4-Day Islay & Whisky Tour Including Admissions from Edinburgh

Day 1: Edinburgh - Oban - Kilmartin Glen - Islay

1. Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park
   30m
   Here, you can admire Scotland’s scenic beauty and enjoy some local delicacies.
2. Oban
   1h 30m
   The port town of Oban was once the strategic heartland of powerful, feuding clans. Today, however, it's celebrated as the “Gateway to the Isles” and is renowned for its fresh seafood straight off the boats. For an authentic taste of local flavor, visit the Oban Seafood Hut, located right by the ferry terminal. This local favorite offers affordable seafood platters featuring scallops, langoustines, crab, and lobster, all fresh from the sea.
3. Kilmartin Glen
   45m
   You then venture through the Kilmartin Glen where you see standing stones and strongholds that are over 1,500 years old.
4. 2m
   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.

Day 2: Sample Scotland’s peatiest whiskies

1. Bowmore Distillery
   2h · Admission ticket included
   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.
2. Kilchoman Distillery
   2h · Admission ticket included
   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.
3. Bunnahabhain Distillery
   1h · Admission ticket not included
   Following lunch, we'll travel through Islay's scenic countryside to your third distillery of the day, Bunnahabhain, where you can experience the unpeated, salty notes of whisky in Islay's most remote distillery.

Day 3: Today you explore the southern side of the island, home to the smokiest of all whiskies: Laphroaig, Lagavulin & Ardbeg.

1. Ardbeg Distillery
   1h · Admission ticket included
   Distillers at Ardbeg Distillery are resilient pioneers with a rocky 200-year history. They've created a whisky, which is out of this world, as they're the first to send this spirit to outer space to mature. Enjoy a Rabbie's exclusive tour and tasting of three drams of their exceptional whisky. Then, savour fine Scottish produce in Ardbeg's beautiful restaurant, offering direct views of the rocky coastline and the Atlantic Ocean.
   
   If your tour departs on Friday, your visit to Ardbeg will not include a full tour of the distillery facilities; instead it will include a visit to the still house and a tasting, including five drams of whisky.
   
   *Please note that Ardbeg Distillery is closed on weekends during October. Therefore, the Sunday visit to Ardbeg will not operate for departures on 2, 9, 16, and 23 October.
2. Laphroaig Distillery
   1h · Admission ticket included
   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.
3. Kildalton Cross
   20m
   On most tours it’s also possible to visit to the ruins of Kildalton church and see its famous 8th Century Celtic cross.

Day 4: Get a sense of the old history of Inveraray

1. Inveraray Castle & Gardens
   1h 30m · Admission ticket not included
   Traveling along the coast, we'll reach the picturesque village of Inveraray. With its historic buildings, old boats, and a great whisky shop, this is your lunch stop. You can sample local specialties, explore the town, visit the 18th-century Inveraray Castle (open April–October), or tour the Old Jail
2. Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park
   45m
   Enjoy the dramatic splendour of one of Scotland’s most famous lochs and the beautiful national park that surrounds it.

• 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. *From 16th March 2026 , cooked breakfast options will be available at the Harbour Inn instead of the previous 'self-service breakfast' option.
• 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 (Monday Departures): Replaced with Lagavulin; museum/shop/bar still accessible.
• *If the tour departs on a Friday, we will not be able to stop at Kilchoman Distillery. The tour will follow a more flexible itinerary, stopping in at other distilleries for a shorter shop visit .
• Please note that Ardbeg Distillery is closed on weekends during October. Therefore, the Sunday visit to Ardbeg will not operate for departures on 2, 9, 16, and 23 October