Welcome to Bowmore
Visit us to discover why here at Bowmore, we not only believe in the inherent power of time in creating our whiskies, but also its role in shaping our distillery, both in the past and today.
OUR VISITOR CENTRE IS CURRENTLY OPEN WEEKLY FROM TUESDAY TO SATURDAY: 10AM TO 5PM
A wide range of Bowmore Single Malt Whisky is available to choose from, as well as our premium branded gift selection. Our knowledgeable and friendly team are on hand, ready to assist and offer an expert insight into life behind the distillery gates of one of Scotland’s oldest distilleries.
Opening Hours
We are open Tuesday to Saturday 10am to 5pm.
Booking to visit the distillery shop is no longer required, however, please book ahead to avoid disappointment for all experiences.
The Visitor Centre will be closed all day on Thursday the 10th of August due to a local holiday, don’t worry you will still be able to join us for a dram at the Bowmore Tent at the annual Islay, Jura and Colonsay Agricultural Show.
Please note that the Visitor Centre will be closed for staff training between the 24th and 26th of October.
Experiences
Maintenance
Producing the beautifully balanced Bowmore Single Malt is no easy task, and in common with most Scotch whisky distilleries, we cease to produce whisky for a certain period in the year, we call this the Silent Season. This period allows for essential maintenance and improvement works to our production facilities and normally lasts for between 4 to 6 weeks in July and early August.
THE FESTIVE SEASON 2023
We look forward to welcoming you this festive season, but please be advised that our distillery has a silent season in December, during this time production will stop and our access to the distillery will be limited so we will focus on tasting experiences rather than tours of the site. Our whisky tasting bar will be open all throughout December for casual tastings and our distillery shop will be open and brimming with whisky and gift ideas for loved ones...or for a gift to buy just for yourself!
The visitor centre will remain open until December the 23rd, we will then close for our Christmas and New year Holidays and will re-open on the 4th of January.
We look forward to giving you a warm welcome to Bowmore Distillery this winter.
Alcohol and the Law
There is a strict zero tolerance policy for drink-driving in Scotland so please make sure you do not have to drive if you are enjoying a dram at any of our experiences. Islay has a very good bus service which runs throughout the day and there are also several small taxi companies – see here for more information.
If you do need to drive, please let us know and we will provide you with a takeaway bottle to enjoy your dram later in the day.
ACCESSIBILITY NOTE
Please get in touch if you require any information about specific access needs or if you need advice on planning your visit and we will do our best to help. Please note that our whisky bar is accessed by a set of seven steps, there are also some steps on our distillery tour route, please reach out to us ahead of your visit and we will be happy to assist.