The list includes a number of lesser-known hidden gems.
Scotland’s “best whisky distilleries” to visit this summer have been named. Iconic distilleries both on Scotland’s mainland and its picturesque islands are included on a new roundup.
All around the world, whisky lovers enjoy drams originating from the plentiful distilleries in Scotland. Many people travel hundreds, and even thousands, of miles to visit the country’s iconic distilleries.
On Monday, July 14, food and travel magazine Olive published a list of the top whisky producers in Scotland to head to. A total of 10 distilleries around the country are featured, from well-known names to underrated gems.
One of the distilleries that is among the best in Scotland to visit according to Olive is Port Ellen on Islay. Islay is known as Scotland’s ‘whisky island’ due to its various distilleries that produce the island’s characteristically peaty malts.
The Port Ellen distillery is situated just outside of the small town of the same name along Islay’s south coast. Founded in 1825, the distillery reopened in 2024 after being closed since 1983.
Visitors can enjoy 90-minute tours that show off the distillery’s state-of-the-art production process, as well as visit its shoreside warehouse where they can taste directly from a 1979 vintage cask. The Port Ellen distillery also holds open days where tourists can meet its team and see inside its still house.
Olive wrote: “A cult favourite among collectors, the distillery is back after nearly 40 years after its gates were shut. One of the rarest whiskies around, with bottles changing hands for the price of a small family car, the rebooted distillery is a coastal showpiece, where pared-back Scandi-style meets Islay’s rugged beauty.
“Expect sweeping sea views, architectural wow-factor, and an elevated tasting experience that’s all about storytelling and sensory discovery.”
Elsewhere, another distillery named among the top in Scotland by Olive is the Glenturret in Perthshire. Situated near the town of Crieff, it dates back to 1763 and is among the oldest working distilleries in the country.
The Glenturret offers 60-minute tours that show off its “traditional, time-honoured methods”. The tour ends with a tasting of two drams from its annual core whisky range.
Olive praised the Glenturret as a “Highland home of luxury”, singling out The Glenturret Lalique Restaurant. The restaurant, which has received two Michelin stars, offers aged malts alongside an opulent food menu that includes dishes such as Shetland squid, juniper smoked roe deer, and sea bream.
Another Scottish distillery that earned a spot on the experts’ list is the Isle of Raasay Distillery on Raasay in the Inner Hebrides. The award-winning distillery, which opened its doors in 2017, produces both whisky and gin.
The Isle of Raasay Distillery’s tours range from 45 to 60 minutes, and showcase how its sprits are made—before ending with a tasting of whiskies and gins in its “specially designed tasting room”.
Also on offer is a Whisky, Gin and Chocolate Tour and Tasting experience where the spirits are accompanied by three handmade chocolates.
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Olive stated: “Opened in 2017, Raasay Distillery is all about innovation, community and a jaw-dropping view across the Sound. Tours feel intimate and personal, with sustainability front and centre.
“Its whisky is a flavoursome, lightly smoky style matured across several cask types and brought together for an easy drinking dram. In the on-site bar you can relax with a measure of their well-matured whisky, try it in a cocktail or enjoy wines and local beers, too.”
The full list of Scotland’s “best whisky distilleries to visit” can be found on the Olive website.
