Why a Holiday in Pershire is Perfect for Whisky Fans

Perthshire is well known for its beautiful scenery and abundance of wildlife, but did you know that the county is also the perfect holiday destination for whisky fans? Once upon a time Perthshire had as many distilleries as Speyside (although not all of them legal!) but has since been reduced to six active distilleries.

Visiting each distillery on the Perthshire whisky trail is a fantastic experience and makes for an excellent road trip – assuming you have a designated driver of course!

We thought we’d give you a run down of what you can expect from each distillery, so you can plan your very own Perthshire whisky tour.

Edradour

The Edradour distillery is not only the smallest distillery in Perthshire but it is in fact the smallest distillery in Scotland. This tour is particularly cosy and allows you to get up close to the equipment that is used to make this fantastic malt.

If you enjoy the drams you receive on this tour, you’ll be pleased to know that the distillery shop stocks 25 different expressions of Eradour. As well as this, they also have single malts from distinctive distilleries, many of which are now closed. 

Blair Atholl

This distillery is one of Scotland’s oldest dating back to 1798 and produces the best-selling Scotch in the UK: Bell’s. The distillery is famous for this blend but also produces some wonderful single malts including Blair Atholl 12.

You can try both whiskies and see how they are made by visiting the picturesque town of Pitlochry.

Deanston

This former 18th century cotton mill was transformed in the 1960s to a fully functional whisky distillery. Deanston offers a wide range of tours going from a standard tour of the distillery up to a private tour with the distillery manager. This private tour is perfect for those passionate about whisky looking to discover the ins-and-outs of the process from a master of the trade. If you’re looking for something a bit more than the standard whisky experience, we would highly recommend a visit to Deanston.

Tullibardine

This is one of Scotland’s few independent whisky distilleries with the history of the site going back all the way to 1488 with it formerly being a brewery. Tullibardine offers an interesting experience with their ‘Whisky & Chocolate Tour’. Here you can sample some fantastic single malts that are paired with gourmet chocolates.

Glenturret

If you’re partial to a Famous Grouse, then a visit to Glenturret Distillery is essential on this whisky tour. The blend dates back to 1896 and a distillery tour to see how it’s made is one of Scotland’s most popular visitor attractions.

We recommend the ‘Warehouse and Blending Experience’ which not only offers a tasting session but gives you the chance to step into the shoes of a master blender and blend your very own malt. You can take 100ml of your unique malt home with you and a certificate to prove you can blend your very own whisky.

Strathearn

Strathearn Distillery is fairly new and so has not had time to release many expressions with their first whisky coming out last year. In Scotland, to be classified as a whisky the spirit must be aged for a minimum of three years. You can, however, sample some ‘oak-aged gin’ at Stathearn which is essentially a two-year-old spirit that hasn’t had time to be classed as a whisky yet.

Stathearn also offer a range of fantastic gins and at this distillery you can spend either one, three or five days working at the distillery to get an authentic experience of making whisky.

If you’re ready to go on a whisky holiday to Perthshire, you can book your accommodation at Kennacoil today. Kennacoil offers luxurious glamping pods and cottages situated in the centre of Highland Perthshire.