Islay has eleven working distilleries in 2026, the most of any Scottish island. Nine of them welcome visitors with regular tours: Laphroaig, Lagavulin and Ardbeg on the south coast, Bowmore in the middle of the island, Bruichladdich and Kilchoman in the west, and Caol Ila, Bunnahabhain and Ardnahoe in the north-east. Port Ellen opens by appointment only. Book the south-coast tours weeks ahead in summer, and plan who drives before the first dram.
How many distilleries are on Islay?
The Scotch Whisky Association lists eleven operating distilleries on Islay in September 2026. Many guides still say ten, but two have joined in the last three years. Port Ellen, closed since the 1980s, reopened in March 2024. Laggan Bay, beside the airport, filled its first cask in April 2026. A twelfth, Portintruan, is still being built.
For an island about 40 km long and 24 km wide, that is a remarkable density. In practice, however, the distilleries fall into four groups, each within half an hour's drive of Bowmore, and a group is a comfortable day.
| Distillery | Where | Visitors |
|---|---|---|
| Laphroaig | South coast, a mile from Port Ellen | Tours |
| Lagavulin | South coast | Tours |
| Ardbeg | South coast | Tours, weekdays outside summer |
| Port Ellen | Port Ellen | By appointment only |
| Bowmore | Bowmore, on Loch Indaal | Tours, closed Sundays |
| Bruichladdich | West shore of Loch Indaal | Tours |
| Kilchoman | The Rhinns, near Machir Bay | Tours, closed Fridays and Saturdays |
| Caol Ila | Near Port Askaig | Tours, closed Fridays and Saturdays |
| Bunnahabhain | North-east coast | Tours |
| Ardnahoe | North-east coast | Tours, Tuesday to Saturday |
| Laggan Bay | By the airport | No regular visits yet |
The south coast: Laphroaig, Lagavulin and Ardbeg
The three most famous Islay distilleries stand on one stretch of the Kildalton shore, east of Port Ellen: Laphroaig a little over a mile out, Lagavulin about two miles, Ardbeg a little over three. All three make heavily peated malts, and for many visitors they are the reason to cross the water.
A tarmac path, the Three Distilleries Pathway, links them, and buses run back from Ardbeg. Walking it is the simplest way to taste all three without a driver. Lagavulin's classic tour costs from £22 and lasts an hour and a half; Ardbeg's classic experience is from £22.50. Both sell out in summer, so we book them before you travel.
When they close
Outside summer, Ardbeg runs its tours Monday to Friday, and Lagavulin closes on Sundays from November to February. Laphroaig opens on weekdays only in December. In addition, every distillery stops for a silent season once a year: at Laphroaig in 2026 it ran from 8 July to 13 September. Tours go on, but the stills are quiet.
Port Ellen, in the village itself, is a different visit: by appointment only, with experiences from £250.
Bowmore and the west: Bruichladdich and Kilchoman
Bowmore, founded in 1779, is the oldest distillery on the island and stands in the town of the same name, on the shore of Loch Indaal. It closes on Sundays and is not distilling for the rest of 2026, although its tours carry on. If you stay in Bowmore, it is the one distillery you can walk to.
Across the loch, Bruichladdich makes three very different spirits: an unpeated Bruichladdich, the peated Port Charlotte and Octomore, among the most heavily peated whiskies made. Its guided tour starts at £15 for about 90 minutes, and drivers are given samples to take away.
Further west, Kilchoman is a farm distillery opened in 2005. It grows some of its own barley on the fields around the still house, and Machir Bay, a long Atlantic beach, is below it. Note the days, though: Kilchoman closes on Fridays and Saturdays.
The north-east: Caol Ila, Bunnahabhain and Ardnahoe
The north-east is the quieter side of the island, and the one most visitors skip. That is a mistake, because the three distilleries here face the Paps of Jura across the Sound of Islay, and the road down to each one is half the visit.
Caol Ila, built in 1846 a mile from the Port Askaig ferry, has a tour from £21 and closes on Fridays and Saturdays. Bunnahabhain, at the end of a single-track road, is known for mostly unpeated malts. Ardnahoe, the newest of the three, opened to visitors in 2019 and runs tours from Tuesday to Saturday.
Which Islay distilleries to book
Three distilleries a day is plenty, and three days on Islay is the length we recommend. So, with three days, we plan one group each day: the south coast first, the west and Bowmore the next, and the north-east, or a distillery by appointment, on the last.
The south-coast day is the one to protect. It has the most famous tours, the most tasting and the least need for a car, so it is the day we give to a local chauffeur, or to the path on foot.
That is how our Whisky Route spends its three nights on Islay. If nobody in your party wants to drive at all, the same distilleries work as a private guided tour, with a driver-guide for the whole trip.
On your own, you handle
- Booking each tour, weeks ahead in summer
- Checking which days each one closes
- Who drives, and the ferry both ways
On our Whisky Route, we handle
- The tours, booked around their opening days
- A chauffeur on the south-coast day
- The ferry for you and the car
Getting to Islay and around the island
The CalMac ferry leaves from Kennacraig, on the Kintyre peninsula, and crosses to Port Askaig in 1 hour 55 minutes. Port Ellen terminal closed in June 2026 for rebuilding, with reopening expected in 2029, so every sailing now uses Port Askaig. There is no shuttle bus between the two ports. Book the car on the ferry as early as you book your rooms.
Loganair also flies from Glasgow to Islay, twice a day each way in the current timetable, which is quicker but leaves you without a car unless you hire one on the island.
On the road, remember that Scotland's drink-drive limit is 50 mg of alcohol per 100 ml of blood, lower than in England and Wales. Many distilleries hand drivers a sample to take away; Lagavulin and Bruichladdich say so on every tour. Our guide to driving in Scotland covers the rest.
Finally, the island's festival, Fèis Ìle, runs from 28 May to 6 June in 2027. Each distillery holds an open day, and rooms on the island fill very early.
