Speyside Whisky Tour inc. Culloden Battlefield
A wonderful combination of history, scenery and whisky!
Our Speyside whisky and history tour begins from Inverness with a visit to the Bronze Age Clava Cairns and Standing Stones. Dating back over 4000 years, this grouping of burial cairns, rings and standing stones gives us a fascinating glimpse of the very ancient past of the Scottish Highlands.
Only a short distance from Clava Cairns is Culloden Battlefield where you explore the dramatic history of the Highland clans, Charles Edward Stuart (Bonnie Prince Charlie) and the Jacobite uprisings. The excellent interactive visitors centre sets the scene of this decisive battle and the Jacobite story before you embark on a poignant walk through Culloden field to the clan grave markers (including such famous clans as the Frasers, Macdonalds, Mackintoshes and Camerons).
After an early lunch at the battlefield cafe, we head east towards the grounds of Brodie Castle, home of the wonderful Rodney Pictish Stone. This class II Pictish stone (8-9th century, highly decorated stones with Pictish symbols and Christian imagery) includes a very striking Pictish beast illustration. The afternoon takes us to a local 'hidden gem', the Benromach Speyside whisky distillery where you enjoy a tutored tasting (no tour) of up to three Benromach malts.
• BENROMACH Tastings from £3 per dram (no tour)
• BENROMACH
Tastings from £3 per dram (no tour)
We then continue further into Speyside for a late afternoon visit to Glenlivet where you take a distillery tour that includes a dram from a cask in the warehouse followed by two more tastings in their dramming room.
• GLENLIVET £15 pp for 1¼ hour tour & 3 tasting drams
• GLENLIVET
£15 pp for 1¼ hour tour & 3 tasting drams
Leaving Speyside we travel back through wonderful scenery and enjoy the stunning views of the East Highlands on our return to Inverness.
History Option - Visit Cawdor Castle instead of Culloden Battlefield (13th April to 6th October only)
This beautifully kept medieval castle, built around a 15th century tower house keep, is rich in Highland history. It also has wonderful gardens to explore after visiting the castle.
Whisky Option - Visit Glenfiddich or Macallan instead of Glenlivet
We can visit either Glenfiddich (£10pp distillery tour) or Macallan (£20pp distillery tour) for our afternoon distillery tour instead of Glenlivet.
Tour Option - Shorten Culloden visit and add in a tasting lunch at Glenfiddich
Should you prefer just to have a guided walk of Culloden Battlefield and not visit the exhibition centre we would have time to have a late lunch stop at Glenfiddich distillery in the Malt Barn cafe where you can also enjoy whisky tastings. This option can also work with Cawdor Castle by reducing the time for visiting the gardens.
Private Tour Price (per tour)
May to September: £380
October to April: £340 **
Tour Information
Depart Inverness 9am
Return Inverness
(approx. 9 hours)
Tours are exclusively for your private group only (up to 3 persons) and prices are per tour. We only offer private tours and do not combine individuals or separate groups - if your group size is less than 3 the advertised tour price still applies. Prices include all taxes and a driver/guide (John Alasdair Macdonald) but exclude entrance fees, distillery tours and tasting fees (listed above) and meals.
Tour Notes
Due to distillery closures on Saturdays and Sundays (particularly outwith the summer months) an alternative itinerary may be recommended depending on your requested tour date. Distilleries have a silent season when there is no whisky production for a number of weeks (generally during the summer months). Distillery tours still operate but without production in the background. Advance payment is required for most distillery tour fees. Please note that this tour is not suitable for children (under 18s).
** Off Season Touring
The Highlands are renowned for changeable weather, even over the summer months. However, from October to April, poor weather conditions are more common and daylight hours are reduced (particularly from late-October to early-March). For tours during these months, we may return to Inverness in darkness. The itinerary may be changed at short notice to adapt to weather conditions, and on very rare occasions tours may be cancelled due to severe weather.
