All About the Whisky Distilleries on the Isle of Skye

In Scottish Gaelic, whisky is translated as "Uisge beatha" or water of life. For centuries, whisky has been an incredibly important part of life in the Scottish Highlands and Islands. Even today, it is one of the biggest employers of people in this part of the world, which is amazing considering how rural the Scottish Highlands and Islands are.

If you are planning on visiting the Isle of Skye this year, one thing that is on a lot of people's bucket list is visiting a whisky distillery and trying some whisky. On the Isle of Skye, there are two distilleries on the island (Talisker and Torabhaig) as well as a distillery on the neighbouring island of Raasay. If you are looking to get your whisky fix on the island, or looking for something to do on a rainy day, visiting one of these distilleries might be the perfect option for you.

Talisker Distillery, Carbost

The oldest and most well known distillery on the Isle of Skye, Talisker Distillery is one of Skye's biggest exports and the visitor centre is real highlight of many of my visits to the Isle of Skye.

If you are looking for a shorter experience that not only showcases Talisker's whisky, but highights the beauty of the island it comes from, can I recommend making time for the Made by the Sea experience? This short experience (lasting about half an hour) is a perfect way to see more of the beauty of the Isle of Skye as well as giving you the chance to try some of the whisky available from Talisker. We took part in this experience in February 2025 and loved the oppurtunity to learn more about the island as well as learning about the history of Talisker whisky.

As well as having some fantastic tour options available, Talisker Distillery also has an amazing gift shop, selling branded merchandise and exclusive whiskies. There is also an option to engrave your bottle, making it a totally unique experience to enjoy on the island.

On our recent visit to Talisker Distillery, we also had the oppurtunity to try some of the incredible food available at the Three Chimneys at Talisker. The Three Chimneys Restuarant has long been considered one of the best on the island, so I was super excited to see that Talisker Distillery was teaming up with the team at the Three Chimneys to create a fantastic new eatery on the shores of Loch Harport. We had lunch there during a visit this year, and loved this tasty and fresh menu, featuring fantastic sea food and Scottish produce.

Torabhaig Distillery, Sleat Peninsula

After opening in 2018, Torabhaig Distillery became the second whisky distillery to open on the Isle of Skye. Over the years, it's been really cool to see the ways this distillery has grown and developed over the years.

In 2023, I took my family on a distillery tour at Torabhaig. As someone who has grown to really enjoy whisky over the last few years, but didn't really know anything about the process of making whisky, it was fascinating to learn more about the distilling process. We also had a chance to try some of the whisky available at Torabhaig, which was really cool.

I would say, of all the whiskies on this list, Torabhaig's whisky is the peatiest. So if you love peaty whiskies like those you would normally find on Islay, Torabhaig might be a fantastic option for you.

Raasay Distillery, Isle of Raasay

Let's make one thing clear before we go any further. Raasay Distillery is NOT on the Isle of Skye. It is, in fact, on the Isle of Raasay. However, with only a 25 minute ferry from Skye and a 10 minute walk from the ferry terminal to the distillery, it is perfectly doable to visit Raasay Distillery as part of your adventure to Isle of Skye.

Raasay Distillery was the first whisky distillery I ever visited, all the way back in 2018 (and then visited again properly in 2024). Since then, it's been amazing to see the ways this little island distillery has grown into a really cool small business. Raasay Distillery produce their own whisky and gin here on the island, and there are loads of other cool things happening at the distillery throughout the year.

One thing I will say about the Isle of Raasay generally is that it is one of the friendliest Scottish islands I've visited, and the same can be said for all the satff at Raasay Distillery. The staff really care so much about the product they are producing here and love showing visitors their wee island.

If you're visiting the distillery to take part in a tour, make sure you enjoy some of their tasty food at Borodale House as well. The menu here changes all the time, but everything we've had have been incredibly delicious. Make sure to check out the exclusive cocktails made at the Raasay Distillery bar as well.

If you want to try one of my favourite whiskies, make sure you give the Dun Cana a go. I love a whisky matured in a sherry cask. The sweet flavours of the whisky go so well with the peaty and smokey flavours of the whisky. It's a great whisky for those who wouldn't necessarily say they are the biggest whisky connoisseur.

Some Top Tips

If you are visiting the Isle of Skye in September and you're a bit whisky fan, you could visit during the Hebridean Whisky Festival. Each day, one of the involved distilleries (including the three on this list) hosts a day of events, whether that invovles live music, exclusive cocktails or special exclusive products. It's a really great time of year for the island communities involved. If you want to find out more about this week, including the dates for this year, you can find more information here.

As with most things on the island, please check availability well in advance of your visit. If you specifically want to do a special tour at any one of these distilleries and are visiting during the peak summer tourist season, you will need to make sure you book to avoid disappointment. Thankfully, all three distilleries have fantastic gift shops, so there is still oppurtunities to try and buy some of the fantastic products on offer.