Means "meeting place" in Gaelic, its an interesting Highlands Single Malt brewery where you can join tours or go for samples and flights. Interestingly, its now owned by Diageo which is known for their Johhnie Walker Blended Whiskey. The distillery is located near fresh spring water and abundant peat from the nearby bogs. It is also the highest distillery in Scotland, sitting in the mountains of the Highlands. The history dates back to the late 18th Century and though its changed owners multiple times you still get a deep sense of tradition. They have aging barrels stained black from generations of whisky sitting around as decoration. 30 Year Old: 11 quid a dram, they told me they are never going to use the specific combination of barrel, temperature, timing so this batch was very special. I finished it so much the glass looked like it was brand new when I gave it back. There's also a large giftshop with clothing, accessories, home goods, foods, and of course a multitude of different Whiskys. They also had an interesting "bottle your own" 12 year with custom label for 130 pounds. read more

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As you embark on your journey towards the Highlands, a stop at Dalwhinnie is worthwhile. We weren't sure of our timing so opted to just drop in rather than book a tour. This was a good decision as you never know how long your journey will take while traveling throughout the various parts of Scotland. They have a tasting room inside and many interesting offerings to explore. The prices may seem high at first but it's because they are pouring a lot more than the usual 25ml pour. While they have a lot of flight options, we chose to build our own with options that are only available at the distillery. Why try something you can get elsewhere. I love that they were paired with chocolate. That really set the experience a part. I wish they served smaller portions so you could try more, but it was a good experience and we appreciated the knowledgeable staff! read more

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Great tasting options- they have whisky and chocolate tastings and my friend did the personal tasting, I had to drive so I just took a couple of sips from her. I think the descriptions of the whisky leaned towards the lyrical but the whiskys themselves were really good and there are some that you can only get in the distillery, which they dont export. G thought this was the kind of tasting that she would always like to do. She did buy three bottles of whisky as well for gifts and for herself so I would say she was pretty happy overall with her experience. They take all types of cards for payment and they are good with taking you through each whisky and chocolate. There's a good number of tours that come by here as well so we did see a bunch of people come through but the place is big enough to accommodate them, they also have personal rooms for about 7 people to sit and do the tastings. They send you home with an info sheet on the whiskys you tried as well as a map of Scotland showing the different areas where each type of whisky is made and the flavour profile of the regions. read more

Four stars for the whisky (it's good, but not my favorite), but an extra star for being literally on the way between Edinburgh and Loch Ness along with having a spectacular outdoor tasting tent that made for a great pit stop for the kids and adults on our drive. I'm a huge scotch fan, but Dalwhinnie has never really been my thing. Just a bit too delicate. Despite that, because of it's location on the way from Edinburgh to the highlands, it was the first place my wife and I had scotch together our our honeymoon in Scotland. So, it has sentimental value as well. This time with kids, the ease of pulling in rather than having it have to be a destination was a big perk. An even better perk was the outdoor tasting room in a tent that let us set up with the family without worrying about masking or COVID that much. We were able to set up at a comfortable table, set the kids up with their tablets and let everyone chill out for an hour while the adults tasted their way through 5 different Dalwhinnie scotches. Everyone then got the in car refreshed to make the rest of the trip up to Loch Ness in better spirits--no pun intended. read more

I've visited probably half a dozen distilleries in Scotland and Ireland collectively, so I'd like to think I have a decent concept of what makes a distillery special. That being said, Dalwhinnie Distillery is probably my favorite distillery of all time. From the moment you drive up to the distillery, you are greeted with breathtaking scenery. The surrounding hills are simply stunning to view. Since it is located in Cairngorms National Park, the drive to the distillery is one of the nicest drives you will ever take, and that is not an exaggeration. Now for the good part - the scotch. Dalwhinnie scotch is definitely one of the better scotches, I think. It's smooth and has a very pleasant, easy taste. The aroma is also unique. If it was not for a budget, I could have easily spent at least $500 purchasing bottles of their scotch. In fact, I liked their scotch so much that I poured me a wee dram of the liquid gold the next morning at approximately 7 am. It is literally that easy to drink. By the way, the staff is absolutely wonderful. They are hospitable, kind, and very knowledgeable. If you are fortunate enough to have the chance of visiting this distillery, I highly recommend you do! Cannot wait to come back! read more

