Emma Everything you need to know before you visit Glen Moray Distillery
Glen Moray Distillery is on the western outskirts of Elgin and is easily reached from Inverness and Aberdeen. It is clearly signposted and not far from the main road through Elgin, the A96. They also have a great in-house cafe so plan your visit with a lunch stop in mind.
How to get to Glen Moray Distillery
By car
Signposted from the A96 which runs from Inverness to Aberdeen.
By bus
The nearest bus stop is at Braelossie Place. The number 10 bus between Inverness and Aberdeen stops here. From there it’s a 10-minute walk to the distillery.
By train
Elgin Railway Station is served by trains from both Inverness and Aberdeen and it’s a 25 minutes walking distance.
A brief history of Glen Moray Whisky
Starting life as Elgin West Brewery, Glen Moray whisky took over the site, utilising the brewery equipment and commenced spirit making on September 1897. The site was purchased in 1920 by wine and spirits merchant Macdonald & Muir and now Glen Moray is owned by La Martiniquaise, who also own the Cutty Sark and Label 5 blended Scotch whisky brands. The distillery has seen two expansions and can make around 5,500,000 litres annually with another expansion planned to increase production again.
The Elgin Classic Collection was released in 2014 to showcase a range of cask finishes. These include whisky finished in cabernet sauvignon casks, port casks, sherry casks and chardonnay casks. In 2016 the Heritage Collection was launched with 12, 15 and 18-year-old whiskies. In the following years, a 10-year-old fired oak and a 21-year-old were added to the Collection. Recently a Rhum Agricole Cask Finish Project was released, as well as a fully matured Olorosso cask whisky. Click here to read about their Barolo finish.
A look at the tour
Here are some images from our tour to give you an idea of what you’ll see (bearing in mind that it is a working distillery s.
Glen Moray Shop
Entry to the shop and cafe is free. The shop doesn’t just stock whisky, including some of the more unusual bottlings; it also has gin, port, clothing, cufflinks, drinking glasses etc.
Glen Moray Cafe
The cafe is open until 4pm daily with the kitchen closing at 3pm.
Cafe Menu
As you can see there are lots of goodies on offer and in addition for Christmas, they also had mince pie scones and A Plate of Festive-ness, which is a bit like an afternoon tea with sandwiches, sausage roll, cup of soup, pigs in blankets, cakes etc. and all for a mere £10.95 per person. We left full with happy bellies.
Visitor Centre opening hours
October – April
Monday to Friday: 9 am to 5 pm
Saturday and Sunday: Closed
The Visitor Centre closes for two weeks over the Christmas and New Year period.
How to book a tour
To book a tour telephone +44 1343 550900 or use the Contact Us form on the Glen Moray website.
Types of tours available at the distillery
Tour Times: 9.30, 11.30, 13.30 and 15.30
Admission: £7pp (includes an optional complimentary tasting of two whiskies)
Under 18s Tour: Free
Tasting Flights of 3 or 4 whiskies starting from £5 per flight.
Available from the bar between 10:00 and 16:30, can also be booked in conjunction with a tour.
Intermediate Tours
An in-depth tour followed by a tasting of 3 whiskies in the private tasting room in Glen Moray House. £35pp 12:00 Monday and Friday, subject to availability.
The Wine to Whisky Experience
A masterclass presentation tasting Porto Cruz port wine and Henriques & Henriques Madeira wine followed by the Glen Moray whiskies matured in the same casks. Allow approx. 1.5 hours. £50pp.
11:00 Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, subject to availability.
Chocolate and Whisky Experience
A hosted tasting of 4 Glen Moray whiskies paired with fabulous handcrafted chocolates by COCO for a maximum of 10 people. Includes a gift pack of COCO chocolates for each guest. Allow approx. 1 hour. £50pp.
15:00 Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, subject to availability.
The Ambassadors Tour
A tour with Iain Allan, Global Brand Ambassador. An in-depth tour of the site and warehouse followed by a tasting in Glen Moray House. Get to know Glen Moray, the distillery, the brand and the legacy of Iain’s almost 20 years here. £80pp.
Available by appointment only
The Glen Moray House Experience
Immerse yourself in all things Glen Moray in our private tasting room. Learn about our history and our passion for great whiskies as you enjoy a tutored tasting of 6 specially selected drams and freshly prepared tasting platters. This is an intimate and informal session for those looking for a deep dive into Glen Moray. Allow approx. 2 hours.
£80pp Available by appointment only
Where is Glen Moray Distillery
Glen Moray Distillery, Bruceland Road, Elgin, IV30 1YE