Celebrating International Scotch Day – Slàinte Mhath!

In the four seconds it took to type the title of this article, another 172 bottles of Scotch whisky will have left Scottish shores to be sold around the world—that’s 43 bottles per second, according to the Scotch Whisky Association.

And as February 8th is International Scotch Day, we thought we’d highlight some fantastic whiskies and distilleries from each of the five Scotch-producing regions. So, whether you’re planning a whisky-themed trip or simply looking for your next bottle, we’ve got you covered!

First Stop – The Highlands (Including the Islands)

Geographically the largest whisky-producing region in Scotland, the Highlands and Islands boast the longest coastline and some of the most extreme weather conditions. With a landscape ranging from towering peaks to deep valleys and gorges carved by water erosion, this diverse terroir results in an equally diverse range of whisky flavours.

Isle of Raasay Distillery

The islands of Arran, Skye, and Jura are known for their smoky undertones due to the common use of peat.

Rather than selecting just one distillery to visit, why not embark on the Hebridean Whisky Trail, which takes in six incredible island distilleries:

• Isle of Harris Distillery – Isle of Harris

• North Uist Distillery – Isle of Benbecula

• Torabhaig Distillery – Isle of Skye

• Talisker Distillery – Isle of Skye

• Isle of Raasay Distillery – Isle of Raasay

• Jura Distillery – Isle of Jura

Whisky Recommendation

For a touch of Hollywood glamour, try The Hearach single malt from Isle of Harris Distillery—a component of the prestigious ‘million-dollar’ gift bags presented at the 2025 Golden Globe Awards.

Matured in first-fill ex-Bourbon casks and first-fill ex-Oloroso and Fino sherry butts, this inaugural single malt is “complex, elegant, and full of character.”

Official tasting notes:

🔥 Peat smoke - 🍏 Apple sauce - 🍞 Toasted malt - 🌸 Wildflowers - 🌶 Spice - 🍬 Candied sweets - 🍦 Clotted cream

Within the mainland Highlands, there are countless legendary distilleries to choose from, including Glenmorangie, Royal Brackla, and Nc’Nean. However, due to its recent accolades—‘World’s Leading Whisky Distillery Tour’ and ‘Scotland’s Leading Distillery Tour’ at the 2024 World Travel Awards—we recommend visiting The Glen Ord Distillery.

Glen Ord Distillery

Located on the edge of the Black Isle in Muir of Ord, near the North Coast 500, Glen Ord is home to The Singleton Single Malt Scotch Whisky. Following a major refurbishment by owners Diageo, the distillery reopened in late 2022 with an enhanced visitor experience.

You can choose from classic tours with in-depth whisky-making insights, a pairing experience featuring The Singleton Whisky and gourmet food, or even a hands-on cocktail crafting session—each, of course, including a tasting!

Whisky Recommendation

Loch Lomond – Inchmurrin 12-Year-Old Intense Orchard Fruit

As the name suggests, this whisky delivers a smooth, sweet profile, thanks to maturation in three types of American oak casks. It’s not just a favourite among whisky lovers—it also won double gold at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition 2023. Best of all, you can pick up a bottle for around £43.

Official tasting notes:

🍐 Nose: Distinctively fruity with pear drops and toffee sweetness, plus light notes of freshly cut hay in the summer sun.

🍊 Taste: Seville orange citrus builds in intensity before mellowing into peach and apricot, followed by creamy fudge and vanilla.

🔥 Finish: Medium length with a peppery kick.

Speyside

Despite being in the Highlands, Speyside is classified as a separate whisky region due to its high concentration of distilleries along the River Spey. This region is home to some of whisky’s biggest names—The Macallan, Glen Grant, Aberlour, and Glenfiddich.

For a modern and immersive experience, we recommend visiting The Macallan Visitor Centre, which underwent a £140 million transformation before reopening in 2020.

The Macallan Visitor Centre

Situated on a 485-acre estate, The Macallan offers a range of contemporary whisky tours. However, if you have time, we also recommend visiting The Glenlivet Distillery, a site steeped in history, intrigue, and tales of smugglers. Their tour offerings range from traditional distillery tours to single cask tastings and in-depth educational experiences. Whisky Recommendation

BenRiach The Twelve

BenRiach is renowned for its wide range of cask finishes and its unique four-water mash technique, which extracts maximum sweetness from the barley.

Matured in sherry, bourbon, and port casks, BenRiach The Twelve is a sweet, complex, and perfectly balanced Speyside whisky.

Official tasting notes:

🌅 Colour: Golden bronze

🍯 Nose: Rich maple honey, cocoa, and baked forest fruit

🍒 Taste: Maraschino cherry, baked orange, and hazelnut, with a lingering sultana and spiced mocha finish

❌ Smoke level: Nil

The Lowlands

The Lowlands are known for producing softer, lighter, and floral whiskies, making them a great starting point for newcomers. While the region is home to big names, such as Rosebank (recently reawakened), its most famous whisky is arguably Johnnie Walker.

