PULTENEY; visited in February 2013, on my trip north - see my report in angels bolg, Paul's trip north in February. Deborah took me on a personally guided tour, gave me all the info and lowdowns, even gave me a cup of tea! I think she felt sorry for me, I was soaking wet and it was snowing outside with real high winds. I even got a lift back to my hotel, fantastic girls here, going back soon.

DALMORE; visited in February 2013, had a great time there. Shelly took me on a private tour, my eye popping experience started as we reached the still room. Every still is a different shape and size, some quite unique! And aye, the stillman who sits in mission control is hilarious, had a great time chatting with him, came away with a wee set of test tube samples, superb!

WOLFBURN; visited in February 2013, same tour as above, a brand new distillery, on a small scale, see write up in Ernie's reports on home page. It sits in Thurso and is now the most northern distillery on the Scottish mainland. Shane showed me around and we had a good chat, see my report in angels bolg, Paul's trip north in February.  All credit to the owners and staff for bringing this distillery alive, its no got a visitor centre, but I was told we could bring wee tours in, excellent!

KNOCKDHU; 9/10 The knock hill is known to locals as anCnoc, this comes from the Gaelic black hill. Transformed by the weather, the heathers and other vegetation appear black due to the natural shadows on the hill. A traditional cast iron mash tun is used in the mashing process although not as efficient as its modern counterparts it is similar to what was first used. I had a really superb tour here with distillery manager Gordon, my guest had 6 drams, myself; driving could only sniff!

OBAN; 7/10 my home town so can I really slam it?  Well no, its a Diageo place, the tour is not brilliant to be honest, it's good, interesting, but I do feel you get a similar tour at many Diageo distilleries.  However, I love the drink, it is on my top ten list of single malts.  Situated within spittin distance of the bay, looking to another favourite of mine, Mull.  Now there's a different distillery; TOBERMORY. 7/10 Very nice location, right next to a pub I like, a small distillery, an island one with a decent tour, I really am no struck on the normal drams, but really do like the special bottle 15 year old. Burn Stewart owned.

BEN RIACH; 9.5/10 one of my favourites on Speyside, a warts an all distillery, doesn't pull punches and not designed for happy tourists on a whisky sightsee. Stewart is the manager and a friend, as a Mull person he is special, we have an understanding we two, both Mull people, though I am no born there, I am a McLean and love the island and people there, I go so many times, its a second home. Anyhow, a closed to the public distillery which I love, we do take tours in here and its well worth it.

GLENFIDDICH; one for the tourists, their general tours are good but a wee bit showreel stuff, a very clean and tidy distillery.  BUT, we normally do the special tours and they are brilliant.  The all day tour of Glenfiddich and Balvenie is just stunning.  Another grand man is Bert, the head guide there, he does a great tour. A good shop and easy to park.  You will see many tourists there and indeed, special tour people coming for the longer, more intense tours.  Good one. 8/10

BOWMORE; another clean and tidy place, I do like this one, a superb tasting room looking over the water, great staff and a good taste at the end.  hand turned barley floor, one of the few. Liz and myself stayed here and loved it, to wake up to the smells waftin in through the windows is outstanding! 8/10

GLENLIVET; what can I say about this one; been here so often and now its been enlarged, they get even more tourists.  Both good for tourists and whisky lovers. Some good displays here, great shop, good food and drinks.  I am a Guardian here and have my key for upstairs, which I do use. I also took a 3 day whisky course here with Iain, that was excellent and I learned a lot.  Ok bit touristy but its worth a tour here. 8/10

ROYAL LOCHNAGAR; another Diageo, this is one I like a lot.  Its near the German Queen's place I know, but, well, if you can sidetrack that castle and just go to the distillery, great! Its got a good tour, a nice shop, a very good tasting room and the tour is different from other Diageo's, its no computer run, that's the thing I like and that's what makes it different and likable to me. 8/10

GLENGLASSAUGH; a one off privately owned distillery, Stuart and Ronnie have shown me around here, its a grand distillery, on the up regarding the whisky and very progressive. Casks for sale, small but good shop and tours are very good and informative, love it! 9/10

ARDBEG; Another very tidy distillery, spick and span, very clean and sharp, good shop and restaurant. Good tour and I love the produce from here.  I would say one of the more remote of the Islay distilleries, along the road to Kildalton Kirk.  On a nice summers day its spectacular. 7/10

TOMATIN; a highland distillery no far south from Inverness on the main A9. A very different one to visit, great shop, friendly staff and a very good tour. Have been here a few times and each time I see something different. Its a wee bit of a sprawling place and aye, you can see the guys working here rolling casks and moving them about, it makes for a more interesting visit to see something different. 7/10

ABERFELDY; also known as Dewar's world of whisky. Another local distillery to me, I like this one a lot, superb staff, a good movie to start, a museum then the tour. The extra long tours are excellent. Lovely setting and very scenic, we have lots of tours here pose for photos in and outside, its a favourite. 7/10

EDRADOUR; the sign says "the smallest distillery in Scotland", well, sorry Andrew (in the picture, the owner) no any more you're not. It is a very scenic distillery up in the hills above Pitlochry, good 40 minute tour, lots of different whiskies in the good shop. Staff are good, I have my own favourites of course. Andrew has plans and there are lots of things happening here, new warehouse, his own bottling plant, its a good one to see. 8/10

GLEN GARIOCH; pronounced Glen Gare - ree, a different one to visit, the staff are superb and friendly (I got a nice cup of tea while my group went round, a chat and many smiles). Still with many features other distilleries have lost, its a hands on tour, not at all touristy, which is one reason why I like it. far out though, near Old Meldrum near Aberdeen.  7/10

BLAIR ATHOLL is one of Diageo's distilleries, also known as Bells. Located in Pitlochry main street, easy to find and park, a decent tour, but we always try for the special tours, as we have more dedicated whisky lovers here than tourists on our own mcleanscotland tours.  Good shop, museum of sorts and on the level, which helps some old fogies like myself! 6/10

BRUICHLADDICH Two whiskies are made here, with the water comes from the hills behind the distillery - the Bruichladdich and Port Charlotte bottles. I did like the place, another to definitely visit, its a small concern and not multi ownership type or part of a crowd, that's why I like it.  Staff are brilliant, great shop - grand T shirts and the whisky is excellent. 8/10  My only downer; they send out too many whiskies each year, too many bottles to choose from.

