Celebrating a Milestone Birthday with a Whisky Tour of Scotland

“When I thought about my 50th birthday, I knew I wanted to drink scotch in Scotland. When I told some friends about this idea, the number of people who wanted to be included in this party grew past my expertise for planning. 

Emma was the perfect guide for planning this experience for us. Not only is she a detail-oriented traveller herself, but she is also a whisky aficionado, so she was sending us to new places that we hadn’t heard of or tried. 

With 9 people in our group, she got us started early in planning, listened to our ideas and hopes, and helped us balance our dreams and our budget, finding ways for us to be flexible in our travel and allowing us to see more than we expected. She balanced all that we were doing with some rests along the way, and this left us with time each day to either explore more on foot or rest. We had an executive travel coach with the best driver and guide we could have hoped for! Each place we stayed was awash with charm, food and whisky, including one breakfast that served it with the porridge! (Don’t laugh until you try it!)

Our itinerary started in Glasgow, headed out to Islay, stopped in Oban and Pitlochry, and ended in Edinburgh. For our trip, we centered on whisky tasting, but Emma was great at recommending other sights and stops along the way. From McCaig’s Tower to the heart of Glencoe, we explored a whole bunch more than just the water of life. 

Emma’s attention to detail extended from how much luggage we could have to cab reservations for late dinners and everything in between. She helped explain the myriad of “double room” sizes that are in the UK, and gave us a solid understanding of things to expect along the way, such as tipping the driver and the weather. She meticulously looked after us up to and along the way. This even included colluding with my family to have Ardbeg House put candles in my birthday dessert one night while the group sang! 

I highly recommend Emma and Crown & Country travel!”

Nickie W, Seattle, Washington

(all photographs courtesy of client)

At a Glance

The Brief

If you’re a whisky-lover, what could be better than celebrating a milestone birthday with a celebratory journey with family and friends replete with private distillery tours and tastings, fine dining, and plenty of time to rest, reflect, and immerse in the beauty of the Scottish isles and Highlands – and the convivial warmth of Scottish culture?

The Journey

As a fellow single-malt whisky-lover, I was delighted to work with Nickie to create a week-long journey that encompassed a taste of the Isles and the Highlands, pairing some of Scotland’s most iconic distilleries with smaller, lesser-known distilleries (and personal favourites!) most people might overlook. Working closely with Nickie and our carefully selected partners, I arranged a private guide and itinerary for the group featuring eight distilleries on a route from Islay to Edinburgh, all thoughtfully cadenced to balance distillery tours, tastings, and transit with plenty of time and space to bask in a warm Scottish welcome and the peace of its wild landscapes.

Glasgow:  A world-renowned film, arts and music scene, Charles Rennie Mackintosh's iconic architecture, and its own food culture – a first taste of Scottish hospitality and the perfect place for the group to convene.  

Islay: Home to more distilleries than any of the other Scottish isles, including Caol Ila, Laphroaig, Lagavulin, Ardbeg, Bowmore, Bruichladdich and Kilchoman – plus world-class hospitality and fine dining at The Signature Restaurant at Ardbeg House, named The Times and The Sunday Times ‘Best Place to Stay in the UK and Scotland for 2026’ – the perfect location for a milestone birthday dinner quietly planned behind the scenes with Nickie’s family and friends.

Oban: A bustling port town built into the hillside around its busy harbour – an ideal pause between the peace of Islay and the drama of the Highlands with time to shop, explore, climb to McCaig’s Tower for spectacular views, taste the ‘best fish & chips in Oban’ and, of course, enjoy a guided tour and tasting of the Oban distillery right in the middle of town.

Fort William & Ben Nevis: A scenic meander towards Pitlochry via Fort William, the Highland outpost tucked at the foot of Ben Nevis – Scotland’s highest munro and the highest peak in the British Isles. Along the way: the Jacobite Steam train, Eilean Donan castle, and a tour and tasting at the small Ben Nevis Distillery – one of Scotland’s oldest licensed distilleries.

Pitlochry: The ‘gateway to the Highlands’ – a historic market town nestled on the banks of the River Tummel and at the heart of Perthshire history – including the grand Blair Castle, a rich whisky heritage with access to Dalwhinnie, Aberfeldy, Blair Atholl, and Glengoyne distilleries, and casual elegance and fine dining at Fauna, an AA Rosette restaurant celebrating Scotland’s seasonal, locally sourced Highland produce.

Edinburgh: Bookended by a centuries-old castle and an historic Royal palace with an epicentre of art, culture, history and cuisine in between – the perfect place for a grand finale. I joined the group in person for a celebratory last evening dinner at Devil’s Advocate, a hidden gem tucked away down a tiny Old Town close with a menu of distinctly modern Scottish cuisine is paired with an extraordinary list of whiskies and spirits. Away from the table, castle tours, Holyrood Palace, the cathedral, and the city's best pubs and bars (plus an international airport) made the ideal destination point for the journey home, or, for some, onward travel to other European destinations I arranged for them.