Like the fine wines of the world, the single malt whiskies of Scotland are grouped by region. Traditionally there were four whiskey distilling regions; these regions have more to do with old regulations and taxation systems than anything else.
The four main Whiskey Regions of Scotland are Campbeltown, Islay, Lowlands and the Highlands. Speyside and the Islands are generally accepted as sub-divisions of the Highlands region. Each of these individual regional groups does to some extent produce many whiskies which are similar in their broad basic flavors, although there are certainly a few exceptions.
Whiskey regional characteristics are not quite as clear cut as with wines. You will find that many whiskies from the same region have similar characteristics in taste and style, but this is more of a guideline rather than a set rule. The final flavor of a whiskey is determined more by the equipment used and the methods used to produce each whisky rather than by the geographical location of where the whisky is produced.