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On our way to Glasgow from the Highlands we saw signs for the distillery and stopped by. We didn't have time to do a tour and after doing previous tours, well, once you've done one you've done them all, but we snagged a 3-tasting flight which came with a free glass, 3 enjoyable scotch samples, and free 3 chocolates (£1.25 at the counter each otherwise) for £12. The scotch tasted great, and the chocolates complimented very nicely. The hazelnut chocolate is superb. It's also nice because it's not as busy as some other distilleries but has great scotch! read more

Dalwhinnie Distillery - Distilleries Near Me - Dalwhinnie, HLD

We loved Dalwhinnie! We did a tour here which included a whisky tour. The guide was awesome, and the information presented was very educational. The staff in the shop was very friendly and helpful. It is worth noting if you do a tour you get 10% off any purchases in the shop. This place is totally worth the visit. read more

Our favorite distillery, and we tried many. We had come to Scotland to try a good handful of tastings, and only knew a little about each, and what made them different. All my limited research told me was that Dalwhinnie included chocolates in its tasting. That was enough of a difference for us to start our day with a drive to the distillery. we arrived as they opened for a 10am tour. it was frigid outside, in a good way. It felt nice. We were at the highest distillery in Scotland. we were in the Cairngorms mountainous area. We enjoyed the tour quite a bit, learning a lot more than we already knew about distillation. Learning that every distillery has a "Spirit Safe" for tax purposes was really interesting. And when we went into the chilly room where they kept hundreds of barrels aging was fascinating as well. The tasting was great. It was attached to the main room with a dining room feel. we got a placard under our shot glasses so we knew which was a 12 year or reserve or barrel strength. and next to each glass was a scrumptious chocolate. I'm a fan of scotch, and a lover of chocolate, so it was a divine combination. It was a little extra drive to make it out to Dalwhinnie, but we want to do it again even. read more

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Awesome tasting. Very educational, and hosts very friendly. However, very narrow exit read more

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Out in the middle of nowhere, it makes a nice rest stop if you're on a self driving tour of Scotland...plus I got the best lesson about Scotch whisky... We opted to skip the tour and just do a 3 scotch taster for £10, which also came with a £5 voucher towards a bottle, nice! Other tastings are available too. We got a quick introduction to Scotch whisky, and of 1 of 3 Scotches was a 24 year old limited edition scotch not sold anywhere else. The best lesson thing I learned from this: £1000+ bottle of scotch doesn't necessarily taste any better than a £40-50 bottle of scotch. Its really all personal taste. The 24yo wasn't that good. With the £5 voucher, I got a bottle of Caol Ila for £36, not bad! Friendly staff and a very nice elegant place for your tasting. Nice bathrooms too! SIDE NOTE: If you're an American like me, its generally about 25-35% cheaper to buy the same Scotches in America. Unless its something truly rare and unique, I would just buy in America. Also Scottish bottles come in 700ml bottles...but in America you get 750ml bottles, or just over 7% more. Perhaps the Scots are being cheated by English taxes? read more

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Dalwhinnie is both the highest and the coldest distillery in Scotland, yet they call themselves "The Gentle Spirit." I am a fan of their whisky, so made this stop #2 on my Highland/Speyside distillery tour. On a May Friday, I was the only one signed up for the 12pm tour. I spent the interim time perusing their modest museum and shop. Right at the last minute, two middle-aged Germans showed up, so I was spared the awkwardness of getting a solo tour. Our guide spoke decent German and spent the entirety of the tour translating himself (of course, the Germans spoke fine English too, but it was fun having a bilingual tour). No photography was allowed indoors except for the warehouse (understandably). We saw the relatively straightforward operation, including the massive copper stills. Being a Friday afternoon, the distillery was in the process of closing down operations for the weekend, so we did not get to see much actual distilling work. Down in the cellars, we saw the hundreds of barrels of whisky patiently awaiting their turns for bottling. Outside, we saw two unique features of the Dalwhinnie operation--their copper "pagoda"-style chimneys, and the external cooling coils. Actually, according to the tour guide, other distilleries have since copied that idea. Back in the welcome building, we enjoyed a dram of the regular offering (15-year-old). I was interested in the 1990 Distiller's Edition, but none of the employees could tell me anything about it--provenance, tasting characteristics, etc. I bought it anyway, but I was disappointed that Dalwhinnie hadn't trained their employees to talk up their own products. The entry ticket includes a £2 discount voucher on a 70cl bottle from their shop. read more

