Tours
Visit the Blair Athol Distillery
Established in 1798, Blair Athol distillery stands at the gateway to the Scottish Highlands in the picturesque town of Pitlochry, Perthshire. To the south, set in open moorland in the foothills of the Grampian mountains, is Blair Athol’s ancient source of water – the Allt Dour.
Closed in 1932, Blair Athol was saved during the depression by Arthur Bell and Sons. In 1949 it was extensively rebuilt, reopened, and has been in production ever since. Tours of the distillery provide a wealth of knowledge and expertise, all of which bring you face-to-face with Blair Athol’s exquisite surroundings and fascinating past.
If you are unable to find a suitable booking time, then please do still visit our retail store and Mash Tun Bar where you will receive a warm welcome. Enjoy a rare dram, cocktail or mocktail handcrafted by our skilled bar staff.
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Plan your visit
Enjoy a smooth visit to Blair Athol
Find all the information you need to book, plan and enjoy a once-in-a-lifetime Blair Athol experience. Advanced booking is highly recommended to avoid disappointment. Tour dates are usually released approx. 6 months in advance – please check back nearer your desired date for availability.
Address: Blair Athol Distillery, Perth Road, Pitlochry, Perthshire, PH16 5LY, UK
Blair Athol distillery is located in Pitlochry, approximately a 1.5-hour drive from Glasgow, Edinburgh & Inverness on the A9. If you are travelling north by road, a slip road will take you into Pitlochry. The distillery is located on the right-hand side as you approach the town centre. If travelling south, we recommend driving through Pitlochry itself where the distillery will then be on the left-hand side as you leave the town centre. Pitlochry has a mainline railway station from which the distillery is a 10–15-minute walk. Bus stops can also be found in the town centre with the bus stopped a mere 5-minute walk from Blair Athol Distillery.
We recommend visiting Traveline Scotland to plan your route and to stay up to date on transport options.
Read more at https://travelinescotland.com/
Opening hours
Please note that during winter the distillery may have to close at short notice due to weather conditions. Please check our Google listing for up-to-date information before you visit us.
October – March | Monday – Sunday | 10:00 – 17:00
April – September | Monday – Sunday | 10:00 – 18:00
Please note that the distillery is in its “silent season” from 11th March – 6th May inclusive. During this time, we’ve adapted our tours and experiences as our production area isn’t accessible to the public. We apologise for any inconvenience caused.
Special Christmas hours apply to the following dates only:
24th & 31st December | 10:00 – 16:00
25th & 26th December & 1st January | Closed
Explore the flavors of Blair Athol and discover your perfect drink, whether you're a loyal whisky lover, a fan of innovative cocktails or an aficionado of non-alcoholic thirst quenchers.
The Blair Athol bar is open to visitors during the following times, subject to distillery availability:
October - March | 10:00 - 16:45 (last orders at 16:30)
April - September | 10:00 - 17:45 (last orders at 17:30)
Please note that all under 18s need to be accompanied by an adult.
Sustainability
At Blair Athol we’re delighted to receive the UK’s highest eco-tourism award in another milestone on the journey to a greener future. The prestigious gold certification from Green Tourism was awarded to both our visitor experience and our distillery for our sustainable practices.
We’re proud of our dedication to recycling across the business, including the recycling of our pot ale syrup for animal feed, which saves 850 tanker movements and 15,000 litres of water per week. Adding to our eco-friendly credentials, Blair Athol distillery was also commended for using old pallets and discarded materials to create wildlife boxes to improve biodiversity for native birds and insects.
Accessibility
We’re pleased to have consulted Euan’s Guide to ensure that we provide disabled access information upfront to give all our visitors the confidence to visit our distillery and enjoy the experience. Please do let us know if you have any specific requirements at the time of your booking and a member of staff will be in touch.
Accessible Parking
We have disabled parking spaces in our main carpark closest to the main entrance. There is a route via a ramp without any steps or obstacles between these spaces and entering the building. There is one obstruction in the courtyard due to our flood gates.
Accessible Areas
Our reception, bar, warehouse viewing gallery and retail area are accessible. Unfortunately, due to the layout of the distillery there are several steps throughout the tour route, including one staircase of 21 steps, and we do not have a lift. The main production building is not currently accessible for wheelchair users. We are happy to provide an alternative experience for those with accessibility requirements where our guides will talk through the production of our whisky with a sensory kit as an alternative to entering the production building. Visitors can then join the tour to visit our warehouse viewing gallery and water source before returning to the mash tun bar area to enjoy our tastings.
Accessible Toilets
An accessible toilet is available within our reception area. Our facilities include red cords, buzzers, easy use sink taps and handrails. Unfortunately, we do not have accessible changing facilities.
Assistance Animals
Assistance dogs are permitted in the distillery and on tours. All other dogs are not.
Well behaved dogs are welcome in our stores and bars. Please ensure that your dog is under control and supervised by a responsible adult at all times.
Dogs must be kept on a short lead and are not allowed to climb on furniture or touch the items in our store.
Please understand that not everyone likes dogs and/or may have an allergy to your pet - please keep a respectful distance from our team and our other visitors.
Dogs are not allowed in any back of house areas. Dogs (except assistance dogs) are not allowed in the distillery or on guided tours.
Due to the size of our bars and stores, we may have to limit the number of dogs allowed at any one time.
We reserve the right to ask you to leave the premises if we have concerns about your dog's behavior or if your dog is disturbing other guests.
Telephone | 01796 482003
Email | blair.athol@malts.com
Events
Stop by for winter cocktails, festive treats, Christmas surprises and 20% off in our distillery stores.
Gift inspiration
The Whisky Gift Card lets your loved ones choose the gift they’d like from our broad range of whiskies and merchandise available at our visitor experiences. Gift cards are available to purchase at the retail area within the distillery.
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