About Scottish Routes

Waiting for 4 years was worth it!

An absolutely fantastic tour guided by our driver Murray. Loads of sights and stories along with the distillery tours🌞

Had a perfect first time, four-day Islay whisky tour with a few friends in late July/early August. The trip significantly exceeded our expectations, mostly because of our exceptional guide, Jamie. All of us have traveled extensively but rarely with a guided tour, preferring the freedom to find our own way. Stopping at multiple distilleries a day seemed like the right time to let someone else handle arrangements and logistics, which is exactly what happened. Jamie took care of everything - all we had to do was show up each morning. The trip to the ferry, though a few hours, passed quickly. As a guide, Jamie was pleasantly talkative, with no end of interesting facts and trivia about Scotland, its history, and the areas/landmarks we passed. He immediately set everyone at ease with his calm delivery and practiced cadence. He mentioned he had been on this tour for eight years and it showed. Jamie had curated a 6-hour long playlist for the tour (often, but not exclusively Scottish musicians) to add emphasis, break up his stories, or set a specific tone. He also shared the playlist with the group afterward. There were comfortable moments of silence too - the tour wasn't just constant noise. Our tours were the standard ("core") whiskies at each distillery but the sheer scale (10 stops in all) and wealth of knowledge from distillery employees made the tours worthwhile regardless an individual's the level of familiarity with these whiskies. Jamie kept track of timing to ensure we arrived punctually at each location. We were ushered on at times but never felt rushed. When plans changed, as they did several times through no fault of his or the tour, Jamie adapted. This always worked out to our advantage. We were remarkably lucky with timing, weather, and a responsible group, but Jamie clearly loves this tour. He took any opportunity to show us something extra or enhance the tour, including quickly stopping by an extra distillery, a seaside picnic, and hiking Oa to the American Monument. He took note of guests' interests (birdwatching, photography, hiking) and found ways to incorporate them smoothly along the journey. Probably an overly lengthy way to say we were all tremendously impressed. This was the unforgettable trip of a lifetime. We will be back and now know exactly who to call.

Our group had an absolutely phenomenal experience with Scottish Routes. Communication was super easy and our guide Dejan did a wonderful job mitigating all the stress of travel for us and sharing experiences along the way that everyone loved.

If all tours of Scottish Routes are as good as the 4-day Islay tour with Morey Walker, then you are in for a treat. In addition to the excellent accommodation (Bowmore House) on Islay we expectedly visited the main distilleries on the island. What made this tour such a unique experience was surely the addition of Morey. He was well known and appreciated throughout the island which often lead to more generous drams of whisky. He provided us much more than what I would expect from a tour guide, so in addition to the historical and cultural information, he entertained us with stories, music and humor underlined by his authentic Scottish accent (did I mention that he knows his whisky?). He easily succeeded in creating a cohesion among our international group and integrated everyone, so it felt less like a tour among strangers but more like old friends that met again to have a couple of drams of whisky together. I want to thank Scottish Routes again for providing such a great tour guide and I hope that for the next tour, I will get him again!

Can't say enough, Best Trip we ever had. Bad thing is I don't think it can be topped. Great Group, Guide was the best ever. We will cherish the experience for ever.

Just a whirlwind. Places I never thought I'd see and one of a kind whisky tastings! Jamie, our tour guide, is incredibly funny and helpful, and knows a fair bit about whisky as well. The accommodation is a delight (worth going to Islay just for the hospitality there). Could go on!...

We have just finished the four day Islay tour There was a lack of information from Scottish Routes before the tour and only gave me tips on request that the other travellers in our group did not have (pre booking restaurants etc) We found Moray quite rude, belittling and obtuse and anti-English! We did enjoy the tour with great whiskies and accommodation was good too so would recommend if you are not English!

4 Day Speyside Malt Whisky Tour

I had four awesome days with Scottish Routes in speyside. The group was nice, the guide really good and patient. He drove us safely though it rained heavily for most of the time. If I would have been driving there, I would probably have suffered from a nervous breakdown after 2 hours. But Nick was totally cool. We visited so many distilleries, had very interesting tasting with a lot of variation (blind tasting at Aberlour, old cask from closed down distilleries at Royal Lochnagar, which we could choose, special and very rare bottles at Glenfarclas, and so on and on). It was not cheap, but worth every penny. The Haus Alba B&B was the best place I ever stayed on vacation. The weather could have been better, but that is not on Scottish Routes ;-)

Had an absolutely amazing time on Scottish Routes Islay & Campbelltown Tour! Over the week we were able to visit brilliant distilleries, try out some of the best whiskies I've ever tasted in my life, stay in fantastic accommodation and got to drive through breathtaking landscapes. And a big thanks to our very informative and entertaining driver-guide Jamie for the sometimes funny, sometimes poignant, always insightful commentary and context of our trip. I'll definitely be looking to travel with Scottish Routes again!

