Royal Brackla

Royal Brackla is a Highland single malt Scotch whisky distillery on the Cawdor Estate near Nairn. It stands beside the Cawdor Burn, which has supplied its water since 1812. The distillery was built by Captain William Fraser on land belonging to Cawdor Castle. In 1833 it became the first whisky distillery to receive a royal warrant from King William IV. Queen Victoria renewed the warrant in 1838, giving the distillery its ‘Royal’ title. The distillery’s long history is marked by royal favour and technical change. It passed through several owners, including William Fraser & Co and Robert Fraser & Co, before becoming part of the Distillers Company in the 1940s. Wartime restrictions closed the site from 1943 to 1945, when an airfield was built beside it. After reopening in 1966 with modernised stills, it closed again in 1985 and reopened in 1991 under John Dewar & Sons, now a Bacardi subsidiary. Visitors find a working distillery with traditional stills and modern equipment. The four stills produce a light spirit through slow distillation and long fermentation. Warehouses hold oak casks where the whisky matures beside Cawdor Burn. The surrounding estate, once home to Cawdor Castle, offers quiet walks and views of the Highlands.