Dalwhinnie Distillery

Overview

2024 Update - Tours run daily. Tours should be pre-booked via this website.

When traveling on the A9 between Pitlochry and Kingussie you can see the buildings of Dalwhinnie to the west of the road. A small detour off the A9 at the A889 will bring you to the village of Dalwhinnie and the distillery.

Dalwhinnie’s claim to fame is that it is the highest working distillery in Scotland. There is one other distillery at a greater altitude, but it is no longer in production. Dalwhinnie can also claim to be the coldest distillery in Scotland with an average annual temperature of around 6 degrees centigrade.

The distillery is located on the A889 next to a small village which has a cafe, petrol station, and railway station, but not much more. In the earlier days, when Highlanders drove their cattle to markets in Perth, Dalwhinnie stood at the intersection of 2 key drover routes through the mountains and the name comes from "Dail Chuinnidh", which means "meeting place" in Gaelic. It is quite possible that Dalwhinnie Distillery has its origins from someone setting up a still here to supply the weary herdsmen with a "wee dram" after a long day's hike through the hills.

A distinctive feature of Dalwhinnie Distillery is the two large wooden cooling "tubs" that sit outside the still house. These large vessels hold the water that is used to condense the spirit as it escapes from the stills.

One of Dalwhinnie's two stills was replaced in 2006. You will find it very hard to tell which one is the new one as it has been crafted with great skill by the Coppersmiths.

The Dalwhinnie tour is a relatively simple affair without any Audio-Visual presentations and it will take about 45 minutes. At the end of the tour, you receive a tasting of the Dalwhinnie 15yr old malt which you can try with a piece of dark chocolate that compliments the character of this malt.

During our visit, we noted that the prices of whisky in the distillery shop were quite competitive. Visitors who take a tour can also take advantage of a £5 discount on purchases in the distillery shop.

Dalwhinnie Distillery tours can be pre-booked Online at this website.