Tomatin Distillery Visitor Centre
Tomatin Distillery Visitor Centre
Tomatin Distillery Visitor Centre
4.5
9:30 AM - 5:30 PM
Monday
9:30 AM - 5:30 PM
Tuesday
9:30 AM - 5:30 PM
Wednesday
9:30 AM - 5:30 PM
Thursday
9:30 AM - 5:30 PM
Friday
9:30 AM - 5:30 PM
Saturday
9:30 AM - 5:30 PM
Sunday
9:30 AM - 5:30 PM
About
We are a 4 star visitor attraction: a Highland Distillery Visitor Centre with a range of tours and award winning whiskies available. We have a shop in which you can purchase Tomatin merchandise and various expressions of Tomatin, including filling your own bottle from one of our cask strength distillery exclusive whiskies. The Tomatin Distillery lies just 16 miles south of Inverness and 15 miles north of Aviemore on the A9 - extremely convenient for anyone travelling to or from the Highlands! We are open 7 days all year round! April-September 9.30am-5.30pm October-March 10.30am-4.30pm Please contact us or visit our website for more information or to book your tour. We look forward to welcoming you soon!
Duration: 1-2 hours
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- AbbyHeysham, United Kingdom39 contributionsWonderful whisky tasting afternoon!Great afternoon having a tour of the distillery led by Rosemary. Great tour guide, very knowledgeable and a relaxed informal group with 2 other members. Plenty to see, and the best bit was saved to last...the whisky tasting! Well worth the trip and a lovely shop too. Kind gentleman behind the till also offered us coffee alongside the food we purchased as we were quite early for our tour.Many thanks for your review and i am so pleased that you enjoyed a wonderful afternoon with us here at Tomatin.Written 6 November 2023This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.Visited September 2023Travelled with familyWritten 17 September 2023
- Road36552034 contributionsExemplary tour guide (Issie), great overall experienceWent on the Legacy Tour with guide Issie, who was quite simply the best distillery guide I have ever had, and as a tour-guide myself, who has visited scores of distilleries with travel groups, I have plenty of comparison. Pleasant, clear voice, articulate, warm, and very gifted at making processes clear and understandable with examples, comparisons and humour. Her love of her work shone through - the whole group I was among commented on this. She was also knowledgeable and accessible during the whisky tasting. At no time did we feel rushed, or that she was "just doing her job". If I ever go again with friends or a tour group, I will ask to be booked on a tour with her. The atmosphere at the visitor centre altogether was welcoming and relaxed, not a commercial push as it is in some places. The distillery itself is very interesting to visit and all areas and processes seen. Photography (on airplane mode) possible everywhere except in among the stills. Easy to find from the A9, plenty of parking.Thank you very much for your lovely review! I am so glad you and your group enjoyed your tour and tasting with Issie. I will pass on your kind review to Issie!Written 9 November 2023This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.Visited October 2023Travelled with friendsWritten 3 October 2023
- Kevin FOceanside, California88 contributionsFiona’s the best!We had a wonderful tome at the distillery. This was our second time visiting. Our tour guide, Fiona, was amazing. Very knowledgeable and witty (ask her about the 15 year old). This distillery tasting room is “old school” no glam or glitz just good whisky.Thank you very much for your review and I am glad you enjoyed our Whisky! I will let Fiona know she is "the best!" .Written 9 November 2023This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.Visited October 2023Travelled on businessWritten 12 October 2023
- JoHuddersfield, United Kingdom4 contributionsPerfect experienceWhat a lovely experience. The location, the staff and the whiskey made a perfect day . I took my partner for his birthday treat and the staff made it more than special. Fiona the tour guide was excellent and Nick ( I think) at the bar was a pleasure to talk to.Thank you for your lovely review and I am glad Fiona and Nic made your visit special. I will pass on your kind words to them both.Written 9 November 2023This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.Visited October 2023Travelled as a coupleWritten 12 October 2023
