Hidden Gems – 4 underrated Whisky Distilleries in Scotland Well Worth a Visit

Having spent so much time in Scotland over the course of my life, particularly the last decade or so, I can honesty say that it is one of the most stunning destinations on the face of the earth.

Not only is it home to some of the most breathtaking scenery you could ever imagine, it’s also home to some of the friendliest locals in the world, with the added bonus of offering such culinary delights as the ‘pizza crunch’ (seriously, don’t knock it until you’ve tried it)!

What Scotland is also famous for is its plethora of whisky distilleries. As of this writing, across its many whisky regions (including The Islands) there are more than 150 active distilleries, with more on the way. Some, such as Skye’s Talisker, Speyside’s The Glenlivet, and Islay’s Lagavulin, are incredibly popular and attract tens, even hundreds, of thousands of visitors each year. Others, however, fly under the radar which I feel is a crying shame as people are missing out big time.

To show exactly what I mean, here are 5 underrated hidden gem whisky distilleries in Scotland that are well worth a visit.

Glenglassaugh Distillery

If you really want to get a sense of the art of whisky making, along with its colourful history, Glenglassaugh Distillery is well worth a visit for those reasons alone. Then of course, is the fact that it’s located in a gorgeous setting between the Highlands and Speyside.

The distillery was initially founded in 1875, but was sadly mothballed in 1986. It lay silent for more than two decades, before being reopened in 2008 and purchased by a consortium which already owned BenRiach and GlenDronach in 2013.

If you can really appreciate old school whisky making, this is the distillery for you.

The distillery is renowned for its traditional production methods, rather than relying heavily upon modern technology and machines.

There were concerns that the distillery would be mothballed once more as the distillery recently paused production in 2025. The good news is that it is not closed permanently and operations and tours will soon be resuming. By the summer this year, fingers crossed it’ll be business as usual.

Aultmore Distillery

Enjoy blended whisky? Great. Then get yourself to Aultmore Distillery sharpish as this distillery plays an important role in blended Scotch production.

Considered by many to be the unsung hero of Dewar’s blended whisky, it’s often overlooked in favour of its larger, more popular brother Aberfeldy. When Bacardi were negotiating with Diageo about purchasing Dewar’s, they were more than willing to walk away from the deal if this very distillery wasn’t included. They clearly saw its potential, and if you’ve ever tried the drams produced here, you’ll understand why.

Located in Keith, Banffshire in the Speyside region, it was founded in 1895 and in 2014 it was relaunched as part of the Last Great Malts of Scotland campaign and now provides a very popular core range of 12, 18, and 21-year-old expressions.

Glengyle Distillery

Although I’ve an affinity for pretty much any legit whisky distillery out there, I’ve always had a real soft spot for Glengyle.

Glengyle is one of the smallest whisky distilleries in operation. This is fitting because it’s found in Scotland’s smallest whisky region – Campbeltown. It also has an amazing backstory as it literally saved Campbeltown as a whisky region.

The distillery was originally founded in 1872, but ceased production in 1925. In 2004 however, it was revived and renovated so as to prevent the SWA (Scottish Whisky Association) from stripping Campbeltown of its status as a whisky region and absorbing it into the Highlands. In order for a whisky region to be as such, it requires at least 3 working distilleries. Campbeltown at the time, only had two (Springbank and Glen Scotia). With the re-opening of Glengyle, Campbeltown found its third distillery and the rest, as they say, is history.

Torabhaig Distillery

Whenever people visit the Isle of Skye, when booking a distillery tour, they always seem to opt for Talisker. In fact, based upon distillery visits, Talisker often comes in at number 1 across all of Scotland.

Please do not think I’m bashing Talisker here because I’m not. The whisky is exceptional, the distillery is vast, stunning, and full of things to do, and the members of staff there are fantastic. As great as Talisker is, it isn’t Skye’s only whisky distillery, as you’re about to find out.

Situated in the heart of Skye, on the site of an old converted farm, and surrounded by rugged countryside, you’ll find Torabhaig Distillery. Operational since 2017, the distillery achieves the perfect synergy of old and new. It’s only the second licensed distillery on the island and is the first to be constructed there in more than 190 years.

The whisky is produced here using two copper stills, along with a traditional wooden washback. They also experiment with varying levels of peat and a variety of different cask types and finishes.

Kilchoman Distillery

Finally, on the subject of islands and peated whiskies, we can’t overlook Islay.

Islay is considered by many to be the Holy Grail of peated whisky, and it is home to some of the most famous distilleries on the face of the earth. Renowned for their white-washed walls and coastal locations, you’ll find popular tourist destinations such as Lagavulin, Laphroaig, and Ardbeg. One Islay distillery that is vastly underappreciated in my humble opinion, is Kilchoman.

Kilchoman is Islay’s first distillery to open in more than 124 years. It’s also the smallest. The distillery is one of Islay’s newer additions as it was founded in 2005. It is an independent “field to bottle” distillery situated in a gorgeous remote setting on the site of a farm. They produce their own barley here and offer a variety of distillery tours, visits, and educational experiences.

From planting and growing the barley, to bottling the whisky, they’re the only distillery to complete each individual production step of the whisky-making process. Well worth a visit in my opinion.

If you’d like to learn more about your favourite whiskies, or simply treat yourself to a dram or two in the process, head on over to GreatDrams.com and take a look at the diverse selection of unique whiskies we currently have in stock.

With an impressive selection of limited-edition, rare, and award-winning whisky, as well as heaps of whisky info on our blog, it’s the perfect spot for any whisky lovers out there.

Tags: Hidden GemsScotlandunderrated Whisky Distilleries

Greg

My name is Greg, and I’m a brand strategy consultant, writer, speaker, host and judge specialising in premium spirits. My mission is to experience, share and inspire with everything great about whisky, whiskey, gin, beer and fine dining through my writing, my brand building and my whisky tastings.