Whisky distilleries abound in Scotland and deciding where to go can be tricky, while driving between distilleries takes tastings off the table. That’s not a problem on this intimate small-group tour, as your driver-guide transports you to two specially selected distilleries in a top-of-the-range, 16-seat Mercedes mini-coach. There, learn about the history and production of whisky, before sampling for yourself.

A great full-day tour for whisky fans and novices alike
Sample some of Scotland’s best whisky at two Speyside distilleries
Learn about the whisky-making process and history of the drink
Small-group tour for a more personalized experience

What's Included

Professional driver/guide
Modern, air-conditioned Mercedes mini-coach
Small Group Tour (16 people max)
Admission Fee - Includes tour and tasting at Speyside Cooperage and Cardhu Distillery

Gratuities
Hotel pickup and drop off
Food and drinks, unless specified
Admission fees - unless specified

Meeting And Pickup

Meeting point

Bus Station
Bus Station, Guild St, Aberdeen AB11 6NA, UK
(Stance 5) Aberdeen Bus Station, Guild Street, AB11 6NA

Start time

08:45 AM

End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

What To Expect

Cambus O'May Forest

50 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Speyside Cooperage

1 hour 15 minutes • Admission Ticket Included

Cairngorms National Park

1 hour • Admission Ticket Free

Cardhu Distillery

1 hour 30 minutes • Admission Ticket Included

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received within 48 hours of booking, subject to availability
Not wheelchair accessible
In order to retain the integrity of the tour and try to ensure that all our customers have the best possible experience, we do cap bookings from any one party to 8 passengers.
We do not carry passengers under the age of 18 years on this tour.
Near public transportation

Most travelers can participate
Luggage Allowance: You're restricted to 14kg (31lbs) of luggage per person on our tours. This should be one piece of luggage similar to an airline carry-on bag (approximately 55cm x 45cm x 25cm / 22in x 17in x 10in) plus a small bag for onboard personal items.
*Cardhu Distillery and Speyside Cooperage Tour - We reserve tickets for you. Included in tour price
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 16 travelers

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.

Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.
Cut-off times are based on the experience’s local time.

Frequently Asked Questions

The answers provided below are based on answers previously given by the tour provider to customers’ questions.

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Q:What is the departure point for the Speyside Whisky Trail Small-Group Day Tour?

A:The tour departs from the Aberdeen Bus Station on Guild Street.

Jun 2021

Q:Is parking available near the departure point for the Speyside Whisky Trail Small-Group Day Tour?

A:Parking can be difficult to find in the center of town. It is highly recommended that you take advantage of the excellent public transportation that is available.

Jun 2021

Q:How early should I arrive for the Speyside Whisky Trail Small-Group Day Tour?

A:Check-in closes 15 minutes before your departure time. The tour departs on time, so please do not arrive late.

Jun 2021

Q:Can I bring luggage with me on the Speyside Whisky Trail Small-Group Day Tour?

A:You may bring up to 14kg (31lbs) of luggage per person. This should be one piece of luggage similar to an airline carry-on bag (approximately 55cm x 45cm x 25cm / 22in x 17in x 10in) and a small bag for onboard personal items.

Jun 2021

Q:What should I bring with me on the Speyside Whisky Trail Small-Group Day Tour?

A:Be sure to wear comfortable walking shoes and dress for the weather. Bring your camera and spending money for food, optional admission tickets, etc.

Jun 2021

Q:Are admission fees included in the Speyside Whisky Trail Small-Group Day Tour?

A:No. You pay for access to sites such as castles and museums as you arrive. Most of these locations accept both cash and card.

Jun 2021

Q:What type of vehicle is used during the Speyside Whisky Trail Small-Group Day Tour?

A:The tour is conducted in a 16 seat Mercedes Mini-coach. There are three steps up into the coach – each 150mm in height. There are grab handles on both sides, the step edges are clearly marked and the treads are non-slip.

Jun 2021

Q:Can I bring a wheelchair on the Speyside Whisky Trail Small-Group Day Tour?

