Many distilleries have visitor centres and offer tours and tastings so that visitors can learn a little about the distilling process and the mystery of the chemistry which makes simple ingredients - barley, water, yeast and, sometimes, peat smoke - into a world-famous drink.

On a typical distillery visit you will find out exactly what malt is (germinated and dried barley) and learn a new vocabulary with words like wort (hot water and ground malt) and mash tun (the large vessel that holds the wort). In short, distillery visiting is entertaining and, at the end of it, you will have made your first steps to becoming a whisky connoisseur and can approach any pub gantry with confidence!

There are distilleries throughout the Highlands, from Ben Nevis Distillery in Lochaber to Pulteney Distillery in Wick (the most northerly on the Scottish mainland), and even an "illicit still" at Drumchork Lodge Hotel in Aultbea - all making it easy to find out more about Scotland's national drink.

A number of hotels also participate in a Whisky Toursim initiative training scheme and are designated as "Scotch Whisky Embassies". Those in the Highland area are:-
Newton Hotel, Nairn
Golf View Hotel, Nairn
The Boat Hotel, Boat of Garten
Muckrach Lodge, Grantown on Spey
Glenmorangie House, by Tain
The Royal Golf Hotel, Dornoch