Isle of Skye + whiskey tour recommendations
Discussion
Off to bonny scotland shortly for a few days away with some mates climbing fishing etc.
However also being partial to a wee dram, and less so clinging to damp mountains in fog I'm planning to visit some distilleries.
Obviously Talisker is on the list being the only one on Skye (that I know of).
Can anyone recommend any other distilleries reachable in a 2-3 hour drive (max) from Skye that would be worth attending.
Cheers,
Rich (mr_mc_tony)
However also being partial to a wee dram, and less so clinging to damp mountains in fog I'm planning to visit some distilleries.
Obviously Talisker is on the list being the only one on Skye (that I know of).
Can anyone recommend any other distilleries reachable in a 2-3 hour drive (max) from Skye that would be worth attending.
Cheers,
Rich (mr_mc_tony)
How are you getting to Skye?
I ask because if you are flying into Inverness it is well worth visiting the Glen Ord distillery and visitor centre on the way over (its on the way).
Glen Ord has a really excellent explanatatory exhibition - and a malting floor - which most distilleries do not. Glen Ord is nearly all the way over to Inverness from Skye and would take the full three hours to get there.
Just got back from a week up there. Wonderful.
I ask because if you are flying into Inverness it is well worth visiting the Glen Ord distillery and visitor centre on the way over (its on the way).
Glen Ord has a really excellent explanatatory exhibition - and a malting floor - which most distilleries do not. Glen Ord is nearly all the way over to Inverness from Skye and would take the full three hours to get there.
Just got back from a week up there. Wonderful.
www.dcs.ed.ac.uk/home/jhb/whisky/scotland.html
This page appears to be a bit of a gem, too.
Not so many distilleries around the Skye area.
This page appears to be a bit of a gem, too.
Not so many distilleries around the Skye area.
mr_tony said:
How are you getting to Skye?
Just got back from a week up there. Wonderful.
Cheers Don! I'm driving there - or at least thats the plan
Glen Ord looks great - might have to be a full daytrip for that!
All I can say is that it is a bloody long way. Abour twelve hours of driving. And don't believe your Maser will get you there faster I drove up in my Porsche and wasn't hanging around...its just that there is a limit to how swift one can be on the roads north of Glasgow...and once its single track...
A return flight is about £160 to Inverness - of course you then need to rent a car...but I got from my house in Basingstoke to my Hotel in Torridon (near as damnit) in five hours flat. During which I only drove once it was enjoyable. Highly recommended. Budget Rent-a-Car will rent you a MX5 if you book well enough in advance.
Cheers Don - guess you're right about the time taken - not sure I fancy that really - I'll be alone in the car as well so it will be a marathon drive.
Given the fuel cost (
) tyre wear and miles adding to depreciation it might be better value to fly and rent.... will weigh it up!
cheers!
Given the fuel cost (
) tyre wear and miles adding to depreciation it might be better value to fly and rent.... will weigh it up! cheers!
There isn't any single track on the way to Skye as far as I can remember, so I wouldn't worry about that too much. I'm going up in a few weeks as well but will be stopping over at my parents in Edinburgh on the way.
Talisker is the only distillery on the island but there is plenty of other stuff to do, although a lot of it does involve exercise.
The drive from Armadale to Uig is well worth doing for the variation of scenery.
Talisker is the only distillery on the island but there is plenty of other stuff to do, although a lot of it does involve exercise.
The drive from Armadale to Uig is well worth doing for the variation of scenery.
Nevin said:
There isn't any single track on the way to Skye as far as I can remember.
Depending on which way you go there is some but not a lot. Once you're on the Island its a different matter - there's plenty of two-way road - but plenty of single track too. Kyle to Portree is mostly two-way.
Love it. Enjoy.
If you get good weather on Skye it would be criminal to waste it by not being on the hill. The Cuillins are without doubt the most spectacular (some would say the only ones that merit the term) mountains in the UK.
Highlights = Sgurr nan Gillean, the Cioch and the round of Coire Lagan.
