You need not be a whisky lover to enjoy a visit to Talisker’s Distillery. The distillery is located in a beautiful setting, on the banks of Loch Harport from where one can view the imposing Cuilin mountain range. If you are a fan of whisky then you will be happy to know it’s the oldest working distillery on the Isle of Skye and its whiskey is world-renowned. It was our favorite Distillery to visit in the highlands along with the Oban Distillery in the western highlands. After undergoing an exciting renovation project, Talisker Distillery re-opened its doors to the public in August 2022. Below we present our Talisker Distillery Travel Guide intended to help you get the most out of time at Talisker and the surrounding area. Given their proximity to one another, you can easily combine a visit to Sligachan Bridge and/or the Fairy Pools with a visit to the Talisker Distillery.
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You might also be interested in these pages:
Top Things to See and Do on Skye
4-Day Roadtrip Isle of Skye Itinerary
Isle of Skye Travel Guide: Things to Know Before You Go
Where to Stay on the Isle of Skye
Skye’s Best Hiking and Walking Trails
Orientation – Where is Talisker Distillery?
Perhaps surprisingly, Talisker Distillery is not actually located in the village of Talisker, but rather in the nearby village of Carbost, in central-western Skye. The distillery is 28 km from Portree (a 30-minute drive) and 50 km from the Skye Bridge (a 50-minute drive).
Hours: 10 am to 5 pm, Monday to Friday, from March to October (reduced hours the rest of the year). Note that during winter the distillery may have to close at short notice due to weather conditions.
Parking: Free in the large car park by the distillery.
Costs: Depends on choice of tour (see below)
Facilities: Toilets, wifi, gift shop.
For advice and tips on how to drive in Scotland, check out our Scotland Roadtrip Driving Guide. For advice and tips that are more specific to Skye with a focus on single-track roads, check out our Isle of Skye Road Trip Driving Guide.
If you haven’t booked your rental vehicle yet, we highly recommend using Discover Cars to get the best rates on your rental in Scotland.
If you would prefer not to drive yourself, another option could be to join a Skye group tour, several of which have planned stops at the Talkiser Distillery.
Talisker Distillery History and Accolades
Talisker is not only the oldest distillery on Skye, it was in fact the ONLY one until 2017. After first opening its doors in 1830 thanks to the efforts of the MacKaskill brothers, ownership of the distillery subsequently changed hands a few times (and included a bankruptcy) up until 1880 when a better standard of management was brought in by Alexander Grigor Allan and Roderick Kemp, at which point the distillery was rebuilt and then later extended in 1900. They also constructed a distillery pier – until then all the casks had to be floated out to waiting ships. Sadly, a fire destroyed the stillhouse and most of the distillery in 1962, halting production for two years. Fortunately, the owners at the time were quick to rebuild and later renovated the distillery with key modernizations in 1972. Most of what you see today dates from then, with the exception of the visitor’s center which was fully renovated in 2022.
In 2007 Talisker’s 18-year-old won “Best Single Malt In The World 2007” at the World Whiskies Awards. In 2015 Talisker’s 10-Year-Old won a Double Gold Medal and “Best Single Malt Scotch up to 12 years” in the San Francisco World Spirits Competition. In fact, the 10-, 18-, 25- and 30-year Taliskers have been awarded mostly gold medals from the San Francisco World Spirits Competition.
The whisky
In addition to its signature 10-year-old, Talisker produces a selection of single malt whiskies for a range of different styles and tastes. The spirit is most frequently matured in American oak casks.
The Talisker family of whiskies all have a smoky flavour and aroma, which comes from the peat burned during the malting process. Additionally, the water used for production, from Cnoc nan Speireag (Hawk Hill), flows over peat which adds additional complexity to the whisky. The whiskies are not particularly sweet to the palate. You’ll also notice a distinct hint of saltiness stemming from nearby sea air, in addition to a very noticeable yet subtle characteristic finish of cracked pepper.
Talisker Distillery Tour Options
There are several tour options at Talisker, but the most popular by far is the basic “Talisker Distillery Tour”, (£20 per person, (2023)) given by one of the Distillery’s passionate guides. This tour will last about an hour, roughly split into two parts: 1) a tour of the distillery and a crash course on the production process, and 2) a tasting of 3 drams of Talisker’s award-winning single malts. This is the tour we did and truly we had a blast. The tour was fantastic, informative and a lot fun. The whisky tasting was really enjoyable as well.
Other tour options include an extended 90-minute tour that includes a tasting straight from the cask (“The Talisker Cask Draw and Tasting experience”, £150 per person) and a shorter 30-minute immersive tasting tour (“Talisker Made By the Sea Tasting Experience”, £15).
Regardless of your tour of choice, it’s wise to book ahead. The tours are very popular and it is almost impossible to just show up and join a tour, particularly during the summer (we tried and failed!)
