Travelling to Scotland and not planning some whisky-related shopping would be criminal. Your wallet might thank you later, but your whisky-geek conscience would not. Look online and you will find loads of suggestions on where to shop. I had compiled a list, but my success rate was very mixed. So, before getting back to my usual program, I want to share my top whisky shopping picks in the west of Scotland after my recent trip. This is by no means an exhaustive or systematic review of all the shops in the area. These are simply three shops among a dozen I visited, which I would go back to in a heartbeat if I could. If I missed your favourites please let me know in your comments below, I am always happy to receive a good tip!
A couple of considerations before I start. Small independent shops are not where you should look for the lowest prices. These brick-and-mortar stores have higher overheads than online-only retailers. What you get for that little extra, besides knowing you are supporting businesses that love whisky just as much as we do, is great, enthusiastic and knowledgeable staff and access to curated selections of special bottles which might be harder to find, especially outside the UK.
Having cleared that up let’s go to my three top picks on where to go whisky shopping in the west of Scotland
The Good Spirit Company
Let’s start with the largest city in Scotland, and the one many whisky lovers will travel to by plane if visiting the west of Scotland. Glasgow was my home for 11 years and a place I still love and miss. So let’s start with the best whisky shop in town: The Good Spirits Company.
When I lived in the city, this was always my first choice. I even did my WSET level 3 course here. I will admit I might have a bit of a positive bias, but so many other whisky lovers agree with me, so there must be some truth. The selection, while not huge, is always full of interesting gems. It changes regularly as new releases come to the market. At the same time, there is a core of selected bottles representing some of the best-value whiskies in Scotland. And if you are a fan of the new wave of Blended Scotch, you have hit the jackpot here.
What makes this shop even more special is the staff. There is no pretence or snobbery here. They know their stuff and will make you feel right at home. If you ask for help, they will take their time to guide you, and maybe even offer a sip or two to try. You never know what whisky delights you might discover…
And last but not least, they are dog-friendly, as documented by my dog “modelling” for their Instagram account
Oban Whisky and Fine wines
If you visit the West coast of Scotland, there is a significant chance you will spend some time in Oban. After all about 70,000 tourists do so each year, either to visit the town itself or on the way to the islands. And while the Oban distillery might be your main whisky “must-see” spot, skipping this shop would be a mistake. While the slightly old-fashioned feel might give off premium overpriced whisky vibes, the opposite is true.
This is a real whisky-lover shop, with an impressive selection of bottles across the board, from more recognisable brands to whisky-geek gems. And, if Oban is your jam, there is a decent selection of special editions available. What impressed me even more was the level of service. I came ina and bought an IB bottle I had been looking for, but I desperately wanted to grab a just-released Ardnamurchan Sauternes cask. Since the shipment to the shop had been delayed (and unfortunately shipping alcohol to Italy is not an option), they went out of their way to suggest a few other shops I might want to try on my drive back to Glasgow, which led me to the next stop.
Tyndrum whisky
What’s the least likely place to find a great whisky shop? If you answered a petrol station, pat yourself on the back! Tyndrum Whisky sits inside the Green Welly stop a petrol station plus restaurant which you will inevitably pass by if travelling between the central belt (the area between Glasgow and Edinburgh, should you be wondering) and Oban.
Most people stop here for the restaurant. Some for the gift shop and petrol. But wander past the gift shop towards the back and you will find a small but incredibly well-stocked whisky shop, with friendly and knowledgeable staff. Their selection of Independent Bottlers and whisky-geek approved selection was impressive. They also have an online shop which ships to many countries around the world… though not Italy thanks to the idiotic taxation rules we have. Bonus point for me, this is where I finally managed to get my hand with the Ardnamurchan Sauternes cask, which I had been chasing throughout my vacation in Scotland, and grab another great Watt whisky selection, which hopefully one day will have wider distribution.
Before closing there are a couple of honorable west of Scotland whisky shopping mentions:
Loch Fyne Whiskies
Main St E,
Inveraray PA32 8UD
A shop with a good selection and some very interesting IBs and shop exclusives. I cannot judge this fairly as it was overrun by tourists when I visited and the staff was understandably overwhelmed. They also run a pretty well-known online shop. Just do not expect to find everything advertised online in the shop.
West Coast Whisky
830, Harbour St,
Tarbert PA29 6UB
The small town of Tarbert is on the way to the Kennacraig Islay ferry coming from the east. This is a small shop worth a visit if you are an Ardbeg, Glen Scotia, Bruichladdich and (if you stop on the right day) Springbank collector. They have regular releases and several older special editions for all of these brands available – expect to pay close to auction prices for the limited editions. On the other hand, if you collect these whiskies, that might be beside the point.
I hope you found these suggestions useful and if you feel I missed your favourites, I would appreciate if you could drop a comment below.
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