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Top 5 Speyside Distilleries With Impressive Visitor Centres

Last Updated: March 5, 2025

It might be hard to believe, but not everyone we travel with will be as excited to visit a distillery as we are! I adore mash tuns and stills and will happily look at them all day. Beautiful, glorious stills!! But that's me, and it might even be you, but probably not everyone travelling with you. 

It's definitely not Roddy - having worked at a distillery for 11 years, he doesn't get quite as excited to visit them as I do. He also doesn't feel the need to tour every distillery. He'll happily do one or two, but after a while, he longs for a comfy chair and a quiet tasting, especially overlooking an epic landscape, which is what a great visitors centre can offer. Respite. A break from the potential monotony of one more distillery tour. Somewhere to take a moment and savour the offerings while you get one more photo of a spirit safe. 

For many distilleries, the visitor centre is just a waiting area for tours and a gift shop. But not these distilleries. The following distilleries take the visitor centre experience to a whole new level.

The Macallan Estate

We have to put The Macallan Estate in first place for Most Impressive Visitor Centre after they underwent a spectacular £140million refurbishment in 2018 (see video below), however please note that entry to The Macallan (including visiting the gift shop) is only by prior appointment, and must be pre-booked at least 24 hours in advance.

The Macallan Estate Visitor Centre offers an extensive array of whisky experiences including:

  • TimeSpirit Dining (fine dining at its finest) which offers menus to highlight Scotland's amazing fresh produce, with the option of matched whisky and wine pairings. Advanced bookings are essential.  TimeSpirit is open for lunch or dinner Thursday to Saturday, and lunch only Sundays.
  • The Macallan Bar has the largest selection of The Macallan whiskies anywhere in the world. Handcrafted whisky cocktails and non-alcoholic cocktails, wine, beer and soft drinks are also available. You must book a table (max 4 persons per table) at least 24 hours in advance if you plan to visit the Macallan Bar. The Macallan Bar is open from 12 noon til 8pm Thursday to Sunday. Bar guests are welcome to browse The Macallan Boutique during their visit (you do not need to book that separately if you've booked in at the bar).
  • The Boutique (Macallan gift shop) requires an advanced booking, and maximum 4 persons per booking slot. The Boutique is open Tuesday to Sunday from 10 am til 3pm, though open until 8pm on Fridays and Saturdays. You do not need to book into the Boutique if you've already booked in for a tour, dining or bar experience.

The new Macallan distillery is a spectacular achievement in design and engineering and is unlike any other distillery we've visited. The distillery is integrated with the visitor experience, all under one roof in an open-plan layout of epic proportions.

All guest areas within The Macallan Estate Distillery are wheelchair accessible, though there is a small section in the Still House that mobility scooters and electric wheelchairs will be unable to pass through. There is a lift for mobility access to all levels, and four disabled parking spaces. Flooring within the production area is grated which assistance dogs may find uncomfortable. See the Macallan's tour terms and conditions page for further accessibility details.

If you're travelling with children the Macallan is not the best distillery to visit as much of the distillery experience is for over 18s only. For a list of distilleries that are suitable for children, see our guide to 50 Distillery Tours In Scotland Your Kids Can Actually Go On.

The Macallan Distillery 2025 Opening Hours

  • The Macallan are open (advanced bookings only) from Thursday to Sunday. All experiences (including visiting the Boutique or Bar) must be booked at least 24 hours in advance. Tours often book out weeks ahead. Bookings only become available four months in advance.
  • Bespoke experiences (Monday to Wednesday) start from £1,800.00 (for up to 6 guests) and may booked up to six months ahead of visiting.

The Macallan Tours

  • The Macallan Time for Excellence are available at 10 am and 11 am and 5 pm on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays and at 10 am and 3pm on Sundays. Due to the limited number of tours available, and the limited numbers permitted on a tour - maximum six (6) persons per tour - bookings should be made as soon as you know your travel dates, though bookings won't be taken more than four (4) months in advance. This expertly led 3 hour experience includes a tour of the production area, followed by a sampling of three (3) The Macallan whiskies in the Cave Priveé (cellar) for a tutored tasting, before a final 4th dram in the Macallan Bar. This experience includes time to browse The Macallan Boutique for personal shopping. £80.00 per person. Advanced bookings are essential.
  • The Macallan Mastery Experiences are available at 12 noon and 4pm on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, and at 11 am Sundays. A five hour in-depth deep dive into Macallan with a matched-wine dining experience at Elchies Brasserie followed by a carefully curated tutored tasting of The Macallan in Cave Priveé before heading onto a whisky flight tasting in the Macallan Bar. You even get a commemorative glass to take home. £250.00.00 per person. Advanced bookings are essential.

