Scottish Breweries and Craft Beer
With over 120 active distilleries spread across Scotland, a distillery tour is a must for any visitor. In Scotland, distilleries are split into five whisky-producing regions; Campbeltown, Highland, Islay, Lowland and Speyside. Where a whisky is made, can have a huge bearing on its flavour. For instance, everything from the source of the water to the presence of peat in the local area will come through in the taste. Speyside is the largest whisky-producing region, which in fact boasts almost two thirds of Scotland’s distilleries. Speyside lies below the Grampian Mountain range between Inverness and Aberdeen and all the distilleries are located on the River Spey or adjoining rivers. Below is a selection of some of the more famous distilleries around Scotland. All of which offer some wonderful distillery tours in addition to tasting experiences. A great way to spend some ‘Off the Course’ time. Talk to us today about including a visit to your favourite whisky distillery within your Scottish Golf Tour. We are happy to recommend options for whisky distillery tours depending on where you are playing during your time in Scotland.
71 Brewing, Dundee
Located in the city of Dundee, 30 minutes from St Andrews & less than 15 miles from Carnoustie, you will find 71 Brewing. Opened in 2016, 71 Brewing has revived the brewing industry in the city, after its absence of nearly 50 year! The brewery strive to produce beers with flavour and character. Company’s flagship product is their 71 Lager, which uses Czech hops and British Pilsner malt.
Upon arrival for a tour you will receive a pint or schooner of beer. You will then be taken on a walk through the history of the building and the full process of brewing right from the raw ingredients to the final product.
For larger groups (up to 25), the brewery taproom is available for hire. Includes 10 taps of draft craft beers, bottles/cans from 71 Brewing along with options from other craft breweries! Other features include large LCD screen & sound system with food packages available.
Interesting fact: The Brewery is located within an old brick-built ironworks which is the last surviving element of the former Blackness Foundry. Based at 71 Blackness Road, the founders named their brewery 71 Brewery as a nod to the past.
For more information please visit the 71 Brewing website
Jan – Dec 2020
Tours operator on a Sat: 1:30pm & 3:00pm
(for any other day or time please request in advance)
Price £12 per person
Black Isle Brewery, Inverness
In the beautiful highlands of Scotland north of Inverness lies the only organic Brewery in Scotland, Black Isle. The Scottish brewery is also just 20 minutes from Castle Stuart Golf Links.
With their slogan ‘save the planet, drink organic’, the brewery is very proud that everything used in their brewing process is organic. As a result this is what gives their beer its distinct fresh and natural taste. The water is drawn from their own private source. In addition the malting barely used comes from their very own 125 acre organic farm. The spent grain is then fed to their flock of Hebridean sheep in one sustainable cycle.
Black Isle first began in 1998 and now produces up to 10,000 litres of beer a day; distributing to locations in Scotland and around the world, including Sweden and Japan. The brewery also has 2 bars, one located in the city of Inverness nearby to the brewery and one in Fort William.
Interesting fact: Every year the brewery is joined by a friendly team of international visitors known as WWoofers. They live and learn about life on organic farms and stay on site at the bothy house, to support and help maintain the farm and gardens.
For more information please visit the Black Isle Brewery website
Jan, Feb, Mar, Oct, Nov & Dec 2020
Mon to Sat: 10:00am – 6:00pm
Apr – Sep 2020
Mon to Sat: 10:00am – 6:00pm
Sun: 11:00am – 5:00pm
Tour price available on request
Brewdog, Aberdeen
Started by two young Scottish lads and a dog in 2007 in the small Scottish town of Fraserburgh in the far northeast corner of Aberdeenshire. Now, Brewdog has grown to become Scotland’s largest independent brewery; with a state of the art eco Brewery in Ellon, North Aberdeen and 65 bars across the globe! Excitingly, Brewdog also opened another eco brewery across the Atlantic Ocean. Located in Columbus Ohio with the world’s first craft beer themed hotel, ‘The DogHouse’, right nextdoor. Not a bad day’s work for the guys!! We would definitely recommend enjoying a Dogwalk Brewery Tour if golfing in the area of Aberdeenshire, Scotland.
Interesting fact: The flagship beer for Brewdog and the biggest selling craft beer in the UK is their hoppy, tropical flavoured ‘Punk IPA’ which in their own words “began a revolution”.
For more information please visit the Brewdog website
Jan – Dec 2020
Mon to Fri: Tour at 4:00pm & 6:00pm
Sat & Sun: Tour at 12:00pm, 2:00pm & 4:00pm
Tour price £15: 1hr & 30 mins tour
Eden Mill, St Andrews
Less than 5 miles from The Old Course in St Andrews, Eden Mill is a must visit for any beer lover staying in the area. The story begins a very long time ago in 1810, when the famous Haig family ran Seggie distillery until 1860. It was then later reopened as a paper mill in 1872. It continued to operate as a paper mill until 2008. In 2012 Fife businessman Paul Miller, resurrected the site and opened Eden Mill. It is in fact Scotland’s first and original single site combined brewery and distillery. Along with beer, Eden Mill also produce whisky and gin – something for everyone! In 2015, they launched their ‘Golf Gin’ in homage to their connection to St Andrews.
