Tobermory Distillery – a Tour, a Dram and Lunch by the Bay
A few hours.
The route
Tobermory Distillery has made whisky at the foot of the harbour since 1798, both the unpeated Tobermory and the smoky Ledaig.
Its hour-long tour takes you past the stills and ends with a tasting of two whiskies. Lunch is next door at MacGochans, a red-walled pub and restaurant looking over the bay. The two are next door to each other at the foot of Main Street.
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 Borradill House in Glenborrodale, 8 miles away. Sleeps 6; next free Sun 15 Nov to Tue 17 Nov.
Then Borradill Cottage, 8 miles away. Sleeps 4; next free Sun 29 Nov to Tue 1 Dec.
Book the Distillery Production Tour on Tobermory Distillery's website for a late-morning time, so lunch at MacGochans follows: an hour, £19.50 a head at the time of writing, no under-12s, and no refunds if you can't come, though they will try to move you.
The day
Tobermory
An hour among the stills and the casks at the south end of Main Street, and lunch next door with the harbour in front of you.
About two and a half hours
Tobermory distillery
A tour
Tobermory Distillery's white visitor centre stands beside the garage at the south end of Main Street, at the end of the harbour. If you come by car, park in the council's free Ledaig car park just behind it. Book the Distillery Production Tour before you go: an hour through the stillhouse and the warehouse, with a tasting of two whiskies, at £19.50 a head at the time of writing. Arrive 10 minutes early and report to the visitor centre. Children under 12 can't go on the tour, though they're welcome in the shop, and dogs may come into the visitor centre only. The floors are uneven in places, so wear sensible shoes. The distillery opens every day, and it's card only.
8 min on foot
MacGochans
Lunch
Lunch is a minute away at MacGochans, the red pub and restaurant next door, with a balcony over the bay and a beer garden. Food is served every day from noon to 9pm all year, from local seafood and Mull beef to soups and sandwiches, and the Tobermory and Ledaig malts are on the back bar. There's no need to book unless you're six or more. Children and dogs are welcome. If it's full, the Mishnish on Main Street, 8 minutes' walk away, serves bar lunches from 12 to 3pm.
If it rains
The tour is under a roof and MacGochans is next door, so a wet day changes nothing.
The Galleon, a restaurant.