Cardhu Distillery

Cardhu Distillery is the Speyside home of Johnnie Walker - and as one of Diageo's flagship distilleries (along with Caol Ila,Clynelish and Glenkinchie), an impressive visitor experience awaits you. Tours are highly immersive experiences and use a combination of light, media, music, sensory moments and special effects.

Cardhu Distillery consulted Euan's guide on their redevelopment and have accessible parking, bathrooms and accessible tasting areas. Due to the age of the distillery itself, distillery tours are only partially accessible to those with mobility impairment as there are some stairs in the still house, but the Spirit Safe and Spirit Stills are visible from an accessible viewing area if stairs are not your thing. Please note that the sensory experience is highly immersive and uses a combination of light, media, music, sensory moments and special effects that may not be suitable for all audiences, or for persons with nut allergies.

Cardhu Distillery allows children over the age of 8 years on tours (at a discounted rate).

The Cardhu Bar serves a wide selection of whiskies, as well as platters and non-alcoholic beverages, making it an ideal spot to stop for lunch.

Cardhu Distillery 2025 Opening Hours

  • January and February: Thursday to Monday (not Tuesday/Wednesday): 10:00 am to 4:00 pm
  • March to December: Monday to Sunday (every day): 10:00 am to 5:00 pm

Cardhu Flavour Journey - Full Sensory Tour and Tasting

A guided journey through Cardhu’s fascinating founding by two generations of resolute women. Your full-sensory tour culminates in a tutored tasting of three whiskies and a highball cocktail in the Cardhu Tasting Kitchen. £21 per person (£10 for children - must be over 8 years) and approximately 90 minutes duration. Online advanced bookings for the Cardhu Flavour Journey Tour and Tasting are recommended.

Guess Dhu Tour and Tasting Challenge

A guided full-sensory tour of the distillery coupled with a "Guess the Dhu" tasting experience - if you love a challenge and enjoy matching your flavour perceptions against others’, this is the experience for you. This optional nosing and tasting finish to the Cardhu Flavour Journey invites you to test your senses in a mystery whisky challenge in the Cardhu Collection Room. Correctly identify the whiskies, and you’ll earn a spot in Cardhu's Guess Dhu Hall of Fame. £25 per person (£10 for children - must be over 8 years) and approximately 90 minutes duration. Online advanced bookings for the Cardhu Guess Dhu Tour and Tasting Challenge are recommended.

The Cairn Distillery

The newest distillery to open in the Speyside region and the first distillery in the Cairngorms National Park for many decades, The Cairn distillery opened in 2022 and is a very shiny new operation with impressive views of the surrounding hills.

While the stills may have only just been switched on, there is a decent amount of whisky to taste on site as the owners of The Cairn Distillery are none other than Independent Bottlers Gordon and MacPhail. Not many distilleries commence life with aged whiskies (from other distilleries) readily available to sample and purchase: the CRN57° range is available in 12YO, 18YO, 25YO, 30YO, 57YO (!) and 70YO (!!). The Cairn Distillery is open year round, but due to their location in the Cairngorms, they may close at short notice in the winter months if the weather is too wild. On-site cafe/bistro - The Gathering - stocks local produce and whisky inspired fare and has amazing views of the surrounding landscape. 

The Cairn Explorer Experience

The Explorer Experience at The Cairn Distillery includes a tour of the distillery and a tasting in the upstairs bar, overlooking the stunning landscape surrounding the distillery. £25 per person and approximately 60 minutes duration. Online advanced bookings for the Explorer Experience are recommended. Over 18s only.

The Cairn Adventurer Experience

The Adventurer Experience is the Explorer guided distillery tour, and three drams on the top floor tasting lounge, before heading on to a selection of tapas in the Gathering bistro£60 per person and approximately 90 minutes duration. Online advanced bookings for the Adventurer Experience are recommended. Over 18s only.

The Glenlivet Distillery

While the history of Glenlivet Distillery extends as long as the history of legal distilling in Speyside, the distillery you visit today is a modern distillery, rebuilt in 2010. The visitor centre is warm and inviting and includes an indoor barley field, a purpose-built bar full of Glenlivet whiskies available by the dram (including some old and rare), whisky cocktails, bar snacks, and comfy couches beside an open fireplace.

Tasting Experiences are available in the specially designed sample room.

There is level access and lifts in the visitor centre & warehouses, but the production areas are only partially wheelchair accessible (stairs). The still house has a viewing platform for people with limited mobility. The Speyside Room (interactive tour) uses a combination of audio-visual aids, including sound, lighting and elements of fast-motion media that may not be suitable for all audiences.

Tours and Tasting Experiences are only available for persons aged 18 years and over. For a list of distilleries that are suitable for children, see our guide to 50 Distillery Tours In Scotland Your Kids Can Actually Go On.

Bottle sample packs are available for guests driving and for those who opt out of the tasting.

Glenlivet Distillery 2025 Opening Hours

  • Til 30th March 2025: Tuesday to Saturday: 10:00 am to 4:00pm
  • 31st March to 31 October 2025: Monday to Sunday: 10:00 am to 5:00pm

Glenlivet The Original Distillery Tour

Guided tour explaining how The Glenlivet became the original Speyside distillery, including an immersive visual experince in the Speyside and Process Room where you will meet the individuals who are integral to The Glenlivet today from the local farming community to the cask management team. Followed by a visit to Warehouse 1, and a tutored tasting of three (3) Glenlivet whiskies: The Glenlivet 12 year old, 15 year old and a Distillery Exclusive edition. £28.00 per person and approximately 90 minutes duration. Online advanced bookings are highly recommended as The Glenlivet is a very popular distillery and there are only fourteen (14) persons permitted on each tour. Over 18s only.

Glenlivet The Visionary Tour and Tasting

Available from May 2025, a guided tour of the new still house followed by a tutored warehouse tasting of four (4) Glenlivet whisies. £55.00 per person and approximately 90 minutes duration. Online advanced bookings for the Visionary Tour and Tasting are highly recommended as The Glenlivet is a very popular distillery and there are only ten (10) persons permitted on each event. Over 18s only.

The Glenlivet Reflections Tasting

Start your experience with a visit to The Glenlivet's Minmore still house, not open to the public for over ten years, and delve into the rich history of the distillery. Followed by an exclusive visit to one of Glenlivet's traditional bonded warehouses, where you will sample a dram straight from the cask, before moving on to additional tastings (four tastings in total , including one expression from the Glenlivet Archive) in a private tasting room. £125.00 per person and approximately 120 minutes duration. Over 18s only. Adavanced bookings essential, as there is only one Reflections Tasting per day, maximum 8 guests. Available at 1pm on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from 5th April.

Glen Grant Distillery

While Glen Grant Distillery is well worth a visit to tour the distillery, it isn't the visitor centre that's the most impressive (although they're working on it) but the Glen Grant Estate gardens. The Glen Grant Garden (The Major's Garden) is 22 acres of parkland with a diverse mix of plants from The Major's (James Grant Jrs) adventures around the world - he was a keen hunter and often travelled to Africa and abroad - he established the garden in 1886. If you find yourself in the scenic gorge, keep an eye out for The Major's private whisky safe, hidden in The Den. The Major was also responsible for the unusually shaped (tall and slender) stills and purifiers installed in 1872.

Glen Grant Distillery 2025 Opening Hours

The Glen Grant visitor centre is in the process of being upgraded, and is only open for pre-booked tours. Additionally, persons must be aged 18 years and older to go on tours while there are construction works.

Glen Grant Distillery Tour

Guided tour of Glen Grant Distillery followed by a tasting of four (4) Glen Grant whiskies. £25.5 per person and approximately 90 minutes duration at 10:00am Monday to Friday. Maximum 6 persons per tour. Advanced online bookings for the Glen Grant Distillery Tour are essential.

Glen Grant Revelation Tour

Guided tour of Glen Grant Distillery followed by a tasting of five (5) Glen Grant whiskies plus a sample of the Master Distiller's choice. £35.5 per person and approximately 120 minutes duration at 2:00 pm Monday to Friday. Maximum 6 persons per tour. Advanced online bookings for the Revelation Tour are essential.

Full List of Distilleries You Can Visit in Speyside Scotland

Best Speyside Whisky Distillery Tours – Travel Guide

Best Places To Stay When Visiting Speyside Scotland

Best Places To Stay In Speyside Scotland Near Distilleries

About the author

Amanda

Amanda is an Australian-born photographer, digital nomad and whisky lover. Her passion for travel and whisky lead her to Islay, where she fell in love with an Ileach (an Islay native). Amanda and Roddy now share their Spirited Adventures.

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