The whisky chronicler Alfred Barnard reported to his readers in Harper‘s Magazine: „The Distillery, which was erected in 1830, is beautifully situated, and covers two and a half acres of ground. The old part of the work is built in the farm of a quadrangle, but such important additions have been made to it from time to time during the past nine years that the Distillery has almost lost its identity, and two-thirds of the whole property are of modern construction, and contain all the newest appliances and vessels known in the art of distilling. The new part consists of the Kiln, a Warehouse, Still House, and one of the Granaries. The old part is the Mash House, Spirit Store, and two of the Warehouses. Small steamers, or as they are here called "puffers," come up the loch to within fifty yards of the Granaries. These bring the barley and stores used in the works; and besides this, the cc Hebridean" from Glasgow, a deep sea steamer, calls once a week. The barley is carted up to the Granaries from the boats, which are accessible at low tide, and is lifted to the various floors by old-fashioned hoists. Mr. Alexander Green, the Manager, received us, and directed us over the establishment.

We were admitted through a covered gateway into the quadrangle, and proceeded at once to the Granaries and Malt Barns, which are situated at the right hand corner. They are two in number, and, like the rest of the buildings, are constructed of stone.

One of them, the old building triangular in farm, is 100 feet long, 40 wide, and two stories high, each floor being divided in the centre. No. 2 is a new building, and is 126 feet long by 31 broad; the top floors on bath are used for storing grain, and each possesses a Steep. That in the new Granary IS constructed with cement, 6 feet wide and 4 feet deep, and will wet 400 bush els of barley at one time.

The two Kilns adjoin each other, and are bath connected with the Maltings. The old one is 24 feet by 20 feet; and the new one, which is of handsome elevation, is 28 feet by 25 feet. They are bath floored with wire cloth, and heated by peat in open furnaces. The peats are brought from a moor about a mile distant from the Distillery.

We saw a number of hardy women busy digging and bringing home this fuel, where they stacked it in an open shed, 104 feet long, roofed with corrugated Ir0.n. But to return to the Kilns; bath of them communicate with the Malt Deposit, which is one of the oldest buildings in the Distillery, and is connected with the Mill building by a hopper, which is on the same level as the Malt floor.“

(Alfred Barnard. The Whisky Distilleries of the United Kingdom. London, 1887.)

Dr Samuel Johnson and James Boswell visited Talisker in 1773:

„From Ulinish, our next stage was to Talisker, the house of colonel Macleod, an officer in the Dutch service, who, in this time of universal peace, has for several years been permitted to be absent from his regiment.  Having been bred to physick, he is consequently a scholar, and his lady, by accompanying him in his different places of residence, is become skilful in several languages.  Talisker is the place beyond all that I have seen, from which the gay and the jovial seem utterly excluded; and where the hermit might expect to grow old in meditation, without possibility of disturbance or interruption.  It is situated very near the sea, but upon a coast where no vessel lands but when it is driven by a tempest on the rocks.  Towards the land are lofty hills streaming with waterfalls.  The garden is sheltered by firs or pines, which grow there so prosperously, that some, which the present inhabitant planted, are very high and thick.“

There is a visitor centre, prebooking of tours is essential to avoid disappointment. The quality of the guides is varying, the more general the interest in whisky making the better it is... The guides are not able to meet the needs of the whisky enthusiasts. The tours are very basic and start with a dram without any comment. 

Warehouses are not really visited during the standard tourist tour.

There is a small distillery shop.

Site Operations Manager: Stuart Harrington (2013)

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