Knockando distillery

Knockando distillery stands beside the quiet village of Knockando in Moray, on the edge of Strathspey’s whisky country. Its name comes from the Gaelic Cnoc Cheannachd, the ‘Hill of Commerce’, and the site sits among woods where red squirrels dart and roe deer graze. A handful of cottages and the larger Knockando House share the village green, giving the place a small, settled feel. The distillery itself is a low, white-walled building with a quiet presence among tall trees. Buzzards circle overhead, adding a sense of open space to the scene. The distillery is worth the journey for its place in whisky history. Built in 1898 by John Tytler Thomson, it was the first in Scotland to use electric lighting. In 1905 it gained its own siding on the Great North of Scotland Railway, linking it to towns across the north-east. The workers’ cottages and the customs officer’s house still stand nearby, showing how the distillery shaped the village. Ownership passed from W & A Gilbey to International Distillers and Vintners, then to Grand Metropolitan and finally to Diageo in 1997. Its casks once flavoured the J&B Ultima blend, marking the quincentenary of Scotch whisky. Visitors find a working malt whisky distillery with a working warehouse full of casks. The old Dalbeallie Station, now Tamdhu station, sits close by and forms part of the Speyside Way long-distance path. The station buildings host distillery meetings, linking past and present. Beyond the stillhouse, the woods and fields stretch out, offering glimpses of wildlife against a backdrop of rolling hills. The atmosphere is calm, with the steady rhythm of production blending into the landscape.