Distillery tours

@smokeybarrels, If I told my wife that I was taking her to Italy I should think that I damn well better take her to Italy! Now, it would be just fine to add some time onto the trip for the distillerly run...AFTER she has gotten her Italian on...

@smokeybarrels Really? Who's trip is this anyway? Believe me, I would love to visit distilleries in Scotland, but the shock of being told we were going to Scotland instead of Italy after I had packed for Italy and was anticipating all that great food, well, it might just be too much. It might drive me to drink..and I mean DRINK, not just sip.

@smokeybarrels I'm guessing that Scotland will be a nice surprise though right? As in she'll prefer that to Italy?

Otherwise maybe your cover story could have involved a less glamorous place, like Bognor Regis?

I've been to the Lake Como area in Italy and even wrote a book about it (markdermul.be/naboo). You might wish to take your woman there first and then ask her to visit Scotland next. She'll probably even pay for it! Having said that - is she into whisky at all? If not, you are in for an ugly surprise, mate! As for Highlands (have not yet been to the Islands), I enjoyed Dalwhinnie and Glenturret, but found Edradour to be somewhat... errr... lacking in hospitality. Maybe they just had an off day, though...

@markjedi1, Lago di Como...AAAAaaaaaahhhhhhhhh!

LOL you're my new idol @smokeybarrels! anyway, if you show up in sicily let me know, I will be glad to show you around...

@markjedi1 you are so right about Lake Como...it makes women swoon. Trust me, gentlemen, @markjedi1 is right on this one, I already enjoy whisky and want to visit distillaries in Scotland, and a little trip to Lake Como before traveling to Scotland, ooh, baby, I'm yours. Excellent recommended approach.

@markjedi1 I really enjoyed the video of your trip to Lake Como. Brought back fond memories ;-).

Enter your reply hereMark, sorry to hear you didn't have a good experience at Edradour. My wife and and I had an awesome tour on our first trip to Scotland in 2007. Our tour guide was an older lady and she was an absolute hoot. As for Islay suggestions, on our most recent trip last September, we went to 26 distilleries, but did not actually take the tour at all of them. Some of the highlights were Laphroaig (best tour by far) and Bruichladdich (spent the night at the distillery and filled my own bottle). Recommend lunch at the Ardbeg cafe. For the highlands, Glenmorangie is a great stop and it's not far if you want to visit Clynelish. I have only been on one tour that I was completely disappointed in (Macallan). It was the most expensive tour (9 pounds), but it was the inexperience of the tour guide that really surprised me. I guess I was expecting more from Macallan. Who knows, like Mark's experience, maybe they just had an off day. Hope you have a great experience wherever you decide to go and hope your wife is as patient and understanding as mine is with me.

@Dramlette You obviously don't think this is a good career move if I want to stay married for long? Given the fact that you are clearly a whisky lover and my wife hates the stuff this does not bode at all well! I possibly should have thought of that- Maybe I'll have to take her to Florence after all and save Bonnie Scotland for another time. Thanks for the timely intervention :)

@bwmccoy thanks for your distillery tour advice. Glenmorangie and Clynelish are definitely at the top of the list. Yes i hope she is as well!! Cheers..

@Victor Yeah I'm starting to think the surprise would not be a gratefully received one, maybe i better play it safe as you suggested and do it as well as rather than instead of!

That's community marriage counselling right there.

@lucadanna1985 thanks for that! I may take you up on that one day. Cheers..

Work up some "credits" by taking her to Italy, buy her that designer handbag she's had her eye on, then ride the wave and break the news that you're taking a second holiday to Scotland for a whisky pilgrimage with your buddies. Job done.

@LeFrog sounds like excellent marital advice- expensive, but probably not as expensive as divorce!

@markjedi1 Fantastic presentation- do you think if I told her it was Loch Como, and in Speyside, she would buy it??!!

@Jean-Luc Ha Ha! I knew Whisky had the answers to all life's problems and that just goes to prove it...

@smokeybarrels Mine did! :)

Recommended distillery tours? If you are not driving (there is a regular bus service that passes the distillery) I STRONGLY recommend Glenkinchie, loads of free whisky after the tour. The tour guide leads you to the bar and pours whisky from most of Diageos distilleries.

Forget Edradour, it's a ripoff.

Raymond Armstrong at Bladnoch was a great host. Do your tour offpeak and phone ahead, explain it's a treat for the wife and most distilleries will pull out all the stops.