My husband and I took the Four-Day Islay Whisky Tour with Jamie in May of 2023. It was a wonderful decision! I've been on a lot of tours and here's what works with this one: 1. The tour guide was great. He brought in the local history, was an accomplished storyteller, and was very considerate of the needs of the group. To top it off, he had a completely curated playlist that paired perfectly with the locations and stories - a delightful addition. 2. The whisky tours were well curated, and we had a wide variety of experiences. Each distillery brought something different to the table,and we learned at every stop. Plus, whisky!! 3. We love whisky, but the history that was mixed in was a definite benefit. Learning about the country and the people who make the whisky was priceless. 4. The overall pace of the tour was extremely well done. We were always moving, but never rushed. That's an art. Highly recommended if you need a friend to show you around Scotland!

As a whisky lover...THIS tour is a must!

What a trip and whisky experience!! Weather was fantastic throughout the trip. Moray, our driver/guide was a blast!! Even with the passing of the Royal Monarch, Queen Elizabeth (RIP) and her funeral on the Monday, all the distilleries were closed, but both Scottish Routes (Moray) and Bowmore House BB made every effort to make the day memorable for us whisky lovers. Road trips to historic locations with a few drams along the way and photo ops!! On our next day we certainly made up for any possible lack of whisky tastings!! Wow!! As with any bus style tour it takes a bit for the group to gel... ours did really well at that in my opinion. Accommodations at the Bowmore House B&B were far more than one could imagine. Rooms were spectacular. Drams with breakfast, YES and speaking of breakfasts, OMG, sooo much food to choose from. With time to wander around Bowmore itself and check out the local sites added to the fun. Trying to decide now when to book the 5 day experience!

4 Day Islay Whisky Tour from Edinburgh - Scottish Routes - Oct 2022

If we could give this tour, our tour driver/guide and the owners of Bowmore B&B a 12 out 10 rating - that's what we would do. Small group tour - 16 people. So well organized and more fun that you could imagine. We learned so much about Scotland history, whiskey distilling and just how one should drink a dram of good Scotch whiskey. Our driver/guide was Rob and we are still laughing today about his antics, the special things he did for all of us. Breakfast at the B&B was amazing as were the hosts. Room was small, but clean and comfortable for the 3 nights we were there.

What a fantastic experience! Our tour guide, Jamie, for the Four-Day Islay Whisky Tour was truly exceptional. From the moment we boarded, Jamie brought enthusiasm and a deep knowledge of whisky and the region's rich history. Their commentary and curated playlist made the drive even more enjoyable. When the ferry to Islay was out of service for a couple of days, Jamie handled the situation like a pro. Along with Scottish Routes, they quickly rerouted us to Campbeltown, ensuring we didn’t miss the chance to explore another region. Once we reached Islay, they worked hard to maximize our time, getting us to as many distilleries as possible despite the ferry disruption, which was beyond their control. The tastings were delightful, and the scenic routes were breathtaking. It was clear that Jamie genuinely cared about our experience, making it even more enjoyable. I highly recommend this tour with Scottish Routes and Jamie to anyone eager to explore Islay's incredible Scotch heritage! Jamie - the Griffin clan thanks you very much for making our trip amazing!

Perfect Honeymoon Treat - 4 Day Islay Whisky Tour from Edinburgh

This was the perfect way to end our time in Scotland. Moray was a delight and kept us all on schedule, and the Bowmore House was a gem. Andrew and Alison went out of their way to make us feel welcome. Worth every penny!

The four day whisky tour of Islay was a really enjoyable experience from beginning to end. The itinerary was well thought out to give an overview of whisky production, tours of distilleries and extensive sampling of a wide range of the end product. The group size is perfect for sharing a common interest and the accommodation provided was excellent. I highly recommend this tour, led on this occasion by the amiable Jamie, whose insights of Scottish history added a further dimension to the knowledge acquired during the tour.

