Our final destination on this daylong tour was the Isle of Skye, off the west coast of Scotland. On our way, we saw pilot whales in Loch Sligachan and we stopped nearby for photos. The Isle of Skye is home to the Cuillins, a mountain range that is known for hiking.

We visited Talisker Distillery. The scotch produced there is significantly peatier than other varieties we tried. The flavor comes from the burning peat used to dry the barley. Fun fact: to be called scotch, it must be produced in Scotland, be made using only water, barley, and yeast, and mature in oak casks for at least 3 years. The oak casks often come from American whiskey distilleries.