For a whisky lover, a trip to Scotland typically involves visiting distilleries scattered across the country. But don’t overlook the chance to visit some truly special whisky bars, both in the cities and the countryside, sometimes with a distillery nearby. The list below provides a look at some of Scotland’s best watering holes, where ambience and quality whisky go hand in hand—regardless of whether you want a simple dram or a hard-to-find pour.

Ardshiel Hotel

Campbeltown

Within walking distance from Campbeltown’s three classic distilleries—Springbank, Glengyle, and Glen Scotia—lies this legendary hotel bar located in an original Victorian-era villa, decorated with blue and white tartan wallpaper and light wood furniture. With a 2,000-bottle rotating collection, it has about 500 whiskies available at a time. Single malts start at £3.50/$5/1.18 oz. which buys you an 8 year old Glenburgie or a 12 year old Aultmore-Glenlivet bottled for Cadenhead’s. Want to try some local single malts? Then ask if their unique private bottlings, such as the lightly peated Springbank 12 year old fresh (first-fill) bourbon (£12.95/$17) or the unpeated Hazelburn 10 year old fresh sherry (£28/$37), are available. You won’t find them elsewhere!

Bertie’s Bar

Braemar

The charming village of Braemar is located in Cairngorms National Park in the Highlands, and is best known as the site of the Braemar Gathering, a Highland Games event. This glamorous and delicately backlit whisky bar with its red velvet chairs is part of an old Victorian stagecoach inn converted into a 5-star boutique hotel. With approximately 500 whiskies arranged according to flavor profiles—almost as if they were books in a library—guests are encouraged to ask the bartenders for advice, as there is no whisky list. Despite the high-end ambience, more than half the whiskies are affordably priced between £12/$16 and £30/$39 for a 0.85 oz. pour. Examples include Torabhaig cask strength (£12/$16) and a vintage blend from Dunhill bottled in the 1980s (£25/$33). If you want to broaden your perspective of Islay whisky, there’s a rare opportunity to try a non-peated Laphroaig bottled in the 1930s (£4000/$5,248).

Bon Accord

Glasgow

If you’re looking for a cozy pub in Scotland’s largest city that offers both incredibly rare whiskies and a constantly changing menu of craft ales, you’ve come to the right place. From its 500-plus whiskies—the menu is available on the Bon Accord Whiskies app— you will be able to treat yourself to classics like Glenlivet 25 year old (£30/$39/1.18 oz.) or the ultra-rare Macallan 72 year old in Lalique (£5000/$6,560). The adventurous whisky drinker must try the Bon Accord Malt (£5/$7), a whisky created in-house from the remnants of nearly finished bottles poured into a 3-liter barrel—an ever-evolving blend. Want to refresh your palate? Then order a Whisky Smash (£7/$9)—a cousin of the Mint Julep—made with premium blended scotch.

The Bow Bar

Edinburgh

Located on a curved cobblestone lane in the city’s Old Town, this traditional pub-style bar with a burgundy-red ceiling and brown wooden panels offers a warm ambience for its 400-plus whiskies, that range from £4.50/$6 to £250/$328 per 1.18 oz. The number of independent bottlers on the menu is vast, with reasonably priced single casks including 27 year old Glenrothes from Lady of the Glen (£32/$42) and an 18 year old Brora from Signatory (£105/$138). Looking for something you won’t find elsewhere? Then opt for one of The Bow Bar’s own single cask collections, like the 22 year old Glen Grant aged in a refill wine barrique (£19/$25), or take a full bottle home for £160/$210.

Highlander Inn

Craigellachie

Located on the ground floor of the hotel of the same name, where Scottish tweed meets Japanese minimalism, the bar offers a warm, relaxed atmosphere where locals, tourists, and whisky always mix. Apart from 300 whiskies on offer, including Aberlour 10 year old (£3.80/$5/0.85 oz.) or the rare Port Ellen Wilson & Morgan 23 year old (£150/$197), Japanese owner Tatsuya Minagawa has his own single casks bottled for the bar, like the Annual Single Cask Release and Maggie’s Collection. Given Minagawa’s close friendship with the legendary Ichiro Akuto, founder of Chichibu Distillery in Japan, there is often a good variety of his craft whisky available. If not on the menu, ask for the current release of the annual Collaboration Collection Chichibu single cask for Highlander Inn (approximately £25/$33). You won’t be disappointed.