- Donal WFort Collins, Colorado441 contributionsWell organized, good value tour and tastingAfter being introduced to Tomatin 12 and 18 on a visit to Edinburgh and loving both, I made sure to visit the distillery for a tour when I was in the Highlands. Barbara was our guide and did a wonderful job leading the tour and the tasting that followed. I was keen to bottle my own cask strength, and the host/bartender was more than generous with tastings of all options. I also bought a couple shirts for my son. I think the tour cost was 15 pounds. I probably drank 30 pounds worth In tastings. Fortunately, I had a friend along as chauffeur.Thank you so much Donal for your review , it was an absolute pleasure to take you on tour, hopefully you will be over for another visit.Written 8 November 2023This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.Visited September 2023Travelled soloWritten 13 October 2023
- Yannick K1 contributionGreat tour and awesome guide!!We've done the Taste of Tomatin- Tour including Tasting and it was incredibly good! Barbara was extraordinarily nice and showed + explained everything. We just loved it! PS: For everyone who's afraid of not understanding - she really made everything understandable!Thank you so much for your lovely review Yannick, it was an absolute pleasure taking you all out. Berlin is still on my list of city breaks.Written 8 November 2023This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.Visited October 2023Travelled as a coupleWritten 29 October 2023
- Shazzarone3 contributionsGreat visitWe had such a lovely visit here. Hedy, our tour guide, was very welcoming, friendly and knowledgeable. As there was just the two of us it a felt very personal tour. We liked the way it hasn't been made into something just for tourists but shown to us just as it is. Highly recommended. Thank you for an enjoyable visit. 😉Thank you so much for your lovely review, we are so pleased you enjoyed your tour, If we can help with any future bookings please let us know.Written 8 November 2023This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.Visited October 2023Travelled as a coupleWritten 3 November 2023
- Sanj S33 contributionsThis is a must-do.What a wonderful tour! Fiona was so welcoming and knowledgeable. She is definitely a credit to Tomatin. I took the one hour tour (there are other more in depth tours). The whole Whisky making process was explained in fascinating detail. One can actually feel the history of this distillery. The location is amazing too. And the smells….. delicious! The icing on the cake was the 3 samples you can take home (or taste on site if you’re not driving). Don’t miss this tour!I'm glad you enjoyed your experience at Tomatin. I will pass on your kind review to Fiona.Written 26 November 2023This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.Visited November 2023Travelled soloWritten 21 November 2023
- AntoinetKós, Greece6 contributionsWonderfullIt was a wonderfull tour! Fiona (our tour gide) spoke full of passion over this distillery! We saw every little piece of the distillery and we loved it! Because we needed to drive they gave us samples for later! We enjoyed those samples later on in our hotel!Thank you so much for your fantastic review, I'm glad you enjoyed your tour with Fiona, hope you enjoyed your whisky back at your hotel.Written 26 November 2023This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.Visited November 2023Travelled as a coupleWritten 25 November 2023
- paulmurphysDurham, United Kingdom47 contributionsBarbra made the tourTomatin:- the core range tour:- we have visited many distilleries over the years and this one is by far the most quaintest of them all and definitely the most over looked!! We attended the core range tour with Barbra what a fantastic knowledge of tomatin and the distillery itself she had. We went through the whole malting and maturation process and gave us examples to see, smell and feel. Barbra’s enthusiasm and love for the job shone through 10 fold. This distillery and its staff are very much the hidden gem. Thank you for a fantastic tour Tomatin xxxxThank you so much for your wonderful review, it was an absolute pleasure taking you both out on tour, hope to see you again in the near future.Written 26 November 2023This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.Visited November 2023Travelled as a coupleWritten 25 November 2023
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4.5
1,206 reviews
Excellent
910
Very good
225
Average
47
Poor
14
Terrible
10
Thomas C
5 contributions
Oct 2020 • Couples
Our trip to Tomatin was really enjoyable. Our tour guide Ken was very knowledgeable and went into great detail about the whisky making process at Tomatin. You get to tour much of the distillery and at the end get to taste three Tomatin whiskies - the Legacy whisky, the 12 year old and the experimental Cù Bòcan which is delicious. Overall the tour is great value for money and it left me feeling much more knowledgeable about how whisky is made and the process at Tomatin. Don't miss out!
