisky Tour
We are also able to create a very flexible tour which can easily be modified to meet our clients’ particular taste in whisky or personal favourite golf courses.
The starting point can also be changed between Aberdeen, Glasgow or Edinburgh.
DURATION: up to Ten Days depending on final choice of Distilleries and Golf Courses
HIGHLIGHTS & KEY LOCATIONS: Glasgow, Arran, Islay, Skye, Inverness, Speyside, Campletown, Perth, Edinburgh, Gullane, Loch Lomond, Machrihanish , Machrie, Royal Dornoch, Nairn, Gleneagles
Day 1 Saturday: Glasgow and Lowland Region: play Prestwick and visit Auchentoshan overnight Loch Lomond Total 130 miles (3.5 hours driving)
The Lowland region malts offer a slightly gentler and more delicate flavour than the big smoky taste of Islay malts. Perhaps reminiscent of newly cut grass, summer flowers and with a hint of spices. We travel south from Glasgow to play Prestwick before heading north to visit Auchentoshan, famous for producing a triple distilled whisky, a legacy of its Irish roots.
Our Choice: Auchentoshan 18 Year Old Triple distilled and matured in American bourbon oak for over eighteen years. The result: a refreshing Lowland single malt whisky with the added infusion of ripe citrus and green tea, the warmth of toasted almonds and the signature smooth, delicate, Auchentoshan taste.
Our Favourite Course: Prestwick Golf Club
Prestwick - The course that hosted the first eleven Open Championships from 1860. It has kept all its traditional charm while remaining a severe challenge. It borders the 2016 Open Championship venue Royal Troon and you will enjoy some lovely views of the coast where you can see the Isle of Arran in the distance.
Day 2 Sunday: Today we will drive along the Bonny Banks of Loch Lomond to Campletown visits to Glengoyne and Springbank distilleries and to play golf at Machrihanish . We will spend the night near Kennacraig (3 hours, 130 miles). Glengoyne nestling below Drumgoyne straddles the boundary between Lowland and Highland Malts and claims to have the slowst distilling process of all distilleries. Campletown was once home to more than 30 distilleries but now only 3 distilleries are still producing. Perhaps the most famous being Springbank, with a range of whiskies tasting of sea air, peat, vanilla and sugar.
Our Choice : Springbank 21 year old With its warm golden glow, the 21-year-old is inviting, creamy and offers unbelievable complexity. The maritime influences uncovered in this single malt will take you on a journey to its Campbeltown home.
Our favourite course: Machrahannish Golf Club
It is renowned for having 'the best opening hole in golf' and who are we to argue. With the Atlantic ocean to your left, hugging the fairway, it is an intimidating opening tee shot to say the least. A traditional Links course and a must play for all golf enthusiasts.
Day 3 Monday: Ferry from Kennacraig to Islay, the southernmost island of the Inner Hebrides. An island of windswept rugged beauty. Islay is renowned for producing BIG whiskies, redolent of peat, smoke and salinity. We arrive in time for lunch and our first visits will be to Laphroaig & Lagavulin which along with Kilchoman, Caol Ila, Bunnahabhain, Bruichladdich, Bowmore and Ardbeg make up Islay’s 8 distilleries. This mecca for Malt Whisky lovers evokes flavours ranging from linseed to moss, from spice to purity, from carbolic to floral palates
Our Choice : The 1997 vintage of Lagavulin's Distillers Edition bottled in 2013. By far the most popular of the Distiller's Edition series, this double-matured Lagavulin has had a finishing period in sweet, sticky Pedro Ximénez sherry casks. A whisky that never disappoints.
Our favourite course: The Machrie Golf Club
A remote and traditional Links nestled in between imposing sand dunes. With very few bunkers, it is the design of the greens and the need to hit the fairways which makes this course a severe test. If the weather Gods are on your side then the views across Laggan Bay are outstanding.
Day 4 Tuesday: We continue our exploration of Islay Malts with a Full Day on Islay overnight on Islay including visits to Bowmore and Cail Ila
Our favourite course: The Machrie Golf Club
Our Choice: Bowmore 18 Year Old A masterful combination of ripe fruit, dark chocolate and Islay smoke.
Day 5 Wednesday: We Depart Islay taking the morning ferry as it cruises from Port Askaig to Oban via the beautiful Isle of Colonsay, arriving in Oban in time for a late seafood lunch. For two centuries Oban’s bustling harbour has been a stopping off point between the West Highlands and the Islands, a meeting place of land and sea. One of Scotland’s oldest licensed distilleries, Oban’s sheltered harbour is perfect for two things – seafaring and whisky making. We will visit Oban distillery and then head north to overnight in Fort William (1 hour from Oban, 45 miles)
Our Choice : Oban 14 Year Old A combination of rich sweetness with a smoky dryness and appetising spice distinguishes this lovingly-matured Highland malt.
Our favourite course: Glencruitten Golf Club
Also known as 'Oban Golf Club', Glencruitten adds variety to your tour. A challenging parkland course with a number of blind shots which means distance control and accuracy is at a premium.