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I tried 2 scotches, each served with chocolate (this pairing is amazing, BTW) and I plan on buying each now that I'm home. I got to keep the 2 glasses that are etched with their logo. What I really liked were the employees- they are knowledgeable, clearly like their jobs and were engaging. Actually, this seems to be the whole of Scotland, now that I think about it! read more

We had a terrible experience at this distillery. Trying to order a flight of whisky was painstakingly slow. One of the staff members was so absolutely rude that we could not wait to get out and leave. My group was waiting for my father to check out with his bottle of whisky he was purchasing so we stepped off to the side near the exit, and the woman leading the 3 o'clock tour in more or less words asked (but in a telling way) us to essentially get out of her way. She acted as if our group was beneath her because we were not taking a tour. Also, there are no rubbish bins to be found anywhere in the tasting room. We left the wrapper of our chip bag on one of the tasting tables after looking high and low for the litter bin. The same woman chewed us out and asked us to go find a staff member to throw away the rubbish. Overall, a horrid experience at an overrated distillery. We've never been treated this way on any of our Scotland trips. Peter was the only kind staff member. All of the women working here were extremely rude. read more

After reading John R's review of the tour, I'm a little sad that we arrived at this place so late in the day and didn't get to partake, but a trip to the tasting room proved to be enough to warrant a return, so I look forward to updating this review in my post tour future! Like I said, we pulled into this place about 20 minutes before they were closing up for the day - enough for a quick poke around the shop and a whisky tasting flight for yours truly. I have to admit, I hadn't event heard of Dalwhinnie before pulling into the parking lot, so I was pleasantly surprised to find two new staples in my whisky cupboard after one simple flight! I especially adore that they pair the whiskies with chocolate: everyone should do this ALWAYS. The distillery itself is picture perfect in the sunshine and makes for a great photo. All in all, I was a fast fan of this place and can't wait to go back for a proper visit! read more

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While driving from England to Scotland, we happened upon this distillery because I really REALLY wanted to try a distillery tour while we were in Scotland. That was my favorite thing about renting a car: we could make impromptu stops when we wanted and check out the scenery and amazing gems like this distillery, which was in the middle of nowhere. As a fan of all whiskeys, I really just felt like it was something I had to do while in a country that is prized and known for its delicious whiskey. Unfortunately, by the time we'd stopped, they were getting ready to close and didn't have any more tours for the day. I did end up picking up a small bottle of their Single Malt for later, and as we were talking to the cashier, he mentioned an interesting thing they do. They give out these booklets ("Journals"), where you see a map of a bunch of Scottish distilleries to visit. I believe it was called Friends of the Classic Malts. So at each of these 12 distilleries, you can get free entry to the distillery tour, as well as a complimentary dram of their Single Malt. And once you've received 12 booklet stamps, you get a free Quaich. So despite the fact that I may never come back to Scotland (though I hope that I do), I had to get a booklet, and get it stamped, even if their tours were already closed. Apparently, Dalwhinnie is actually one of the more out-of-the-way distilleries to visit since it is the highest and coldest distillery in Scotland. The whiskey here is good, and I wish I had been able to actually view its tour, especially since so many reviews mention that it is a wonderful. And yes, they give you little squares of chocolate to sample with the whiskey, which I've never seen before and thought was adorable. read more

Just did a single tasting that comes with cute glass. Staff didnt seem particularly happy to see customers but we were on Rabbies tour group. Scotch is always good. Really wanted some lannister whisky! read more

Dalwhinnie Distillery - Scotch - Distilleries Near Me - Dalwhinnie, HLD

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Dalwhinnie has amazing single malt scotch. We got a recommendation from a waiter in Edinburgh and he was right! The tour was very informative - they maintain many of the old practices and they allow you to see where they store the casks. At the tasting, they teach you how to properly taste and provide a dram glass to keep and small take away bottles for the driver so they can do the tasting later on. The tasting is paired with small chocolates from a highland chocolatier. I am not a huge whiskey fan but I will be purchasing their 15 year to have at home. read more

