{"id":379,"date":"2026-05-13T17:17:14","date_gmt":"2026-05-13T17:17:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thescottishbackpack.co.uk\/?p=379"},"modified":"2026-05-13T19:59:30","modified_gmt":"2026-05-13T19:59:30","slug":"day-3-my-islands-trip-talisker-distillery","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thescottishbackpack.co.uk\/index.php\/2026\/05\/13\/day-3-my-islands-trip-talisker-distillery\/","title":{"rendered":"Day 3: My Islands Whisky trip: Talisker Distillery"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

My<\/strong> Itinerary<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

09:55 \u2013 10:25: Ferry (Calmac: Sconser)<\/strong>: Raasay Pier \u2013 Sconser
11:30 \u2013 11:55: Bus (CityLink 917)<\/strong>: Sconser – Portree Somerled Square
12:50 \u2013 13:25: Bus (MacDonald 608): <\/strong>Portree Somerled Square – Talisker Distillery
14:00 \u2013 15:00: Tour: <\/strong>Talisker Standard Tour
16:05 \u2013 16:36: Bus (MacDonald 608)<\/strong>: Talisker Distillery – Portree Somerled Square
17:45 \u2013 21:00: Bus (Megabus M90)<\/strong>: Portree – Inverness
Hotel: <\/strong>Premier Inn (Millburn Rd)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

My ferry back to Skye was at 9 am, so I was able to have a later breakfast, and if I had been organised, I probably could have got a morning run in! Breakfast was served in the hotel restaurant, which is downstairs and on the other side of the building from the bar area. It’s a great spot and offers panoramic views via floor-to-ceiling glass windows. I again opted for the full Scottish breakfast, although I made the mistake of asking for poached eggs and ended up with fairly runny ones \u2639. Aside from the eggs, everything else was excellent, if not a little bit of a light portion of one egg, sausage and a slice of bacon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

As I was catching the 11:30 bus to Portree, I took the 9:55 am ferry over to Sconser. Although there was a later ferry leaving Raasay, which arrived at 11:20 (10 mins before my bus), I felt the connection time was too tight, so I took the earlier option. My ferry was on time, so I had almost an hour before my bus, which meant I had time to head back to Noost for a cup of tea. Fortunately, the sun came out again just as I sat down and relaxed on one of the outside seats.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After my tea, I head to the bus stop, which is directly opposite the ferry terminal, to get to the Stagecoach 608 to Portree. However, I was slightly confused when a Citylink bus arrived, but since it was also heading to Portree, I decided to jump on anyway. Apparently, both a Citylink bus and a Stagecoach bus arrive at the same stop at roughly the same time and travel to the same destination, for the same price.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After arriving in Portree, I had an hour before my next bus, so I wandered around town. First, I walked up to a nice viewpoint to get a good picture of the brightly coloured buildings in the harbour area and then walked down to the harbour for a closer look around. I then walked back towards the bus station and had still had some free time, so I stopped by The Isles Inn, which sits overlooking Somerled Square. The pub had a slightly strange atmosphere, complete with a quirky tiki-style shack roofing above the bar area. I did get a nice dram of 12-year-old Balvenie, although it was a bit pricey at \u00a38!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

I then headed back to the main square to catch the Fiscavaig bus, which stops at Talisker distillery. The bus is run locally by MacDonald Buses, who do not appear to have a website or an online timetable. This meant relying on Google Maps for travel times, which were fortunately spot on, and the bus arrived as expected at 12:50. The bus was a small minibus which operates between local villages and remote stops. It only has sixteen seats on board, so I imagine it could get very cramped during the height of summer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The journey ventured into remote and beautiful areas of Skye, with winding roads, mountainous landscapes, and single-track roads. It was a nice journey, and I can understand why larger buses might now be appropriate for this region of Skye, as at one point we were stopped by a sheep on the road. The trip down to Talisker took around forty minutes, and the bus dropped me directly outside the distillery.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Despite its remote surroundings, when I entered Talisker, I was blown away by the size and scale of Talisker. The visitor centre is incredibly polished, featuring a stunning enclosed log fire in the centre of the room surrounded by fur seating, and to the right is a huge retail area with loads of Talisker merchandise and bottles. The place was absolutely packed. I genuinely do not think I have ever seen a busier distillery. Almost everyone seemed to be carrying baskets loaded with goods and bottles, many buying two or three bottles at a time. They must generate enormous revenue here every day. While checking in for my tour, I noticed that every tour for the day had sold out and staff were having to turn people away. Considering this was still the end of April and not even peak tourist season, I can only imagine how chaotic it must get in the summer months.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The tour itself begins inside the shop, where they ceremoniously ring a bell to begin the tour. It starts with an introduction to the ingredients used in whisky production and the style of spirit produced at Talisker before moving into the production areas. They have an enormous mash tun with a beautiful copper lid, necessary for producing around 3.5 million litres of spirit each year. They also have 8 gorgeous wooden washbacks, each with a viewing window to allow you to watch the fermentation bubbling away inside. The next room allows you to see the two wash stills and 3 spirit stills, before you head downstairs to the spirit safe. The biggest surprise for me, however, was how short the tour was. We seemed to fly through the tour, as after only around thirty minutes, we were already in the tasting room.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The tasting included three drams: the Talisker 10 Year Old, the Talisker Wild Blue, and the distillery exclusive bottling. The 10-Year-Old was unmistakably Talisker, with plenty of peat smoke balanced by maritime notes and a touch of sweetness on the palate. Wild Blue was noticeably fruitier and softer on the smoke, with spice and pear notes standing out for me, making it very easy to drink (probably my favourite). The distillery exclusive was similarly fruity on both the nose and palate, smooth overall but with a lingering smokiness, and in some ways, it reminded me quite a lot of Wild Blue but a little too sweet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