We just finished a fantastic 3 day whisky tour. 5 stars are not enough! We were planning a trip to honor my husband's retirement. I had initially contacted a local travel agent in my city, and the price she initially quoted was astronomical! No way I could afford it. That's when I started looking on line. I discovered that Scottish routes offered tours similar to what I was wanting and very good prices. But I couldn't find one to fit my timeline, so I simply emailed and asked if something was possible in my timeline. After a few emails with Clare, I told her what distilleries I must see, and that after those, I really didn't care, just as many as possible. After she had what I wanted, she was able to quote me EXACTLY what I wanted, in my timeline, at a wonderful price that I could afford! It was a fraction of what the first travel agent quoted. Clare and Sofia worked with me, and answered all my questions and they took care of everything! When the day finally arrived, we were met at our hotel by a lovely lady Catherine who was our driver and tour guide. She was phenomenal. She took care of us, she was very knowledgeable, and she made the trip fun. Her lunch and/or supper recommendations were perfect! I would highly recommend her as your guide! We visited 9 distilleries in 3 days. They took care of all the schedules, the fees etc. All we had to do was show up and enjoy the trip. They booked us into a fantastic bed and breakfast. Comfortable, clean, big hearty Scottish breakfast! (Or whatever you want) The whole experience was a trip of a lifetime. I do recommend you take their tours. If they don't have one listed that fits your need do not hesitate to contact them. They went above and beyond to make our trip fantastic. I would give them 100 stars if possible! Thank you all for a great experience!

I went on the 4 day Islay whiskey tour. Jamie our tour guide was fantastic. A great blend of interesting stories, history and a few whiskies to go along with it. The accommodation at bowmore house was also terrific!! I’m very glad I went on this tour and can’t wait for the next one!

All I can say is if you are considering the Islay four day whisky tour, do it! From working with Scottish Routes to book the tour, to the well planned itinerary, to the first rate accommodations, everything was phenomenal. Our tour guide was Jamie, and he was the absolute best. We were well cared for, entertained, and learned so much about Scottish history. The whisky was pretty good too. Everything exceeded expectations.

From the first time I contacted Scottish Routes in early January 2023 until the moment we said goodbye to our amazing Guide Catherine, this experience has been absolutely excellent! Preparation: We contacted Scottish Routes in early January 2023 to begin planning for our Single Malt journey to Scotland. From the very first contact, email responses were very quick. Catherine was the first person we exchanged emails with and she ended up being our tour guide. She is simply amazing, was very responsive with all our inquiries and proactively suggested tastings, experiences, distillery tours etc. All we had to do was provide dates, suggested distilleries we wanted to visit and Catherine took care of the rest. Within a matter of days she had put together an amazing itinerary, which included transportation (pickup/drop off at our Edinburgh hotel) and lodging throughout the trip. She also booked all our distillery tours and tasting experiences. She even booked all our dinner reservations. The process was so smooth, efficient and easy. Once booked all we had to do was wait a few months for the big day to arrive! The Trip: Our amazing itinerary that Catherine put together, consisted of three days in Islay and two days in Speyside, with some travel in between. We visited the following distilleries: ⁃ Islay: Bowmore, Caol Illa, Ardnahoe, Bruichladdich, Lagavulin, Laphroaig, Ardbeg ⁃ Speyside: Glenfiddich, Glenlivet, Macallan, Dalwhinnie (on our way to Speyside, we did a quick visit to Oban, lovely town!) Catherine arranged tours/tasting experiences at Bowmore, Caol Illa, Lagavulin, Laphroaig, Ardbeg, Glenlivet and Macallan. The tours at Bowmore and Caol Illa, were so educational, we learned about the entire process to produce single malts and some really good tastings at the end. Guides were very informational and access around the distilleries is impressive, we saw it all! The tasting experiences at Lagavulin, Ardbeg, Glenlivet and Macallan are simply amazing, we tasted some of the finest single malts, distillery exclusives and walked away with a deeper understanding of the unique tastes of these amazing single malts. Catherine setup our itinerary so that our first day on Islay was dedicated to tours, we learned about the production process and from then on we had tasting experiences, it was perfectly arranged. This attention to detail is what really sets Scottish Routes apart, they provide a truly outstanding experience. All our lodging was excellent and picked by Catherine. The restaurant suggestions were also excellent and all taken care of by Catherine. Transportation was in a very new sprinter van, the four of us were very comfortable and Catherine is an amazing driver. Throughout our travels, she suggested excellent spots for lunch, scenic roads and informed us of different and important locations in Scotland’s history. Her knowledge and passion for all things Scotland is amazing, we learned a lot. Conclusion: Scottish Routes and Catherine, were simply amazing. From start to finish, they made our experience in this single malt journey truly outstanding. They took care of all the details, made for a totally stress free planning process and the trip itself was a once in a lifetime experience, that left us with memories we will treasure forever. If you’re thinking of heading off on your own Single Malt journey, go with Scottish Routes and Catherine, you will not regret it. Thank you Catherine and Scottish Routes for this amazing experience. Now off to plan for the next one…