Dalwhinnie was at the top of our list of distilleries to visit during our trip to Scotland. We ended up spending a little too long at Stirling Castle and were afraid we wouldn't make it to Dalwhinnie before they closed for the day. We were so excited that we got there by 4:40 PM! We planned to do a quick tasting and buy a few bottles of our favorites. We rushed in and were curtly informed that tastings ended at 4:30. Whaaaat? We were only 10 minutes late. There were still people sitting at tables tasting. It wasn't so much their refusal. It was HOW they refused. The woman at the bar said, "I'm afraid not." in a very snotty tone when we asked if we could still do a quick tasting. Then she just turned away and began talking with a coworker. Not even a "Sorry." Lucky for us there is some very fine whiskey served in Scotland sans the attitude. read more

We were driving from Inverness to Glasgow and this place made a good stop. We enjoyed the information on the place and decided to purchase several items to carry home. They have plenty of parking and good restrooms. read more

Several of my favorite spots on our trip to Scotland were found by accident, and Dalwhinnie Distillery was no exception. We drove by Dalwhinnie Distillery on our drive to the Highlands from Invergarry. When we realized they were open even on Sunday, we turned around to go check it out, and even lucked into the tour. I've been on winery tours and brewery tours before but this was my first distillery, so I learned a lot, both about the history and the distilling process. The facilities are very impressive, and would have been even cooler to see on a weekday during actual production. Our tour guide was funny and very knowledgeable-- my husband is a Scotch connoisseur but even he learned new things about the process, as well as tasting methods. The tour ends with a taste of their 15-year single malt, and I was able to add a whisky I like to my still-limited repertoire. The highest and coldest distillery in Scotland is well worth a visit. read more

Confession time. After a very long and winding journey through the mountains from the north and west we were thrilled to spot Dalwhinne Distillery in the distance because we were desperate for the loo! Not that its any hardship to stop at a distillery when needs must. In return for the use of their smart facilities we spent a decent amount of time exploring the beautifully stocked shop, availing of some of its contents and taking deep breaths of the whisky perfumed air around us. Who doesn't enjoy the smell and taste of a quality single malt scotch whisky? We've visited many a distillery in the past, so gave the well reviewed tour a miss. The only disappointment was the lack of a cafe where we could get some much needed refreshments. Dalwhinnie Distillery felt as though it was in the middle of nowhere (in a good way) on a cold bleak and atmospheric moor. It was freezing cold outside the car surrounded by snow-capped mountains, and what we craved, even more than whisky, was a nice warming cup of tea. I know, sacrilege! Maybe they have a cafe in high season. I should have asked. Lovely place, lovely staff, and well worth a visit if you are a fan of scotland's uisge beatha (water of life). They take credit cards. You're gonna need one! read more

First off, I've been to a few distillery tours now, and this is in my top two... in fact, it may even be the best one I've been to so far. Having moved to Perth a couple of years back, I often look for day trips when friends or family visit. My plan for today included a gorgeous drive to Dalwhinnie Distillery, a stop at House of Bruar to try on tweed jackets and pretend to be posh, and a walk around Dunkeld before arriving back in the Fair City. With an 11.00 tour at the distillery we easily finished all of these before tea. You could easily throw in a stop in Pitlochry as well. This could also be done on the way to a much longer trip to somewhere like Aviemore or Inverness. As we were at Dalwhinnie on a Sunday morning, the two of us were lucky enough to be a part of a tour of only four. I love smaller tours because it provides plenty of times to ask questions and learn more about the place. Our tour guide was very knowledgeable as well as helpful. The tour was both entertaining and educational, which isn't the case at all distilleries. At the end of the tour you're treated to a tasting with some small samplings of chocolate. And if there's anything in any tour in the world that could make me happier, it's to add chocolate. They also give you a free, although somewhat miniature, whisky glass at the end of your tour along with £2 off of a 70cl bottle. As with most distilleries, it's definitely worth phoning ahead to make sure you can get a tour, especially in peak seasons. I will definitely be coming back here when friends visit, as I like to know where they will have a good quality experience. read more

the tasting is always a good idea .... great shop. we'll comeback again. See you soon

If you only get one whisky tasting in Scotland this may be the one to go for! Food pairings are nice but chocolate pairing must appeal to almost anyone. I loved that and the open feel of the entire property. Plopped down on the open moor instead of nestled in a valley or a cove like a bootleggers' camp, it felt expansive and generous. Highly recommended. read more