Written 11 October 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
What a great review! There are few things better for us than hearing you left feeling more knowledgeable about the Whisky making process, that is definitely one of our goals here at Tomatin. Ken will be particularly pleased to hear you enjoyed your visit.
Thanks on behalf of the entire Visitor Centre Team
Stewart
Written 15 October 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Marti A
14 contributions
July 2021
Tomatin 12 is one of my go to drams so we had to visit the distillery whilst we stayed in Inverness. We took a taxi from Inverness city centre and it took 25 minutes (£32).
The distillery is large and whilst the 'legacy' tour only shows you a relatively small area of the overall estate you still get to see the main bits, spirit stills, malt hoppers, warehouses etc. The tour guide Rosemary was excellent, very funny, informative and relaxed - a great ambassador for Tomatin and that part of the world! I have done many distillery visits and she was easily the best and made the trip for my girlfriend and i.
At the end of the tour you get to sample some drams and buy some excellent bottles of whisky and gifts in the shop. There is also a bar set up where you can enjoy various Tomatin whisky at excellent prices - £2 for a Tomatin 12 - £4 for an Antiquary 21 etc. We sat in the sun on the tables outside and enjoyed some great drams, even a 36 year old and then got a taxi back to Inverness. Thank you Tomatin & Rosemary!
The distillery is large and whilst the 'legacy' tour only shows you a relatively small area of the overall estate you still get to see the main bits, spirit stills, malt hoppers, warehouses etc. The tour guide Rosemary was excellent, very funny, informative and relaxed - a great ambassador for Tomatin and that part of the world! I have done many distillery visits and she was easily the best and made the trip for my girlfriend and i.
At the end of the tour you get to sample some drams and buy some excellent bottles of whisky and gifts in the shop. There is also a bar set up where you can enjoy various Tomatin whisky at excellent prices - £2 for a Tomatin 12 - £4 for an Antiquary 21 etc. We sat in the sun on the tables outside and enjoyed some great drams, even a 36 year old and then got a taxi back to Inverness. Thank you Tomatin & Rosemary!
Written 25 July 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hi Tauf1234,
Thanks for your 5-circle review, and more praise for Rosemary - I'll be sure to pass it on!
It sounds like you felt the expense of taking a taxi was justified and that's really good to hear, it's always nice when everyone in a group can taste the whisky.
Thanks again for your review, I'm very pleased that you and your girlfriend enjoyed your visit.
Cheers
Ken
Written 28 July 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Tom D
32 contributions
Feb 2022 • Friends
The Tomatin distillery is an excellent experience, giving a detailed and in-depth tour of what used to be the largest distillery in Scotland. Our tour guide, Kev, was knowledgeable, engaging and humorous and led us on a fantastic journey through the distilling process - thanks so much! The tour is exceptionally well priced, including a great length tour and a tasting of three different Tomatin whiskies at the end (including provision of a miniature for drivers). I wholeheartedly recommend a visit, was one of the highlights of our highland holiday.
I can recommend driving the coast of Loch Ness and then visiting Tomatin afterwards, which makes for a fantastic day.
I can recommend driving the coast of Loch Ness and then visiting Tomatin afterwards, which makes for a fantastic day.
Written 5 February 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
I am pleased to hear that you enjoyed your tour of Tomatin Distillery and that it was one of the highlights of your highland holiday.
Hopefully you will be able to visit us again sometime.