Some people can go for weeks and not even see the hills. So I would advise you to be flexible if its sunny go and climb something. I'd leave the distilleries and touristy stuff for an off day.
Off the Cuillin there's loads to see - The Storr and McLeods tables further north together with spectacular coastal roads deserted beaches with white coral sand.
It does take quite as lot of time to get around what with the fjorded nature of the terrain and German Camper vans.
3 Chimneys Restaurant highly recommended.
T
Highlights = Sgurr nan Gillean, the Cioch and the round of Coire Lagan.
Some people can go for weeks and not even see the hills. So I would advise you to be flexible if its sunny go and climb something. I'd leave the distilleries and touristy stuff for an off day.
Off the Cuillin there's loads to see - The Storr and McLeods tables further north together with spectacular coastal roads deserted beaches with white coral sand.
It does take quite as lot of time to get around what with the fjorded nature of the terrain and German Camper vans.
3 Chimneys Restaurant highly recommended.
T
Don said:
There isn't any single track on the way to Skye as far as I can remember.
Depending on which way you go there is some but not a lot. Once you're on the Island its a different matter - there's plenty of two-way road - but plenty of single track too. Kyle to Portree is mostly two-way.
Love it. Enjoy.
If you were coming from the South I would have thought the road from Fort William to Mallaig or or Fort William to Kyle had any single track, and they're the obvious ways to go.
However, its been years since I was on either of those roads, so could be wrong. Just looking forward to getting up there in a few weeks to chill.
miniandy said:
Ft William - Mallaig has some single tracks but the run to Kyle does not. The run to Mallaig is much more entertaining!
3 Chimneys is good, but possibly a bit over-rated.
Glasgow to Skye takes about 4 hours if you know the roads and go at the right time!
Fair enough. I thought they had upgraded all of that road. They were certainly in the process of ruining the golden sands of Morar last time I went past. Where is the single track?
miniandy said:
3 Chimneys is good, but possibly a bit over-rated.
Its not overrated IMO. We had a meal there a couple of weeks back. Sublime. But one must budget £100 quid a head by the time you've had some drinks and a bottle of wine...
Nevin: Because we were flying this last time we actually approached Skye from the Torridon direction. There was some single track along that route for definite. I think you're right that if you drive up the A82 from Glasgow you don't hit single track until you're on the Island via Kyle.
Love it up there. I keep going back.
DON'T FORGET YOUR MIDGE SPRAY! There's a good pub at Sligachan - I think we had a good time judging by my head the next day. Take a drive down the road to Elgol. Unbelievably there's a school at the end - how do the kids get any work done when you can daydream overlooking the sea to Soay. Breathtaking.
The Three Chimneys is in Skinidin. Take the B884 from Dunvegan,my home village. It's about 6/7 miles of fun single track road.
Come to think of it, I dont think there is a road on Skye that isnt fun, though my personal favourite is the run from Sligachan to Dunvegan(The A863) Cops? speed cameras? dont make me laugh!
>> Edited by HearingAidBeige on Tuesday 28th June 23:13
Come to think of it, I dont think there is a road on Skye that isnt fun, though my personal favourite is the run from Sligachan to Dunvegan(The A863) Cops? speed cameras? dont make me laugh!
>> Edited by HearingAidBeige on Tuesday 28th June 23:13
Nevin said:
Where is the 3 Chimneys? Sounds like it could be worth a visit when I am up
Not far from Dunvegan. If you want to eat there advance booking is essential.
www.threechimneys.co.uk
>> Edited by Don on Wednesday 29th June 05:20
Einion Yrth said:
Where is the single track?
Short stretch from the end of Loch nan Uamh to Arisaig. New road from Arisaig to Morar is a super bit of tarmac BTW, easy to top a ton in complete safety (not that I would of course).
>> Edited by Einion Yrth on Wednesday 29th June 07:34
Took the Cerb along this excellent stretch last year at around 1.5 leptons.
Gassing Station | The Pie & Piston Archive | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff