Teaninich distillery

Teaninich is a Highland single malt Scotch whisky distillery in Alness, set on the Cromarty Firth near the ruined Teaninich Castle. Founded in 1817 by Hugh Munro, the site began with modest output before expanding rapidly. By 1830 production had risen thirtyfold despite early barley shortages caused by demand from illegal distilleries. Lieutenant-General John Munro took over in 1830, then leased the distillery to Robert Pattison in 1850 while he served in India. The lease passed to John McGilchrist Ross in 1869 and later to Robert Innes Cameron in 1898, who invested £10,000 to modernise the works. The distillery has changed hands several times, passing to The Distillers Company in 1933 and surviving wartime barley shortages between 1939 and 1946. A major expansion in 1970 added six new stills alongside the original four, and a dark grains plant was built in 1975 to convert draff into cattle feed. Production paused again in the 1980s when both old and new sides were mothballed, but resumed in 1991 after Diageo’s formation. A unique mash filter press was installed in 2000, the only one of its kind in Scotland. Visitors see a working distillery with modern stills and a mash filter press that sets it apart from other malt sites. The older stills and demolished sections are gone, replaced by newer facilities. The distillery mainly supplies malt for blends such as Johnnie Walker Red Label, though a 10-year-old single malt has appeared in the Flora & Fauna series since 1992. Plans for a separate new distillery with sixteen additional stills sit nearby, promising further changes to the complex.