4-Day Islay & Whisky Tour Including Admissions from Edinburgh
Overview
Available languages
96 hours
Mobile ticket
*Tour cost includes Tours & Tasting at 4 Whisky Distilleries (other attractions not included in the price).
Visit the Isle of Islay in the Scottish Hebrides on a 4-day tour from Edinburgh, and discover its famously friendly people, stunning landscapes, and most importantly – its whisky! Having produced Scotland's finest smoky malt whiskies for more than 200 years, Islay provides the perfect base for whisky lovers and novices alike. Enjoy three nights of accommodation in the 4-star Bowmore Distillery Cottages (not available on Wednesday departures)** and discover up to six different distilleries, including big-name sites like Laphroaig and Ardbeg, with a guide. Numbers are limited to 16 on this small-group tour, ensuring you’ll see the best of Islay with personalized attention with your guide.
Additional Info
Public transportation options are available nearby
Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Unfortunately we don't carry anyone under 18 years old on this tour
On this tour you will spend 3 nights in the beautiful Bowmore Distillery Cottages .The cottages have between three and six twin bedrooms, each with private bathrooms. 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.
Booking three or more people? We can accommodate up to 8 guests in a group, please add each required room to your basket separately
When booking three or more people, efforts will be made to book a combination of suitable rooms (double/twin/family). Preferences should be noted upon booking in the Special Requirements section
Passengers are restricted to 20kg of luggage (44lbs); one medium sized suitcase/bag similar to airline standard carry-on luggage (approximately 55cm x 45cm x 25cm / 22in x 17in x 10in) plus a small bag for onboard personal items.
Monday departures offer the chance to see more whisky production as all the distilleries are in operation on weekdays.
Itinerary and distillery visits are subject to change.
*Laphroaig Silent Season (07th July-13th of August): Museum visit & bar tasting to replace production site.
*Bowmore Silent Season (8th of July–18th August): Cask tasting replaces production site.
*Bruichladdich: No longer visited—Bunnahabhain tasting offered instead.
*Laphroaig (Monday Departures): Replaced with Lagavulin; museum/shop/bar still accessible.
*Kilchoman Closures (6th September): Ardnahoe tour & tasting as an alternative.
*If you depart on August 4th, please note that we won't be visiting Ardbeg Distillery on Day 3. Instead, you will visit Caol Ila Distillery. We apologize for any inconvenience.
*Ardbeg is unavailable on Sundays in October 2025 – 05 & 12 Oct: replaced by Lagavulin tour – 19 & 26 Oct: replaced by Caol Ila tour with Premium Tasting
Cancellation Policy
All sales are final. No refund is available for cancellations.
What‘s Included
Ferry crossings
3 nights en-suite accommodation
Driver Guide
Entrance Fee: Price includes Tour & Tasting at Ardbeg, Kilchoman , Bowmore & Laphroaig Distilleries
Transport by top of the range Mercedes mini-coach
Hotel pickup and drop off
Gratuities
Food and drinks, unless specified
Entrance fees: unless specified
What To Expect
Edinburgh - Oban - Kilmartin Glen - Islay
Accommodations
Bowmore Cottages (Mon & Fri departures) or Lochside Hotel or similar (Wed departures only).
Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park
Here, you can admire Scotland’s scenic beauty and enjoy some local delicacies.
Oban
Victorian harbour town offers excellent seafood and a charming intimacy. You have a couple of hours here, where you can visit the Oban Distillery and sample some local seafood for lunch.
Kilmartin Glen
You then venture through the Kilmartin Glen where you see standing stones and strongholds that are over 1,500 years old.
At Kennacraig, you catch the evening ferry to Islay. The sail is around two hours; and if you peek out to the ocean, you may see the Paps of Jura.
Sample Scotland’s peatiest whiskies
Accommodations
Bowmore Cottages (Mon & Fri departures) or Lochside Hotel or similar (Wed departures only).
Bowmore Distillery
Tour and tasting at Bowmore Distillery included in the tour price. After you’ve had an ample amount of breakfast, you enjoy a tour of Bowmore, the oldest licenced distillery on the island.
Kilchoman Distillery
Next, your driver-guide takes you to Kilchoman Distillery for a tour and a lunch of local treats. Kilchoman is known as Islay's only Single Farm Single Match Scotch Whisky, reviving traditional farm distilling of barley to bottle, making their whisky 100% Islay.
Bruichladdich Distillery
On Thursday and Saturday, you visit Bruichladdich, the progressive distillery specialising in unpeated whisky
Bunnahabhain Distillery
On Tuesday, you taste the unpeated and salty notes of Bunnahabhain in the most remote distillery on Islay.
Today you explore the southern side of the island, home to the smokiest of all whiskies: Laphroaig, Lagavulin & Ardbeg.
Accommodations
Bowmore Cottages (Mon & Fri departures) or Lochside Hotel or similar (Wed departures only).
Ardbeg Distillery
Exclusive tour and tasting included in the tour price (lunch not included). Please note that your lunch will either be at an outdoor food truck at Ardbeg (weather dependent) or in Port Ellen.
Laphroaig Distillery
Exclusive tour and tasting (inc. 2 drams of Whisky) at Laphroaig Distillery included in the tour price. You then visit Laphroaig, and if there’s time you can take a stop for a tasting at Lagavulin. On an island known locally as ‘The Queen of the Hebrides’, there is a regal quality to the distinctly peaty style of its single malt whiskies.
Kildalton Cross
On most tours it’s also possible to visit to the ruins of Kildalton church and see its famous 8th Century Celtic cross.
Get a sense of the old history of Inveraray
Inveraray Castle & Gardens
Explore the fabulous home town of the Duke of Argyll and the stunning ancestral castle.
Loch Lomond
Enjoy the dramatic splendour of one of Scotland’s most famous lochs and the beautiful national park that surrounds it.
Options
B&B Double Occupancy Room
Double en-suite room with breakfast in a B&B (1 large bed).
B&B Twin Room
Stay in twin room (2 x single beds) accommodation. If you require multiple rooms, please add these to the basket separately.
B&B Single Occupancy Room
Stay in single room (1 x single bed) en-suite accommodation.
Reviews
78 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
Memory for life.
Christina E,
Oct 8, 2024
- Viator
5.00Lagavoulin tasting direct from the casks and Adam's good stories as we went trough the highlands. A memory for life.
Best tour ever
Scott S,
Sep 20, 2024
- Viator
5.00This was one of the best rours we have ever taken. From stops in places like Oban to the fantastic distilleries of Islay. Adam was a truly amazing tour guide from history,storiy telling, whisky knowledge, music and more. The group we travelled with was also fantastic. Could not recommend this tour mre highly.
“Masterclass”
David H,
Sep 19, 2024
- Viator
5.00Our tour guide Adam was “Masterclass, full stop”,…… and of course, the scotch tasting at the distilleries was outstanding. Adam’s knowledge, story telling, organizational skills and engaging personality was terrific! This is the best tour we have ever taken!
Loved our Islay tour!
Dianne F,
Sep 7, 2024
- Viator
5.00Andy was a fantastic guide, giving us the perfect blend of humour and history! We would definitely do this tour again. We enjoyed the extra side trips as well as all of the amazing distilleries on Islay. A bonus was the lovely warm, sunny days
Great tour.
Deborah B,
Oct 17, 2023
- Viator
5.00We had a wonderful time with friends. We learned a lot about Scotch and had plenty of opportunities for tasting (and shopping). Our guide, Andy, was fantastic!
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