Cheers
Stewart
Written 21 March 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Sasha C
20 contributions
Jan 2020 • Friends
The second time I've visited this distillery for a tour & tasting, and once again I was blown away by the incredible hospitality of every one of thier staff. They went above and beyond to make sure that at each minute we were kept entertained and interested. Patrick, our guide, is an asset to the company - tailored the tour for us perfectly.
I've always been a fan of Tomatin, not only for their whisky, but each time I drink their dram, I'm reminded of the great times had there. Thank you once again Tomatin!
I've always been a fan of Tomatin, not only for their whisky, but each time I drink their dram, I'm reminded of the great times had there. Thank you once again Tomatin!
Written 23 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
619Joey
San Diego, CA1,234 contributions
Nov 2019
First stop on my whiskey tour.
It was interesting to learn how the attached hamlets housed the distillery employees back in the day. These days many distilleries no longer do this. It was the nearest one of the four stops to Inverness but seemed to be in the middle of no where.
We took a tour of the facility walking through the whiskey process. Pictures are allowed except in two areas the guide will let you know. Guide is very knowledgeable.
The tour included a sample of a legacy 5 year, 12 year, and a mildly peated 9 year old. The peated whiskey is a recent addition to their product line. All the whiskies were good.
Overall, it was an awesome tour.
The gift shop has free Wi-Fi. It is not very big. They offer bottles and some branded souvenir items for sale.
It was interesting to learn how the attached hamlets housed the distillery employees back in the day. These days many distilleries no longer do this. It was the nearest one of the four stops to Inverness but seemed to be in the middle of no where.
We took a tour of the facility walking through the whiskey process. Pictures are allowed except in two areas the guide will let you know. Guide is very knowledgeable.
The tour included a sample of a legacy 5 year, 12 year, and a mildly peated 9 year old. The peated whiskey is a recent addition to their product line. All the whiskies were good.
Overall, it was an awesome tour.
The gift shop has free Wi-Fi. It is not very big. They offer bottles and some branded souvenir items for sale.
Written 15 October 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thanks for your review Joey. I am glad you enjoyed your visit and your drams.
Thanks on behalf of the entire Visitor Centre Team
Stewart
Written 23 October 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
ArabianPrincessQatar
Doha, Qatar102 contributions
Apr 2022
Easily accessible from Inverness by car, but book in advance! We were disappointed the first day when we turned up and everything was fully booked. Despite our disappointment, Rosemary was kind enough to give us a taste of the whisky and we managed to get a slot on our last day in Scotland, and it was well worth it.
Izzie was our guide and we had only 12 people on our tour (covid restricted numbers) - she showed us the process of making Tomatin and where the barrels are stored etc. The whole time you get the feeling that you really are going behind the scenes and not being taken just to the polished tourist areas. She unlocks doors that are padlocked so that you can go inside where the barrels are kept. At the end we were given 3 sips to try. Those who were driving, were given a minature bottle of Tomatin Legacy to take home with them.
Izzie was our guide and we had only 12 people on our tour (covid restricted numbers) - she showed us the process of making Tomatin and where the barrels are stored etc. The whole time you get the feeling that you really are going behind the scenes and not being taken just to the polished tourist areas. She unlocks doors that are padlocked so that you can go inside where the barrels are kept. At the end we were given 3 sips to try. Those who were driving, were given a minature bottle of Tomatin Legacy to take home with them.
Written 8 May 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
faoilinn
East Calder, UK9 contributions
Mar 2020 • Couples
Not the best distillery visit I've been on. The guide was an South African lady who happens to live in the area. Her knowledge was a bit thin. The distillery itself was not fully in production when we visited and it appears that Tomatin, now owned by a Japanese company, produces dar less whisky now than in the past.
Written 1 March 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
I'm really sorry to hear you weren't entirely satisfied with your tour. We are a working distillery and the result of this is that there are times when we may not be in production. We pride ourselves on our level of access to the distillery facilities, however we are currently having some parts of our roof replaced and this limits access in some places.