Islay Bar at Ballygrant Inn

Islay

With stunning views looking across the Sound of Islay toward the Paps of Jura, this dog-friendly hotel bar, featuring a woodstove and a seating area partly made from an old Bruichladdich washback, offers no less than 1,200 whiskies. Even though all the scotch regions are well represented, the main focus lies on Islay malts, including pours such as Bowmore No.1, start from £3.90/$5 per 1.18 oz. Digging further into the shelves you’ll find vintage gems at affordable prices, like Ardbeg 17 year old (£30/$39), Laphroaig 30 year old distilled in 1985 (£63/$83) or Caol Ila 40 year old The Kinship Edition 2 (£190/$249). Located in the northeast of Islay, it’s far from some of the most famous Islay names but still near some important ones, like Caol Ila, Ardnahoe, and Bunnahabhain, in a tranquil, quiet rural setting.

The Keys Bar

St. Andrews

On bustling Market Street in the heart of the birthplace of golf, this well-known watering hole has been around since 1858 and is a great place to take refuge. With 300 whiskies to choose from—predominantly scotch single malts—prices vary between £3.80/$5 and £50/$66 per 0.85 oz. Fancy a flight on a bespoke wooden tray? There are 11 options available, including Brief Journey, a flight of Aberfeldy, Highland Park, and Bowmore 12 year olds (£35/$46). Even if not on the menu, there are usually a few bottles of the sought-after Fife-based Daftmill on the shelf as well, priced between £15/$20-£18/$24 a pour. Dominoes and darts nights are a regular feature here.

The Mash Tun

Aberlour

A stone’s throw from the River Spey in the heart of Aberlour, this classic whisky bar with five en-suite hotel rooms is situated in a stone house built in the late 19th century, originally designed by a marine architect to resemble the shape of a small ship. The 300 bottles are prominently displayed on the backbar and in glass cabinets surrounding wooden tables and brown leather chairs. Recently, an outdoor deck was added where cigars can be paired with a dram—the bar offers C.Gars Orchant Seleccion Cigar Malt whisky (an undisclosed Highland single malt) (£6,50/$9/1.18 oz.). If you fancy a nip from your birth year, there’s a rare opportunity to try the Glenfarclas Family Cask Collection, spanning 57 different single cask whiskies from 1952 to 2008 (£32/$42-£1500/$1968).

Quaich Bar Craigellachie Hotel

Craigellachie

Located on the second floor of the hotel and overlooking the River Spey, this famed 19th-century bar takes you back in time with a Victorian-inspired interior featuring green velvet sofas and red leather chairs. The elegant underlit wooden shelving on the backbar and around the room holds over 800 single malts from all over the world, including a range of limited pours like the bar’s bottling of Glenfarclas 21 year old (£20/$26/0.85 oz.), Pictish Beastie Volume II, a blend of Deanston and Cameronbridge whiskies (£7/$9), and Glen Mhor 1965 (£115/$151). The very knowledgeable staff can create bespoke whisky flights and craft a few classic whisky cocktails, like a Boulevardier made with the bar’s own Copperdog blended malt (£11/$14). Located right across the river from Macallan Distillery, and within a few miles of Aberlour, Balvenie, Glenfiddich, GlenAllachie, and many distilleries not much further off, this is an ideal stop after a tour.

Whisky Bar at Dornoch Castle Hotel

Dornoch

Ever dreamt of sipping whisky in a 15th century Scottish castle? Then wake up, because here you can sit down on a black leather armchair facing a giant fireplace and explore a superb selection of 350 whiskies. Prices are reasonable, with bargains like Strathisla 10 year old bottled in the 1960s (£25/$33/0.85 oz.) or Old Rarity blended circa 1910 (£30/$39). If you’re looking for a truly local whisky, brothers Phil and Simon Thompson, who established the bar, make their own single malt in a former fire station from the 19th century on the grounds of Dornoch Castle. Currently available is Dornoch 6 year old first-fill bourbon octave (cask 106) distilled in 2018 (£12/$16).