Deanston by Bus – A Distillery Tour and Lunch
A few hours, from Stirling bus station and back.
The route
Deanston makes its whisky in a cotton mill of the 1820s on the banks of the River Teith, near Doune, and its tour ends with a tasting of its single malts.
The 59 bus from Stirling stops at the visitor centre door, so nobody has to drive and everyone can enjoy their drams. Lunch is at the distillery's own Coffee Bothy before the bus home.
Before you go
Book accommodation nearby
If you are staying over: here are ours nearest where the day starts and ends.
The nearest of ours is Cromlix, 8 miles away.
Book the Deanston Distillery tour
Book the 45-minute distillery tour on Deanston's website for late morning, Tuesday to Sunday so the Coffee Bothy is open for lunch afterwards, from £19.50 with two drams or £25 with three at the time of writing.
The day
Deanston
It's a half day out of town on the bus, with a tour of a working distillery and a tasting at the end of it. Then lunch by the river before the ride home.
About four hours
Deanston Distillery
An attraction
Take the 59 from Stirling bus station, beside the railway station, towards Callander: it stops right outside the distillery's visitor centre, and it runs about hourly. On weekdays the 59 back to Stirling leaves the distillery stop at about 3.27, 4.27, 5.27, 6.31, 7.21 and 9.16pm; Sunday buses are fewer, so check the timetable before you set off. The distillery tour takes about 45 minutes and ends in the tasting room, from £19.50 with two drams or £25 with three at the time of writing. Wear fully enclosed shoes, or you can't go on the tour, and expect plenty of stairs in the old building. Under-18s must be with an adult and young children can't join the production tour, so check the age when you book.
The Coffee Bothy
Lunch
Lunch is in the Coffee Bothy at the visitor centre, where the tour ends, with the River Teith running past outside. It serves soup and light dishes from Tuesday to Sunday, 10am to 3pm, and it's shut on Mondays. There is no booking. Children are welcome, but dogs may come into the visitor centre only, not the café. Ask ahead about step-free access. Then the 59 takes you back to Stirling.
If it rains
The tour and the Coffee Bothy are both indoors; only the bus stop is out in the weather.
Where to stay