A visit to Glenkinchie Distillery, Johnnie Walker’s Lowland home, offers a range of tours, from tutored tastings to warehouse experiences and full cask explorations.

Alternatively, for history lovers, Bladnoch Distillery—Scotland’s most southerly whisky distillery—has been producing whisky for over 207 years and now boasts a state-of-the-art visitor centre.

Whisky Recommendation

Lochlea Our Barley

A new-wave Lowland whisky, Lochlea was founded in 2018, producing single malt expressions using barley grown on-site.

Official tasting notes:

🍐 Nose: Pear syrup, fruit bonbons, warm cut grass, marmalade

🍯 Palate: Golden syrup, pepper, rye bread, macadamia nuts, cream soda

🍊 Finish: Long, with a lasting orange beeswax note

Islay (Pronounced Eye-luh)

The Scottish Island of peated whiskies producing strong, smoky flavours - and some are not for the faint of heart!

Incredibly, the smallest Scottish whisky region in geographic terms, is an island just 25 miles long and 15 miles wide yet home to ten distilleries with more planned for the future. And boy do they produce some huge whiskies!

Ardnahoe, Caol Ila, Kilchoman, Laphroaig, Lagavulin, Bowmore, Ardbeg, and the recently reopened Port Ellen, Bruichladdich and Bunnahabhain. The latter two actually produce unpeated whiskies, although the Port Charlotte brand remains in production by Bruichladdich when Diageo sold the distillery buildings and contents to them in 2007 and this whisky is heavily peated.

And the reason Islay whiskies tend to lean towards heavily peated versions is that the island has an abundance of it. In combination with very fertile soil and extremely soft, peaty water, the whisky produced from Islay is pretty unique.

Sadly, Ardbeg Distilley is currently closed due to damage caused by Storm Éowyn. We wish them well and, in the meantime, recommend that when they re-open hopefully in early March, you pay them a visit and take one of their tours, or maybe even pop along for ‘Rocktails’ in Ardbeg’s cocktail corner!

Based on reviews alone, we would definitely suggest a visit to Laphroaig Distillery. As well as informative distillery tours and tastings, the distillery embrace their island during Uisge (Silent Season) by holding countryside walks with picnics and visits to the Laphroaig water source. This is not without education in production methods, a sample of whisky and of course some incredible island views!

With a heritage dating back to 1745 and some incredible whiskies produced since that time, Laphroaig Distillery makes for a worthwhile visit.

Recommended Whisky

We have to stick with what is perceived as a classic Islay whisky – Ardbeg 25 Years Old

Okay, admittedly, it’s a little on the pricey side at £1,100 a bottle, but this whisky comes from incredibly rare casks.

Official tasting notes:

🔥 Aroma: Smoked cream, peppermint, and toffee, with hints of fennel and pine resin

🍋 Taste: Sherbet lemon, candied apples, and creamy toffee, followed by aniseed and chilli pepper

🍫 Finish: Long, mellow, and elegant, with notes of cream, fudge, and antiseptic

Campbeltown

Located on the Kintyre Peninsula, adjacent to Campbeltown Loch, the town is experiencing a revival and the harbour remains busy with a number of fishing boats and leisure craft.

The smallest whisky producing region of the five, Campbeltown was once considered the whisky capital of the world, home to around 34 distilleries. Today, the number stands at just three – Springbank and Glen Scotia are the only two remaining and Glengyle’s Kilkerran closed in 1925 before production recommenced in 2004 as Kilkerran Single Malt.

However, three new distilleries are in various stages of planning/building production, Witchburn, The Machrihanish and Dal Riata.

The terroir around the distilleries produces a whisky with a lighter, fruity and vanilla flavour, with a briny hint due to the location and the salty air.

To be honest, if you’ve travelled to Campbeltown you’d be mad not to visit all three of the current distilleries. Each offers a variety of tours and have their own intriguing histories.

Recommended Whisky

Springbank single malts are always a good choice, but why not try the Springbank Cask Strength Aged 12 Years.

Aged in a combination of Bourbon – 60%, Sherry – 35% and Rum – 5% casks, this whisky packs in a whole host of flavours.

Official tasting notes:

🍏 Nose: Toffee apple, parma ham, hazelnut, marzipan

🍑 Taste: Tinned peaches, fruit syrup, honeycomb, milk chocolate

🔥 Finish: Subtle peat smoke, heather honey, orange rind

We hope you enjoy International Scotch Day, whatever your plans. Just make sure you’ve got a dram or two on standby!

Slàinte Mhath!