Where to eat nearby
Carbost is a very small town with limited eating options, but those that are there are quite good.
Caora Dhubh Coffee Company – a small coffee shop right across the street from the distillery with delicious sandwiches and pastries. Though there is no indoor seating, there are several lakeside picnic tables to enjoy the food with a view.
The Oyster Shed – Here you can enjoy delicious fresh seafood in a relaxed and laid-back atmosphere.
The Old Inn & Waterfront Bunkhouse – your only option for a proper sit-down meal with service.
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Though not a dining option, we wanted to highlight Lou Lou Designs on Skye, located further uphill from the Oyster Shed. We had a brief moment of car trouble in the area and the owners were ever so kind and helpful to us. They sell beautiful handmade Harris Tweed handbags so please check them out!
Nearby Attractions
The Fairy Pools – A beautiful walk with stunning mountain and waterfall vistas. A classic Skye shot walk where you will be surrounded by stunning scenery. Beautiful cascades, water pools, and the imposing Cuillin Mountains. The trailhead is located a short 15-minute drive from the distillery.
Sligachan Old Bridge and Waterfall – A more than worthy photo stop along Skye’s main road. A short walk will also take you to a scenic waterfall. Located a short 15-minute from the distillery.
Dunvegan Castle – Visit Skye’s most impressive and well-preserved castle. The castle is located about a 30-minute drive from Talisker Distillery.
Town of Portree – Take a stroll through Skye’s largest town and its colourful harbour homes. The colorful town is a short 25 minutes away.
Eilean Donan – Although it’s not quite on Skye, it’s without a doubt a worthy stop on your way in or out of Skye.
Neist Point Lighthouse – A beautiful drive along a long and winding road will take you to the stunning vistas of Skye’s most photogenic lighthouse. It’s a little more of a journey to get here from Talisker, about a 60-minute drive.
Talisker Bay – To find yourself on a beach between sea stacks, cows and a stunning waterfall. A true hidden gem on Skye. Only a short 15-minute drive away from the distillery.
Trotternish Peninsula – A must-visit when on Skye. Not a single attraction but rather a collection of several, including several waterfalls and hiking trails including the Quiraing and the Old Man of Storr.
Preparing a trip to the Highlands?
You might be interested in these pages:
Top Things to See and Do on Skye
4-Day Roadtrip Isle of Skye Itinerary
Isle of Skye Travel Guide: Things to Know Before You Go
Where to Stay on the Isle of Skye
Skye’s Best Hiking and Walking Trails
Preparing a trip to Scotland?
You might be interested in these Scotland pages:
10-Day Scotland Roadtrip Itinerary (Edinburgh and Highlands)
Scotland Driving Guide and Tips
7 of the Best Castles to Visit in Scotland
Best Things to See in the Scottish Highlands
Best Hikes to do in the Scottish Highlands
We also highly recommend these guidebooks:
Rick Steves Scotland
Lonely Planet Scotland’s Highlands
Photography Gear
If you like our photography, you might be interested in some of the gear we use to shoot our travel and hiking destinations.
Camera Body – Nikon Z 6ii Fx-series Mirrorless Body
Main Lens – NIKON 24-120mm F/4G ED VR AF-S
Zoom Lens – Sigma 745-306 150-600mm f/5-6.3
Polarizing filters – Urth Circular Polarizing (CPL)
Camera Tripod – K&F Concept 64-inch Camera Tripod
Mini-tripod – Lammcou Flexible Camera Tripod
Camera/hiking backpack – Vanguard Alta Rise 48 Backpack
Universal Travel Adapter – VYLEE Universal International Power Travel Plug
Other Travel Essentials
Travel Insurance
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e-Sim cards
Airalo is the world’s first and largest eSIM store with eSIM plans for 200+ countries and regions worldwide. With Airalo eSIMs, travellers can get connected the moment they land at their destination and avoid nasty data roaming charges
eSIMS are a sustainable alternative to single-use SIM cards – they are 100% digital, require less energy to produce and be re-used rather than disposed of.
Car Rentals
Discover Cars is our go-to website for car rentals. We almost always find our preferred rate there.
Transfer from Airport
Welcome Pickups is our favourite private transfer service, which you can pre-book at a fixed price. Currently available in 220 cities all over the world (mostly in Europe, but with several major cities in Asia, the Middle East and the US).
Kiwitaxi is another private transfer service – we haven’t tried it yet, but it’s currently available in a few more countries (102 as of 2024).
Hotels and Accommodations (coming soon)
Photography Prints
If you found this blog useful, you can help support our blog by purchasing low-cost digital prints. Printed physical prints are also available for purchase.
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Well, that wraps it up! We hope you enjoyed our Guide to Skye’s Talisker Distillery and that it will prove useful for planning your trip to Scotland’s beautiful Isle of Skye.
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