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Tailor-made journeys to Islay, the island of peated malts. We arrange the crossing, private distillery visits, tastings with Charles MacLean MBE and somewhere fine to stay, planned around you.
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Islay, the southernmost island of the Inner Hebrides, is known around the world for its whisky. Most of its distilleries stand along the shore, several with their own piers, and all lie within an hour’s drive of one another.
Peat cut from the island’s moorland has long been used to dry malted barley, giving many Islay whiskies their smoky character. Not all of them, though: part of the pleasure of a visit is tasting how varied the island’s malts are. Our interactive whisky map shows the distilleries on the island.
A short flight from Glasgow, the ferry from Kennacraig, or a private aircraft or helicopter, arranged door to door.
Private visits arranged where possible, including warehouse tastings straight from the cask.
Led by Charles MacLean MBE or our whisky team, to compare the island’s styles side by side.
A five-minute ferry from Port Askaig to the neighbouring island, its single road and its own distillery.
Comfortable hotels and private houses, with a chef if you wish; the best book early for summer.
Long empty beaches, seafood landed on the island, birdwatching, and walks along the coast.
Islay lies off the west coast, south-west of Glasgow. Ferries and flights fill quickly in summer and around the festival, so we book well ahead.
Free Scotland travel guidesSpeyside whisky toursBy air, Loganair flies from Glasgow to Islay in about 45 minutes. By sea, CalMac ferries sail from Kennacraig on the Kintyre peninsula to Port Ellen or Port Askaig in two to two and a half hours. We can also arrange private aircraft or a helicopter.
Three nights allows an unhurried pace, with time for several distilleries, a tasting and the island itself. Two nights is the minimum we would suggest.
No. Islay is known for peated malts, but several distilleries also make unpeated or lightly peated whiskies. A good tasting will show you the range.
May to September brings the longest days. Fèis Ìle, the island’s festival of music and malt, is held in late May and books up early. Winter is quiet, with tens of thousands of wild geese on the island.
Charles hosts tastings and joins selected days when his diary allows. Tell us your dates and we will let you know what is possible.
Tell us when you would like to travel, who is coming and what you enjoy. We will suggest a shape for the trip and arrange every detail.
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