A:The bus is not wheelchair accessible, however, there is storage available for a folding wheelchair or walking frame. Guests must be able to get on/off the bus on their own or with the assistance of a companion as guides cannot assist physically.

Jun 2021

Q:Are restrooms available on the bus during the Speyside Whisky Trail Small-Group Day Tour?

A:There are no restrooms on board the bus, however, the group does make regular breaks to use the restroom during the tour.

Jun 2021

Q:Can I bring my small child with me on the Speyside Whisky Trail Small-Group Day Tour?

A:All guests must be at least 18 years old to participate in this tour.

Jun 2021

Traveler Photos

Featured review

Linda_H

Neil was a fantastic guide and host. The scenery was so beautiful, and the distilleries were awesome! I only wish I could have tipped him, I wasn’t able to exchange money before my trip commenced. I will highly recommend Rabbies for tours, and for future trips.

Reviews

4.5

25 reviews

Total review count and overall rating based on Viator and Tripadvisor reviews

Reviews by Viator travelers.

Showing 1-7 of 25 reviews

Speyside whiskey tour

Linda_H, Jul 2023

Whiskey Tour Need Improvements

Vipula_G, Jun 2023

Our driver and the guide Neil was excellent. Tour should include at least the visit to two distilleries. Time wasted in showing an empty small castle which was useless instead, they should have taken us for another distillery or a tasting. Time allocated for lunch was not sufficient and the place use for lunch due only have very limited food options which is disappointing .

Response from Host, Jun 2023

Hi Vipula, Thanks for your feedback, it's wonderful to hear you had such a great time with Neil and I will make sure that he sees your kind words. I'm very sorry you feel that the balance on this tour wasn't quite right. Finding the right combination of stops to make all our customers happy is very important. Usually we find that our customers appreciate a mix between distilleries, learning about the whisky industry at the cooperage, and taking in the beautiful sites of Deeside and Speyside. It looks like we didn't get this quite right for you this time but hope that this didn't take away from your experience exploring Scotland. We've got plenty of other whisky tours with more distilleries departing from all around Scotland - and we even have a three day trip allowing for plenty sampling. We'd love to welcome you back on one of those tours some day soon. Thanks again for your feedback! Jo

Great Tour!

Ashley_B, Feb 2023

We loved seeing the distilling process and our guide, Neil was very knowledgeable about the local area. We highly recommend this day trip out of the city!

Awesome experience, nice...

Sam_M, Jun 2022

Awesome experience, nice tour guide(Douge). Visited nice scenery around Aberdeenshire. Recommend for anyone that likes to see distillery and stories about whisky

Great way to see Scotland

Tom_L, Sep 2021

Excellent, got to see Scottish countryside and drove over large parts of Scotland with a great guide Doug. Visited some distilleries as well and learnt about the whiskey manufacturing process. You don't need to drink to enjoy this scenic tour and the people carrier was large and comfortable with hand sanitizer and masks. I recommend.

Weak Tour

Tacettin_A, Aug 2021

When you read title you think this is all about whisky. But till 2 o'clock we wasted time and get bored so much. What I can see that tour guide try to kill time till visit whisky distillery. Instead of preparing the programme like this why don't you put one distillery in the morning and the other one afternoon? In that case everybody could be happy. or pick people 11 or 12ish and take them directly to coopers. And finally tour guide wasn't well enough trained about whisky information.

Response from Host, Aug 2021

We're sorry that you didn't enjoy this tour. Though whisky is a focus of this trip, there is more to this region than whisky alone and the itinerary is planned with additional stops in Royal Deeside so that visitors get to appreciate the scenery and have a more varied experience. We wouldn't want anyone to sit on the bus for 3 straight hours, so adding the scenic stop in the morning is also a nice way of breaking the journey. The written itinerary does outline the plan for the day and it sounds as though the tour was delivered in line with that. It's normally very well received, but we're sorry it didn't work for you. Many thanks for your feedback, Aimee

Speyside Whiskey trail

Thomas_K, Sep 2019

Excellent tour. Visit to the cooperage really enhanced visit to distilleries. Neil was a very knowledgeable and entertaining guide