After the distillery visit, I caught the bus back to Portree. The pickup point is directly opposite the distillery, just to the right of a small coffee shop. From Portree, I was connecting onto a bus to Inverness for the next leg of my trip, although I still had about an hour to spare in town, so I decided to get some food before my bus. In hindsight, I probably should have picked one of the restaurants overlooking the harbour, as there are plenty of good-looking options there. Instead, I ended up in a cheap chippy down the hill towards the waterfront, and all I will say is that at least it was inexpensive!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I still had about 40 minutes to spare afterwards, so I opted for one final dram before the bus (I figured a pint before a three-hour journey was probably not the best idea). I stopped into The Merchant Bar, which actually had a surprisingly strong whisky selection, and chose a 15-year-old Glenfarclas. Given that I was heading onwards to Speyside, it felt like an appropriate choice, and it is one of my favourite drams.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

My bus left on time, and although the journey was long, it was a great journey with fantastic views across Skye’s constantly changing mountain ranges. Then the buses also passed both Eilean Donan Castle and Urquhart Castle before arriving in Inverness on time at 9 pm. I opted to stay at the Premier Inn on Millburn Road for the night, which is only a short 10-minute walk from the bus station. As I did not arrive at the hotel until after 9pm I just made myself a cup of tea and stayed in for the rest of the evening.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