Day 6 Thursday: we depart Fort William and travel to Skye to visit Talisker before continuing East across Scotland to Cromarty (5.5 hours driving 230 miles) Talisker is a big peaty, smoky Malt made by the sea on the Isle of Skye, surely one of the most remote, rugged, yet beautiful landscapes in Scotland. Few whiskies tell the story of their origin better than Talisker. Its smell and taste instantly connect the drinker with the rugged environment – like sitting by a warming fire on a stormy night.
Our Choice : Talisker 18 Year Old It was voted 'BEST SINGLE MALT WHISKY IN THE WORLD' in the World Whisky Awards 2007. This is a gem from one of Scotland's most reknown whisky distilleries. It has a fine balance of peat, spice and sweetness.
Our favourite Course: Isle of Skye Golf Club
A beautiful seaside course with fantastic views. A 9 hole course with a selection of tee boxes means you can enjoy a fun 18 holes of golf.
Day 7 Friday: We depart Cromarty and head to to Tain home of Glenmorangie, and then on to Glen Ord and Glen Wyvis, a new crowd-funded distillery. Finally, to Ben Dronach and then to Elgin where we will overnight. (75 miles 1.5 hours driving) The copper stills at Glenmorangie are the tallest in Scotland, measuring 8 metres high. The long copper necks are almost the same height as a fully grown adult giraffe! These long elegant stills ensure that only the very lightest and purest vapours are used thus producing a smoother, more elegant whisky.
Our Choice: Glenmorangie 18 Year Old A wonderfully creamy and thick 18 year old dram, matured for 15 years in ex bourbon casks before being finished in Oloroso sherry casks. An exquisite, tropical-fruit driven Glenmorangie.
Our Favouite course: Royal Dornoch Golf Club
Rated in the world's top 10 best courses this is a truly magnificent Links. Dornoch is the third oldest golfing town in the world and this is a course that should be on everyone's 'Must Play' list.
Day 8 Saturday : A Day Tour of Speyside (The Glenlivet, Macallan, Glenfiddich, Balvenie) (3 hours 100 miles)
Speyside is home to over half of Scotland’s distilleries, and the 50 or so Speyside malt distlleries produce whiskies renowned for their flavours of apple, pear, honey, vanilla and spice. Often matured in sherry casks producing subtle differences such as the lighter malts such as The Glenlivet, and the rich and sweet taste of The Macallan. Speyside itself is traditionally split into eight defined towns and areas: Rothes, Strathisla, Lossie, Liver, Fridhorn, Dufftown, Deveron and Speyside Central. Some of the scotland’s most famous hail from the region including Glenfiddich, The Balvenie, Aberlour and Tomintoul.
Our Choice: Balvenie Founders Reserve Cognac Bottle (if you can find it!) or Macallan 18 Years Sherry Oak
Our favourite course : Nairn Golf Club
Host to the Walker Cup in 1999 this is a very traditional links with great views and a tough but fair course with tricky undulating greens.
Day 9 Sunday: Leaving Elgin we head south to Pitlochry stopping to visit Dalwhinnie, Edradour and Blair Athol before spending the night at Pitlochry (2.5 hours 100 miles). Dalwhinnie is the highest and coldest working distillery in Scotland, using water from a loch at 2000 feet, located on an old drove road, Dalwhinnie whisky continues to thrive in extreme conditions. Blair Athol distillery, in Pitlochry stands at the gateway to the Scottish Highlands using water of the Allt Dour burn to produce a whisky with a mellow tones and exceptionally smooth finish, used in Bell's, one of the most popular blended whiskies in the UK. The picturesque distillery at Edradour claims to be one of Scotlands smallest distilleries producing only 50,000 litres of malt whisky per year. It may be small, but this perfectly little gem is well worth visiting. We will spend the night in Pitlochry
Our Choice : Edradour Cask Strength 14 Year Old
Our favourite course: Royal Aberdeen
The 6th Oldest golf club in the world and recently host to the Scottish Open and walker Cup. Traditional and challenging Links where wind strength and direction can drastically affect the way the course plays.
Day 10 Monday: Our final day sees us travel from Pitlochry to Edinburgh and today we focus on Perthshire, home to Scotlands most famous blended Whiskies. Our day commences at Dewars, near Aberfeldy, home to the famous White Label Brand before heading to Crieff and Glenturret home to the Famous Grouse. The final leg of our whisky journey will take us through Markinch in Fife, home to Johnnie Walker and Diageo the largest producer of Malt whisky in Scotland before arriving in Edinburgh, the end of the Ultimate Whisky Trail. ( 3.5 hours 100 miles)
Our Choice: The Black Grouse Alpha Edition
Our favourite course: Gleneagles Kings Course
The course that hosted the first unofficial Ryder Cup (Great Britain won 9-3) is littered with deep cavernous bunkers and the fairways are lined with thick 'scottish' rough.
The best inland course in Scotland.
OVERNIGHT STOPS & ACCOMMODATION: 4* accommodation is available at all overnight locations on this tour, but we are happy to advise on a range of alternatives from family run B&Bs to restaurants with rooms.
Extended Tour
For those with additional time to spend wishing to sample even more distilleries or golf courses we can extend the tour to include visits to St Andrews or Carnoustie.