Eden Mill’s craft beer and IPA range offer a variety of styles from a Belgian-inspired wheat beer to a unique spiced porter and a classic hop-heavy IPA. Their bourbon and whisky barrels also give them the opportunity to offer uniquely aged craft beers. Every year Eden Mill produce limited edition seasonal brews.
Interesting fact: Their 19th Brew beer is available to golfers on the 9th hole of The Old Course, St Andrews. The refreshing, light, citrusy ale is the perfect pick me up for the next 9 holes!
For more information please visit the Eden Mill website
Unfortunately, Eden Mill distillery & brewery tours are unavailable as their new site is under construction.
During this time, they welcome you to “The Gatehouse”. Enjoy an hour-long session where you will sample from Eden Mills range of beer and spirits
Harviestoun Brewery, Alva
Harviestoun Brewery is located at the foot of the stunning Ochil Hills, in the small town of Alva. Also within 20 miles of Gleneagles, a visit to this Scottish brewery is ideal when playing golf in the Perthshire area. From the founder, Ken Brooker, brewing in his back garden shed in 1983, Harviestoun has grown to become one of Scotland’s top breweries. Extremely innovative, they have also been well respected on the US craft scene since 1999. One of Harviestoun’s signature beers is the award winning ‘Champagne of Lagers’, ‘Schiehallion’, which was first created in 1994. The name comes from one of the best known Munros (mountain over 3,00 feet in height) in Scotland located in Perth and Kinross. One of their other famous beers, is Ola Dubh, 12yr old aged in Highland Park whisky casks.
Interesting fact: In the early days at the farmhouse brewery a number of mice would steal the barley. However one in particular caught their attention. Now the brewery’s mascot, Harvie the mouse can be found on the labels adopting a different character for each beer
For more information please visit the Harviestoun Brewery website
Jan – Dec 2020
Mon to Fri: 10:00am – 4:00pm
Tour price available on request
Innis & Gunn Brewery, Perthshire
The Scotch Whisky Experience located next to Edinburgh Castle is a five star visitor attraction offering whisky tours and tastings, private dining and also houses Amber Restaurant and a whisky shop. The experience is home to The World’s Largest Collection of Scotch Whisky, with 3384 bottles of liquid gold. All touring visitors can enjoy a whisky tasting within this unforgettable setting. Or for a truly unique experience, dinner for groups of 10 can also be accommodated.
Offering a range of different whisky tours, for the novice to those who already have a good knowledge of scotch whisky, you will find a tour to suit you. You can even step into the shoes of a Master Blender with their ‘Blend your own whisky’ package where you will create your own whisky to take away and enjoy.
Brewing in Wellpark Brewery in Glasgow since 2003, Innis & Gunn took over Inveralmond in Perthshire in 2016. At the end of 2019, Innis & Gunn announced some exciting news regarding an expansion! Heriot-Watt University’s Research Park, home to the world-renowned International Centre for Brewing & Distilling will be the location for their brand new brewery. It will be the first major brewery to be built in Edinburgh for 150 years!
The brewery in Perthshire will continue to brew the award-winning Inveralmond Brewery range of cask and bottle ales and will focus on small scale experimentation and limited edition barrel-aged beers.
Interesting fact: This year Innis & Gunn are collaborating with Edinburgh’s iconic Filmhouse cinema and their House Guest residency. In addition, they have been named as official beer partner for Edinburgh International Film Festival (EIFF). It will be their third year partnering with the festival, including Film Fest in the City.
For more information please visit the Innis & Gunn website
Jan – Dec 2020
Mon to Fri: 10:00am – 4:00pm
Tour price available on request
Once open the new brewery will house a visitor centre and offer tours.
Accommodation, Golf Tee Time Reservations, and Transport!
We take care of every aspect of your tour including accommodation, golf tee time reservations and transport needs along with any other individual requests including:
Accommodation
With such a range of accommodation available in Scotland, it can be difficult knowing where to start and that’s where we come in. You may wish to stay in 5-star luxury resorts, boutique hotels, quaint Scottish B&Bs or your very own exclusive use property. Our tour packages include a variety of options however please feel free to discuss with us your accommodation needs. Also check out our exclusive use golf tour packages for some inspiration!
Golf
We arrange and assist with all golf tee time reservations. To help you decide which of the many courses you wish to play in Scotland, check out our section on Scotland’s Golf Courses. Includes details of the top golf courses in the main golfing areas in Scotland.
Transport
From self-drive to chauffeur we can recommend and provide the right transport for your group. If you are looking for something really special we can even call in the chopper.
Not Just Golf..
As much as golf is the main event we know Scotland has a whole lot of other fantastic offerings off the course including famous scotch whisky distilleries, stunning historical castles and breath-taking scenery! We are happy to assist with any additional requests such as the following;
Private dinners
Whisky tastings
Brewery tours
Outdoor adventure
Working with Us
From the initial contact, our team work closely with you to plan each detail of your golf tour and provide you with your own personalised golf tour itinerary.