I hope you will consider returning to Tomatin in the future for another tour.
Written 3 March 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Mike O
Roanoke, VA1,331 contributions
June 2022
We booked the 75 minute Legacy tour (£12.50) one day in advance. Glad we did, the ten person tour was full and they were turning away walk-ins. We liked the decidedly un-touristy nature of the tour; tight spaces, smelly rooms, and low head-bumping structures. Ken did a terrific job of informing and entertaining; great sense of humor. Afterwards, we tasted three of their products. We appreciated that instead of serving alcohol to the driver, they provided a 50ml sample bottle to take away. Note that the tour does not involve the grain mashing process; that is subcontracted to another company. And, the tour did not include the barreling or bottle filling. By the way, we enjoyed sitting at their picnic tables just outside of the Visitor Center to eat the picnic lunch we brought.
Written 28 June 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hi Mike, thanks for taking your time to write your review. Some people may take offence at their tourist destination being described as having tight spaces and smelly room however we love that aspect of our distillery and I am glad you did as well. We are a real working distillery and we try to offer our guests the real experience rather than a sanitised one. We hope to see you back again one day. Thanks, Martin
Written 27 August 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
94009007
Edinburgh, UK350 contributions
Nov 2022 • Couples
Probably our favourite distillery tour ever. Our guide Ken was superb, very friendly and knowledgeable and we were lucky it was just the two of us on the tour with him. The tasting of three whiskies was great and again Ken made it very interesting and enjoyable. As the driver I just sniffed the whiskies and had a little funnel and labelled miniature bottles to take them away. Great value tour at £12.50 each and the 14 year old port cask finish whisky we bought was really great.
Written 18 November 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hello, thank you for leaving some very kind words regarding our lead guide Ken and I am glad you took a bottle of our 14 year old away with you. Its a perfect drop for over the festive period.
Written 16 January 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Teresa D
Alnwick, UK15 contributions
Jan 2020
Visited the Distillery today at short notice and we were met with excellent warmth and hospitality and taken on a tour by Fiona even though we only visited as a couple - so a nice personal experience.
The wealth of knowledge and experience given by Fiona on the tour was exceptional - a very enjoyable time and one we would highly recommend.
Thank you Fiona
The wealth of knowledge and experience given by Fiona on the tour was exceptional - a very enjoyable time and one we would highly recommend.
Thank you Fiona
Written 29 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hello I'm afraid not, we have translation sheets in Spanish which you can take on the tour with you.
Thanks
TEAM VC
Written 10 October 2019
My wife will be coming along as the "Designated Driver" but has little or no interest in doing a tour. Is there a coffee shop or waiting area where she could read a book and the like whilst waiting for me to complete a tour ?
Written 5 March 2019
Hello, yes in the front there is a sofa where she could sit and read!
Written 5 March 2019
Nous sommes 38 personnes venant de corsica Est il possible de visiter la distillerie lundi 30/10 ???
Written 23 October 2017
No lo sé, debe preguntarle a la destilería! Saludos
Written 23 October 2017
Hello, thank you for getting in touch. We highly recommend all of our visitors to book in advance to guarantee a place on a tour and to avoid waiting any length of time. To book a tour please contact us on 01463 248144 or e-mail us at the address listed on our website and brochures.
Look forward to welcoming you soon, Team Tomatin
Written 24 July 2017
Just wondering what the best way to get from the hotels to the Distillery's if you are staying in Inverness? Is there public transport to get you there?
Written 8 December 2015
Hi there, thanks for your enquiry. From Inverness you can reach Tomatin by taxi easily, or there is a Stagecoach bus (34/34X), and some of the Citylink/Megabuses can stop on their way past. For up to date times and bus information you can phone Inverness Bus Station on 01463 233371. Hope this helps, if you need any further information you can phone or e-mail us. Regards, Louise
Written 21 December 2015
What time are the tours scheduled?
Written 10 January 2015
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