Port Charlotte distillery

Port Charlotte distillery stands in the small village of Port Charlotte on Islay, off Scotland’s west coast. Built in 1829, it was once a working single malt Scotch whisky distillery. The site is three kilometres southwest of Bruichladdich distillery, close to Loch Indaal. It has also been known as Rhins distillery and Lochindaal distillery over the years. The buildings remain, though the distillery itself has been closed since 1921. The distillery’s history is marked by repeated changes of ownership and brief spells of operation. Founders Colin Campbell ran it first, followed by McLennan & Grant and then George McLennan, who went bankrupt in 1835. Hector Henderson and James Lamont took charge until their firm failed in 1852. A serious fire in 1861 destroyed the kiln and twenty bushels of malt, but villagers stopped the flames from spreading. In 1864 an Inland Revenue officer stationed there was found drowned in Laggan Bay. Today the buildings house whisky maturation for the revived Port Charlotte brand. Whiskies like Port Charlotte Scottish Barley at 50% ABV and the heavily peated PC 11 at 59.8% ABV are aged in oak casks on site. The warehouses sit beside the quiet village, a reminder of the distillery’s past and its modern role in whisky production.