My Itinerary 09:55 \u2013 10:25: Ferry (Calmac: Sconser): Raasay Pier \u2013 Sconser11:30 \u2013 11:55: Bus (CityLink 917): Sconser – Portree Somerled Square12:50 \u2013 13:25: Bus (MacDonald 608): Portree Somerled Square – Talisker Distillery14:00 \u2013 15:00: Tour: Talisker Standard Tour 16:05 \u2013 16:36: Bus (MacDonald 608): Talisker Distillery – Portree Somerled Square17:45 \u2013 21:00: Bus (Megabus M90): Portree – InvernessHotel: Premier Inn (Millburn Rd) My ferry back to Skye was at 9 am, so I was able to have a later breakfast, and if I had been organised, I probably could have got a morning run in! Breakfast was served in the hotel restaurant, which is downstairs and on the other side of the building from the bar area. It’s a great spot and offers panoramic views via floor-to-ceiling glass windows. I again opted for the full Scottish breakfast, although I made the mistake of asking for poached eggs and ended up with fairly runny ones \u2639. Aside from the eggs, everything else was excellent, if not a little bit of a light portion of one egg, sausage and a slice of bacon. As I was catching the 11:30 bus to Portree, I took the 9:55 am ferry over to Sconser. Although there was a later ferry leaving Raasay, which arrived at 11:20 (10 mins before my bus), I felt the connection time was too tight, so I took the earlier option. My ferry was on time, so I had almost an hour before my bus, which meant I had time to head back to Noost for a cup of tea. Fortunately, the sun came out again just as I sat down and relaxed on one of the outside seats. After my tea, I head to the bus stop, which is directly opposite the ferry terminal, to get to the Stagecoach 608 to Portree. However, I was slightly confused when a Citylink bus arrived, but since it was also heading to Portree, I decided to jump on anyway. Apparently, both a Citylink bus and a Stagecoach bus arrive at the same stop at roughly the same time and travel to the same destination, for the same price. After arriving in Portree, I had an hour before my next bus, so I wandered around town. First, I walked up to a nice viewpoint to get a good picture of the brightly coloured buildings in the harbour area and then walked down to the harbour for a closer look around. I then walked back towards the bus station and had still had some free time, so I stopped by The Isles Inn, which sits overlooking Somerled Square. The pub had a slightly strange atmosphere, complete with a quirky tiki-style shack roofing above the bar area. I did get a nice dram of 12-year-old Balvenie, although it was a bit pricey at \u00a38! I then headed back to the main square to catch the Fiscavaig bus, which stops at Talisker distillery. The bus is run locally by MacDonald Buses, who do not appear to have a website or an online timetable. This meant relying on Google Maps for travel times, which were fortunately spot on, and the bus arrived as expected at 12:50. The bus was a small minibus which operates between local villages and remote stops. It only has sixteen seats on board, so I imagine it could get very cramped during the height of summer. The journey ventured into remote and beautiful areas of Skye, with winding roads, mountainous landscapes, and single-track roads. It was a nice journey, and I can understand why larger buses might now be appropriate for this region of Skye, as at one point we were stopped by a sheep on the road. The trip down to Talisker took around forty minutes, and the bus dropped me directly outside the distillery. Despite its remote surroundings, when I entered Talisker, I was blown away by the size and scale of Talisker. The visitor centre is incredibly polished, featuring a stunning enclosed log fire in the centre of the room surrounded by fur seating, and to the right is a huge retail area with loads of Talisker merchandise and bottles. The place was absolutely packed. I genuinely do not think I have ever seen a busier distillery. Almost everyone seemed to be carrying baskets loaded with goods and bottles, many buying two or three bottles at a time. They must generate enormous revenue here every day. While checking in for my tour, I noticed that every tour for the day had sold out and staff were having to turn people away. Considering this was still the end of April and not even peak tourist season, I can only imagine how chaotic it must get in the summer months. The tour itself begins inside the shop, where they ceremoniously ring a bell to begin the tour. It starts with an introduction to the ingredients used in whisky production and the style of spirit produced at Talisker before moving into the production areas. They have an enormous mash tun with a beautiful copper lid, necessary for producing around 3.5 million litres of spirit each year. They also have 8 gorgeous wooden washbacks, each with a viewing window to allow you to watch the fermentation bubbling away inside. The next room allows you to see the two wash stills and 3 spirit stills, before you head downstairs to the spirit safe. The biggest surprise for me, however, was how short the tour was. We seemed to fly through the tour, as after only around thirty minutes, we were already in the tasting room. The tasting included three drams: the Talisker 10 Year Old, the Talisker Wild Blue, and the distillery exclusive bottling. The 10-Year-Old was unmistakably Talisker, with plenty of peat smoke balanced by maritime notes and a touch of sweetness on the palate. Wild Blue was noticeably fruitier and softer on the smoke, with spice and pear notes standing out for me, making it very easy to drink (probably my favourite). The distillery exclusive was similarly fruity on both the nose and palate, smooth overall but with a lingering smokiness, and in some ways, it reminded me quite a lot of Wild Blue but a little too sweet. After the distillery visit, I caught the bus back to Portree. The pickup point is directly opposite the distillery, just to the right of a small coffee shop. From Portree, I was connecting onto a bus to Inverness for the next leg of my trip, although I still had about an hour to spare in town, so I decided to get some food before my bus. In hindsight, I probably should have picked one of the restaurants overlooking the harbour, as there are plenty of good-looking options there. Instead, I ended up in a cheap chippy down the hill towards the waterfront, and all I will say is that at least it was inexpensive! I still had about 40 minutes to spare afterwards, so I opted for one final dram before the bus (I figured a pint before a three-hour journey was probably not the best idea). I stopped into The Merchant Bar, which actually had a surprisingly strong whisky selection, and chose a 15-year-old Glenfarclas. Given that I was heading onwards to Speyside, it felt like an appropriate choice, and it is one of my favourite drams. My bus left on time, and although the journey was long, it was a great journey with fantastic views across Skye’s constantly changing mountain ranges. Then the buses also passed both Eilean Donan Castle and Urquhart Castle before arriving in Inverness on time at 9 pm. I opted to stay at the Premier Inn on Millburn Road for the night, which is only a short 10-minute walk from the bus station. As I did not arrive at the hotel until after 9pm I just made myself a cup of tea and stayed in for the rest of the evening.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":380,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1,21],"tags":[20,8,7,25],"class_list":["post-379","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blog","category-highland","tag-bar","tag-bottle-your-own-whisky","tag-bus","tag-shop"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thescottishbackpack.co.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/379","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thescottishbackpack.co.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thescottishbackpack.co.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thescottishbackpack.co.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thescottishbackpack.co.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=379"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/thescottishbackpack.co.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/379\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":406,"href":"https:\/\/thescottishbackpack.co.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/379\/revisions\/406"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thescottishbackpack.co.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/380"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thescottishbackpack.co.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=379"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thescottishbackpack.co.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=379"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thescottishbackpack.co.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=379"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}