Nestling by the bonnie banks of Loch Lomond this family-owned distillery takes its name and its exquisitely pure water from this most picturesque and celebrated of all Scotland's lochs. Uniquely designed stills enable the distillery to produce a total of eight different single malts. In addition, their new "state of the art" grain stills, the most modern in the land, arguably produce the very best grain whisky in Scotland.

Taste: Loch Lomond Single Highland Malt has a mellow, slightly peaty nose, with a hint of brandy butter. The taste on the palette is sweet, smokey, with hints of finest Madeira wine and has a long, mellow finish, with echoes of a raisany Xmas pudding.

Inchmurrin 10 Year Old Single Highland Malt has subtle, restrained undertones and unique, round-bodied impact and is exceedingly light and pure. Discover its medium sweet, somewhat minty aroma. Then sample the easy, though bubbly effect on the palate that is present alongside the tasteful traces of peat with smoky, fruity floral notes in this unforgettable personality.

Also produced at the distillery is Scotland's only single blended Scotch Whisky (a single blend must be the product of only one distillery) and Scots Earl, full flavoured with a pungent ruggedness, an uncomplicated, likeable character that should never be underestimated.

In 1794, when the distillery was established, Oban was a small fighint village. The distillery is one of the few remaining examples of Georgian architecture applied to the needs of whisky distilling. Oban’s spirit is aged in barrels that have previously held Scotch whisky as opposed to the more usual bourbon casks. Perhaps it’s this fact, allied to the use of two very traditional and elegant stills with slender, swan-like necks that makes Oban’s malt whisky so distinctive. Whisky writer Michael Jackson has described it as tasting like ‘pebbles on the beach’

Taste:A sweet peat and fruity nose with a spicy mouth-filling sweetness and a long drying finish with smoke and some salt.

Campbeltown, on the southern tip of the Kintyre Peninsula, used to be one of Scotland’s most prolific whisky making areas. So much so that Campbeltown whiskies were regarded as being in a class of their own. Springbank, the only survivor, still maintains the ancient traditions to produce some of the most distinctive malt whiskies in Scotland.

Taste: Springbank is two-and-a-half times distilled and made from lightly peated malt. It has an oily, briny character typical of the Campbeltown region, and you can often detect notes of vanilla, coconut and fruits.

Longrow is double distilled and made from heavily peated malt. Smokey, peaty with hints of dried fruits, this really is a heavyweight malt.

Hazelburn has been in production since 1997. Triple distilled from completely unpeated malt this is a lighter style of malt with sweet, fruity and floral aromas.

The ancient town of Doune lies at the very edge of the Highland line. It’s best known for its imposing 14th century castle but is also home to one of Scotland’s most unusual distilleries – Deanston.

Dating back to the late 18th century Deanston is unique in that it was initially built as a cotton mill and not a distillery. It sits on the banks of the River Teith and its pure, exceptionally soft waters are the foundation on which Deanston’s aromatic whisky is built. The stills are also unusual in that they are almost onion-shaped.

As well as producing two fine Single Malts, Deanston is also the home of one of Scotland’s most popular blended whiskies, Scottish Leader, and a delicate, floral whisky liqueur, The Wallace.

Taste: Deanston tends to be light and refreshing with malt characters rather than peat dominating on both the nose and the palate. It is bright and clear to the eye, soft and gentle to the palate and slightly nutty. An excellent choice for a summer’s afternoon!