Itinerary · 7 days · Scotland
Scotch whisky in 7 days: Edinburgh to the Highlands
A week lets you taste how Scotch changes as you travel north: soft Lowland malts, Perthshire charm, the rich heart of Speyside, and the coast beyond Inverness.
Day 1Edinburgh
Arrive and walk the Old Town. In the evening, do a regional whisky flight at a city bar. See our Edinburgh food walk.
Day 2East Lothian (Lowlands)
Make a half-day trip to a Lowland distillery about 30–40 minutes from the city. Spend the afternoon on the coast or in Edinburgh's museums.
Day 3North to Pitlochry
About 1½ hours by road or rail. Visit a distillery near Pitlochry in the afternoon, and walk to the dam and fish ladder.
Day 4Over the Drumochter Pass to Speyside
Stop at Dalwhinnie on the A9 (book ahead), then continue to Speyside. Allow about 2–2½ hours of driving in total, plus the visit.
Day 5Speyside
Take two tours with a long lunch between. Walk on the Speyside Way.
Day 6Speyside to Inverness and the firths
Have a slow morning, then transfer to Inverness (about 1 hour). Optionally visit a coastal Highland distillery north of Inverness (about 45 minutes away), or take a Loch Ness detour.
Day 7Inverness and home
Fly from Inverness, or take the train back south. The Highland Main Line to Edinburgh takes about 3½ hours.
Let someone else do the driving
Distillery roads are narrow, the drams are generous and Scotland's drink-drive limit is lower than in the rest of the UK. A private driver-guide plans the route around your bookings, waits while you taste and gets you home.
English enquiries go to Scottish Highland Travel, Chinese-language enquiries to HighlandTrip. Both are private chauffeur services run by the same group as this guide.
Official sources to check before booking
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