BUNNAHABHAIN "Mouth of the river" in Gaelic, or as Liz and myself like to say - bunny heaven.  On a cold and wet day here we strayed into this distillery, we both said at the same time "it looks like a prison", well with the courtyard high walls with bars on them, it did remind us of prison - now there's a story waiting to get out! Liz's favourite distillery and dram from Islay (she has trouble with the Gaelic, so calls it bunny heaven), so that's worth the trip then, she is so demanding. 8/10 Recently returned (Sept 2012) with a group tour, boy were we treated well! great seafood and deserts, drams and wine, on that rainy day visit I gave it 10/10

CAOL ILA; whisky is good, another Diageo, it will be closed from June 2011 for refurb and increasing the size of output, for 6 months. Visited and had a good tour, large as you would expect, nice staff. Far end of the isle near the ferry at Port Askaig, now there's a strange place if ever there was one, step back in time, we were looking for Dr Who when there. 6/10

ST MAGDALENE, LITTLEMILL & ROSEBANK have strayed to all of these closed or "gone" distilleries with my friend Tim, from Moscow. He is a whisky fiend and likes to see where distilleries "were", so we drove around car parks, housing complexes and canals looking and taking pictures. A real whisky man!

BEN NEVIS have been here a few times with tourists mainly, though a few good experts along the way have been with us. Set on the side of Fort William under the mountain of the same name, big hairy coos in the paddock to pat before taking the tour. Again, the longer more in depth is the best here, but good. A good stop when touring along the great glen. 6/10

DUNCAN TAYLOR; SHOP have been here so many times now, I never get tired of doing so, a superb shop with everything you need for a good whisky, bottles from around the world, fill your own from the cask, presents and gifts all catered for, superb staff who know everything they have and happy to give suggestions and info on any bottle, miniature or full size, great! 10/10

LAGAVULIN; Diageo owned, in my own view the best thing about this one is where it is, locked between Ardbeg and Laphroaig, superb views out to sea, whitewashed building as you may expect. Well, maybe one more thing good, I like the whisky! Nice taste room 8/10. Revisited Sept 2012, ok tour, one measly dram at the end.

AUCHENTOSHAN the closest distillery to Glasgow, on the Dumbarton road, a nice tour to be had here, my favourite dram is the 18 year old, or 3 woods. Good shop, relaxing and tours. The only Scottish distillery to triple distil, go and see why they do it is my suggestion. 7/10

DALWHINNIE the highest above sea level in Scotland, at the end of the Loch Laggan road where it meets the A9 going to Inverness. A Diageo one again, so you do tend to get the same patter and jokes from the guides as many others in their stable, a shame. Decent shop and good tour here. 6/10 Try the taster drams platters.

GLENROTHES another December visit in that heavy snow. Again we were the only mad fools to be there but we had a good nosey around the place, its big! very scenic in the summer.  Go see out trip on this page. Rothes has a few other distilleries, we went to see where Cappaerdonich used to be, just a pile of rubble when we were there, a shame. 7/10

JACK DANIELS did a tour here a few years back, was most surprised you cannee have a nip in here, how the hell can you make whiskey in a dry county? But they do! A decent enough tour and a huge shop, a store more like, but no drinks. I told them what I thought of that, nicely, and said its no the way we do it at home, fell on deaf ears. Not keen on their drams though 6/10

DALLAS DHU  The distillery closed in 1983 and today is owned and run as a visitor whisky museum by Historic Scotland. A state owned distillery! Aye its a museum and in my view, worth a visit, no whisky is produced, its now closed for that, but a good trip and a shop. 6/10

FAMOUS GROUSE; otherwise known as Glenturret. A good tourist tour available here, a wee bit too Disney for me, to much jumpin on floors, bangin casks etc but saying that, the scratch and sniff card is a great idea. Very good restaurant here, good bar and shop. We do take tours here but no so much the hard core whisky lovers as general tourists. 7/10  I would say this is a distillery with maybe more photos taken of the big bird than any other?

LOCH LOMOND; a closed to the public distillery, when I took a tour here I was flabergasted, a malt distillery with grain right next door, under the same roof! Gavin Durnin (Sales Director) took us around this distillery, the stills use towers/columns for 4 stills and is really unusual, the SWA call them Lomond towers but we were assured they are not. A really good tour here of everywhere, distillery, cooperage, warehouse etc with a cup of tea!!!

GLENMORANGIE; far north but worth the trip, its a nice tour they do and a good taste, with options for extra tastings.  Decent distillery tour and a nice location, good views here in the land of the Picts.  Been here many times as its a well known dram and the tourists (how I make my living) like to see it. 7/10 Easy to get to from Inverness and there are many more distilleries on this route.

Glendronach. a wee bit out of the way, but well worth the trip, its a good range of tours available here, good shop and taste at the end. Have friends working for this company and we get updates on new bottlings etc. I must say they do a grand dram specially the 18 year old, not often I get my hands on an 18 year old!

Springbank. a great tour had here, excellent staff, very interesting tour and boy what a tasting session afterwards at Cadenhead! As we left the distillery happy we arrived into the tasting room andhad an even better time here, and some good shopping time well spent.