When on the Best of Ireland in 14 Days Tour would there be time to visit the world's oldest licensed distillery, Bushmills, in the town of Bushmills Northern Ireland? It is less than 6 miles from the town of Portrush, which is where the accommodations are after day 11.
Posted by
Colorado Mountains, USA
7380 posts
We didn’t have time. We pulled into the parking lot, and a big family in a motor home had arrived just ahead of us. The distillery said there wasn’t room on the tour for the two of us to join the family, so they were getting a private group tour. If we wanted to wait, we could go on the next tour, in the afternoon.
Uh, no thanks. We were headed towards Belfast, and weren’t waiting in their parking lot with our picnic lunch for them to let us on a tour. This was in late September, after high tourist season. Perhaps the family was a big bunch of whiskey drinkers, and they were taking care of their best customers. Bushmills town and our B&B was nice, but the distillery, old as it may have been, didn’t leave a wonderful impression.
Posted by
Bend, OR
770 posts
You might want to check with the RS tour office. We visited Bushmills as part of our RS 14 day Ireland tour.
Posted by
OP
2 posts
Thanks margie, I'll check with the tour office. Would you say it was a worthwhile tour? Like Cyn we will be there in late September, but I am hoping to buy advance tickets if I know it's doable.
Posted by
247 posts
In 2019 it was part of our RS 14 day Best of Ireland tour. (Day 12) Has that changed?
If it's not on the tour, it's certainly an interesting distillery worth seeing. I'm not a drinker at all, but enjoyed the experience. Definitely get advanced reservations, as I recall even with our group having a reservation, they had to split us up and turn some other people away who didn't have a reservation.
If you have a half day free in Portrush and can get transportation/uber/cab to Bushmill's, and it's something that interests you, I'd definitely go. It's not a long tour or anything. Maybe 1-1/2 hrs or so needed to spend there, if I'm recalling correctly.
Posted by
Mid-Atlantic area
6572 posts
We enjoyed the distillery tour and we don’t care for whiskey. When we went we just made the last tour of the day so it wasn’t very crowded. Since I was driving, my wife got both my and her samples.
Posted by
Minneapolis, MN, US
23 posts
My tour, leaving April 21 does not mention this as part of the itinerary, and mentions arriving in Portrush later in the day.
Posted by
Olympia, WA, USA
6527 posts
I was on this tour in 2022 and the distillery was no longer part of it. We made a stop in Bushmills town for lunch on our own. I don't remember how long it was, long enough for lunch and a little exploring, but probably not for the distillery tour. Google Maps tells me the distillery is about a ten-minute walk south from the center of town, and the distillery website says the shortest tour is an hour. So I doubt if this will work for you.
The last tour of the day next month is at 3:30. As I recall we hadn't reached Portrush by that time. So, again, it doesn't look like a realistic option from there either.