Islay and Jura Whisky Trails

8 Days & 7 Nights

Islay & Jura Whisky Trails

Whisky! Visit distilleries including Laphroaig, Ardbeg, Lagavulin, and Bruichladdich
Stroll along Islay’s white sand beaches and flower-strewn machair
Look out for the local wildlife; curious seals and soaring eagles
Sample the best drams in Scotland and learn about the island’s whisky-producing past
Enjoy relaxed walking on Islay contrasted with the challenging “Paps of Jura”

Explore the diverse landscapes of Islay & Jura; visit distillery water sources, and walk the coastlines and white sand beaches that lend their flavour to the islands’ iconic single malts; Bowmore, Jura, Laphroaig, Ardbeg, Lagavulin, Caol Ila, Bruichladdich, Bunnahabhain, and Kilchoman. With time in the itinerary for visiting 7 out of 9 distilleries, this trip is perfect for both whisky-tasting amateurs and connoisseurs. The Isle of Islay is renowned for being the home of Scotland’s finest single malt whisky—production has been established since 1779. Distillery tours with the knowledgeable locals are a highlight, but for the authentic island experience make sure to combine distillery visits with our suggested walks. Readjust to the relaxed pace of island life where the hospitality of the locals will have you feeling instantly at ease on these two contrasting islands.

From £1,350.00

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Itinerary

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Day 1 Arrive Craighouse on Jura (optional Jura distillery visit) 5 miles / 7.5 km Day 2 Paps of Jura - A choice of walks 11 miles / 17.5 km Day 3 Travel to Islay by ferry and Portnahaven loop walk (optional Bruichladdich distillery visit) 5 miles / 7.5 km Day 4 Loch Gruinart or Saligo Bay walk (optional Kilchoman distillery visit) 11 miles / 17 km

Today you have a choice of walks with return taxi transfers from Port Charlotte to either the RSPB Bird & Nature reserve at Loch Gruinart or to the island’s remote west coast to visit Kilchoman distillery—simply let the driver know where you’d like to go on the day.

Loch Gruinart to Ardnave Point: 17 km Ascent/Descent: 42m/64m

After spending some time at RSPB Loch Gruinart’s information centre walk along the sea loch on scenic country roads to Ardnave Point where the route takes a small loop around the headland on sandy paths with coastal views throughout. Keep an eye out for the distinctive hen harrier, corncrake, and lapwing.

Kilchoman to Saligo Bay: 13 km Ascent/Descent: 30m/32m

Alternatively, take the transfer to Kilchoman distillery on Islay’s wilder west. Walk quiet country roads and tracks to take in two of Islay’s finest beaches—Machir and Saligo. Combine your walk with a tour of the distillery—we recommend the premium tour—before returning to the comfort of your accommodation in Port Charlotte.

Overnight Port Charlotte

Accommodation

A sample of our typical carefully chosen accommodation in this location. Where you stay will vary depending on availability, but will be a similar standard.

Port Charlotte Hotel | Hotel

Located in the conservation village of Port Charlotte, this small 4-star Hotel has everything you need for an authentic experience in the Scottish Islands. Rooms feature sea views, a cosy bar/restaurant downstairs serves delicious food using fresh local produce and a great selection of Whisky is on offer.

Lochindaal Hotel | Hotel

The Lochindaal Hotel is one of Islay’s most traditional hotels, having been in the MacLellan family for well over 100 years. Rooms are modern and comfortable and the restaurant is famous across the island for its Seafood Platters.

Loch Gorm House | Bed and breakfast

A luxurious B&B on the road into Bruichladdich village with wonderful sea views over Loch Indaal. There are just 3 rooms, 2 are ensuite and the other has a private bathroom, making this a relaxing base from where to explore this charming side of Islay.

Day 5 Transfer to Bowmore and Laggan Point loop walk (optional Bowmore visit) 9 miles / 14 km Day 6 Transfer to Port Ellen and Carraig Fhada Lighthouse walk (optional Laphroaig tour) 6 miles / 9 km Day 7 Three Distilleries walk (optional Lagavulin and Ardbeg distillery visits) 7 miles / 11.5 km Day 8 Onward Travel

THIS TRIP'S CARBON SCORE

This trip has a carbon score of 10kg per person per night, meaning it’s one of our greenest trips! For comparison, a carbon count of 10kg is equivalent to 18 lattes. Here at Macs, we pride ourselves on being a responsible travel company and continue to adopt, develop and innovate ways to positively impact the environment. Find out more information on how we've carbon counted our trips.

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Is it for me? Accommodation & Meals Navigation What's Included When to go Travel & Transfers Info & FAQ

General Information

Excursions & Distillery Tours

The trip is designed to help you make the most of your time on Islay and your proximity to it’s world-renowned distilleries. As such all the walks are optional and most should take around half a day, ensuring you have plenty of time to visit the distilleries. Please note that the distilleries all have varying opening hours, and some only run tours on specific days and at pre-arranged times. Most of these tours should be pre-booked either online or by phone directly with the distilleries. We provide information on the tours offered and when they run in the pre-departure information pack. Additionally, you can find live tour availability on many of the distillery websites.

There are so many whisky tour and tasting options to choose from that we have excluded these so you are free to choose your preferred tour and tasting options at each distillery. The cost for a basic distillery tour and sample dram or two tends to be around £10 per person. If you would like to try something special we recommend the Laphroiag Water to Whisky premium tour. This includes a tour of the distillery, picnic at the water source, along with a chance to try peat cutting for yourself on Laphroaig’s nearby peat source, followed by a cask tasting and bottling all accompanied by your knowledgeable Laphroaig guide. The tour operates 7 days a week from noon lasting 4.5 hours with 7 people maximum per tour. Alternatively, try the premium tour and tasting at Islay’s only farm distillery at Kilchoman. Distinct from the other distilleries on the island Kilchoman is a smaller operation that grows and malts all of their barley onsite. The tour operates 7 days a week from 11am for 2 hours with 12 people maximum per tour.

Please note distillery tour dates may vary outside of the summer months. A basic distillery tour normally takes 1 hour so make sure to plan your distillery visits around any walks you plan on doing to allow yourself plenty of time. Check distillery websites and book well in advance for tours to avoid disappointment on the day.

Travel Insurance

It is a requirement of booking this tour with Macs Adventure that you have suitable travel insurance which covers you for the activity and emergency evacuation and hospital care.