Caol Ila Distillery Visitor Centre

The health and well-being of our employees, visitors and on-site partners is our highest priority. Given the fast-moving Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, as a precautionary measure, Caol Ila Distillery Visitor Centre is closed until further notice.   If you have an entry ticket during this period, please contact caolila.distillery@diageo.com. Please bear with us as we process all requests, we reassure you that we will respond to each and every query. Thank you for your patience and understanding. We wish all of our customers the very best at this difficult time.  

Due to the commencement of construction work on the major transformation of the Caol Ila Distillery visitor experience, tours of the distillery will be restricted to a limited number of pre-booked tours from Wednesday 26th June 2019.

For the health and safety of the public while the construction work is underway the road into the distillery will be closed to traffic with no un-authorised access.

During the restricted access period we will be making Caol Ila single malt scotch whisky available for tasting and sale at Lagavulin Distillery.

Interest in the distillery has been at unprecedented levels over recent months and we regret not to being able to accommodate everyone who wishes to visit over the summer period. However, we are sure whisky fans will understand the restrictions are unavoidable given the scale of construction work being undertaken on-site and the need to ensure public safety.

The restrictions will apply until further notice and we will make future announcements on access in due course.

We are very sorry that this may cause you inconvenience, but we hope you understand that it is unavoidable to ensure the health and safety of all guests coming to the distillery during the construction period.

We will be hosting a Cask Strength Experience at 13:00 and a Distillery Tour at 13:15 daily whilst work is ongoing.

Please get  back in touch if you wish to make a booking.

We look forward to hearing from you.

2019 TOUR & TASTING SCHEDULE

March –Easter* (10.15-17.00)
Monday - Friday
10.30 Distillery Tour
11.30 Whisky & Chocolate Pairing
13.00 Cask Strength Experience
14.30 Tasting Tour
15.30 Distillery Tour

Saturday & Sunday
10.30 Distillery Tour
11.30 Whisky and Chocolate Pairing
13.00 Cask Strength Experience
15.30 Distillery Tour

Easter* -October (10.15 –17.30)
Monday/Tuesday/Thursday/Saturday
10.30 Distillery Tour
11.30 Whisky & Chocolate Pairing
13.00 Cask Strength Experience
15.30 Distillery Tour
16.00 Tasting Tour

Wednesday/Friday/Sunday
10.30 Distillery Tour
11.30 Blending Workshop
13.00 Cask Strength Experience
15.30 Distillery Tour
16.00 Tasting Tour

November-February (10.15 -16.00)
Monday - Saturday
10.30 Distillery Tour
11.30 Whisky & Chocolate Pairing
13.00 Tasting Tour
14.00 Cask Strength Experience

Tour & Tasting Prices

Distillery Tour (£7) - With stunning views of the Paps of Jura and undoubtably the most magnificent still house in all of Scotland, a tour of Islay’s largest distillery should be on every whisky lovers “must do” list. After the distillery tour, you will be invited to the old cooperage to sample an expression of our fine single malt.

Whisky & Chocolate Pairing (£23) - It begins with a short and succinct visit to our magnificent still house to capture a picture of our beautiful stills and stunning view. Then, sit back, relax and enjoy a variety of our exceptional whisky served with a selection of luxurious chocolates crafted by the award winning Highland Chocolatier.

Cask Strength Experience (£23) - Start your tour with a short and succinct visit to our magnificent still house to capture a picture of our beautiful stills and stunning view. Then it’s over to our old cooperage to taste a selection of the finest Caol Ila cask strength expressions we have to offer; including three single cask expressions and two of our exclusive bottlings. This tasting focuses on the maturation of our great spirit as well as exploring the history and heritage of Islay’s hidden gem.

Tasting Tour (£15) - Perfect for distillery veterans who are well versed in the art of making whisky. This experience commences with a 30 minute tour of the distillery, focusing on the uniqueness of Caol Ila rather than the general whisky making process. You will then be invited to our old cooperage to sample 3 expression on Caol Ila which showcase the versatility of our great spirit.

Blenders Workshop (£90) - Caol Ila brings the smokey character to the world’s number one Blended Scotch Whisky – Johnnie Walker Black Label. To pay homage to this momentous achievement, we are offering you the opportunity to attempt to blend your own whisky to rival Johnnie Walker Black! Firstly, you’ll enjoy a tutored tasting of five samples which represent the cardinal flavours instrumental in creating the best blends. Once you’ve tasted and determined what flavour you would like to create, using the same equipment and instruments as our own whisky makers you’ll blend your own 20cl bottle to take home and enjoy.

Please note:
• All adults will receive a £5 discount voucher which is redeemable against a 70cl bottle of single malt whisky in our shop.
• Children under the age of 8 are not permitted on tour around the distillery production area. This is for the health & safety of your child.
• We can accommodate any size of group if time in your itinerary allows. For large groups, we must split them down into smaller groups (16 pax max) for the guided tour around the distillery. This is in conjunction with our Health & Safety Policy.
• All guided tours are in English. We cannot guarantee guided tours in foreign languages. Please ask when booking if there are any available.
• Written translations are provided in certain languages.
• There are no café/restaurant facilities on site. Please enquire when booking for recommended facilities nearby.
• For coach parties, the designated coach park must be used. No coaches are permitted into the visitor centre entrance area. Please call in advance for instruction if you have disabled or infirm passengers on board.
• Payment for group visits must be made 48 hours prior to arrival and is non-refundable (payment by card or business cheque; we are NOT able to accept bank transfers).

Transport

Plane:- From Islay Airport follow the road to port Askaig. Caol Ila Distillery is located half a mile from the signpost to the left about half a mile from Port Askaig.
Logan Air

Ferry:- From Port Ellen travel north on the A846. Caol Ila Distillery is located at the end of a side road, sign posted approximately half a mile from Port Askaig. From Port Askaig travel up the steep hill and follow the sign posted side road to the right.
Caledonian MacBrayne

Bus:- Islay Coaches (Mundell's) have buses running throughout the day to the ferry port near us at 'Port Askaig'. However, please note that buses DO NOT run on Sunday's at any point throughout the year.

Islay Info

Taxi:- Taxi's can take you round the island and from distillery to distillery without having to worry about missing out on drams due to driving.

Islay Info

Silent Season: To be confirmed but usually September/October
Please e-mail or give us a call for more information or to make a booking on to our amended tasting schedule. Unfortunately, we are unable to take standard distillery tours round the process during this time. Sorry for any inconvenience.
caolila.distillery@diageo.com
01496 302769