The Top 5 Scottish Cities for a Whisky Lover’s Weekend Break

There’s no better place to visit in the UK than Scotland when it comes to whisky. It’s the country’s national drink, believed to have been distilled there from as early as the fifteenth century, with a legacy that means there’s no better place to visit if you want a holiday where sampling the spirit is firmly on the agenda.

With over one hundred different distilleries spread across the area, there are plenty of excellent places to visit in Scotland for a weekend break dedicated to enjoying the drink. In this article, we’ve selected five of the best Scottish cities to visit if you’re a whisky lover, with recommendations of what to see and where to go while you’re there.

1. Edinburgh

As the capital city of Scotland, Edinburgh is a firm favourite on plenty of lists of travel recommendations. This historic destination is famous for its cultural offering, not only because of the immensely popular Fringe festival each summer but also because of the brilliant array of art galleries and museums you’ll find around the city, as well as its packed calendar of music and theatrical events year-round.

When it comes to whisky, Edinburgh is one of the best places to visit because of its size and status, with plenty of tourist activity, meaning that there are plenty of spirit-themed things to see and do. Highlights of a whisky tour of Edinburgh include Holyrood Distillery, situated right in the centre of the city close to the Old Town and showcasing the best of modern spirit production. Nearby in Leith is the Port of Leith Distillery, housed in an incredibly modern building on the harbourside that offers spectacular views from the top-floor bar and offers exceptional scotch that is the product of years of research and refinement.

Take a look at our whisky tours of Edinburgh to discover more about the best way to sample what the city has to offer.

2. Glasgow

Glasgow is another of Soctland’s most popular cities, perfect for travellers seeking a more authentic experience of the country’s culture and energy. Not only does it have an art and culture offering to rival Edinburgh, but it’s also one of the best places for shopping in the UK and has an impressive collection of architecture from across the ages that makes it a great city for sightseeing.

If you’re spending a whisky-focused weekend in Glasgow, Clydeside Distillery is an absolute must-visit and the first dedicated single-malt distillery established in the city in 100 years, situated in a picturesque spot beside the River Clyde. The city is also home to Auchentoshan Distillery, which stands out as the only producer who triple distils every single drop of whisky, offering an impressive range of different spirits that have been meticulously brewed and aged.

Explore Glasgow’s whisky offering with one of our whisky walking tours of the city and visit some of the best bars in the West End.

3. Inverness

Venturing further north into wilder territory, Inverness is a city located on the northeast coast and known as the capital of the Highlands. Despite its relatively small size, it’s an ideal place to visit in Scotland if you want to explore some of the country’s more rural landscapes and locations, as well as enjoy the cultural offerings of the city itself. Choose to stay in the heart of Inverness or enjoy one of the luxury accommodation rentals in Scotland and make the most of the glorious surrounding scenery.

For an artisan whisky experience, Uile-bheist Distillery on the banks of the River Ness takes inspiration from local folklore for the names of all its products and holds the impressive title of one of the lowest-carbon distilleries on the planet. A little further out, but still definitely worth visiting, are the long-established Tomatin Distillery in nearby Tomatin village and The Singleton Distillery on the Black Isle peninsula, which offers delicious whisky in a truly spectacular setting.

4. Perth

A smaller but no less charming city in Scotland is Perth, described by novelist Sir Walter Scott as ‘the Fair City’. When you admire the Georgian architecture, sprawling public parks, and surrounding Scottish countryside, it’s easy to see why! And with only a short trip from either Edinburgh or Glasgow to get here, it’s an ideal place to base yourself for a weekend in Scotland dedicated to the country’s best whisky.

There aren’t any distilleries in Perth itself, but nearby you have a range of options to choose from. Lindores Abbey Distillery in Newburgh is linked to the very first remaining mention of Scottish whisky in 1494, whilst Tullibardine Distillery has a similarly impressive history of brewing since the 1400s and is one of only a handful of distilleries where every step of the process (except for malting) takes place on-site. Glenturret Distillery in the market town of Creif is worth visiting as the oldest working distillery in Scotland, and Aberfeldy Distillery uses water from a local source which is known to contain deposits of gold, giving in the nickname ‘Golden Dram’.

5. Aberdeen

Our final recommendation for the best Scottish cities for whisky lovers is Aberdeen, the Granite City and the third largest city in the country. It gets its nickname from the famed array of architecture you’ll find lining the streets, but is also popular because of its proximity to the coast, offering a wonderful range of different landscapes and things to see and do in the area.

Again, Aberdeen isn’t home to any distilleries itself, but if you’re staying in the city, then it’s less than an hour’s drive to the Speyside whisky region, which is known and loved for the quantity and quality of distilleries here. With over fifty distilleries to choose from, the only limit is how long you want to linger in each and sample the exceptional array of whiskies produced from this famous area of the country.

Summary

Scotland’s whisky heritage is incomparable, with many of the most famous brands in the world emerging from this part of the UK. The options are endless when it comes to where to visit for the best tasting and tour opportunities, but these cities are a great place to start if you’re looking for travel inspiration.