Oban distillery

Oban distillery stands on the edge of the Scottish west coast port of Oban, where the town grew up around its craggy harbour. Founded in 1794 by the Stevenson brothers, it is one of the smallest distilleries in Scotland with only two pot stills. The whisky produced here is known for its distinctive ‘West Highland’ flavour, lying between the dry smoke of island malts and the lighter sweetness of Highland malts. Diageo now owns the distillery, which has passed through several owners since the 19th century. Major events in its history include a rebuild by Walter Higgin in the 1880s and a new still house in the early 1970s. The distillery’s most famous bottling is the 14-year-old single malt, part of Diageo’s Classic Malts Selection launched in 1988. Other expressions include a Distiller’s Edition finished in Montilla Fino sherry casks and a rare 32-year-old edition limited to 6,000 bottles. In 2014 an NAS bottling called Oban Little Bay was introduced, followed in 2023 by the 11-year-old Special Release The Soul of Calypso, matured in Caribbean rum casks. Visitors find a working distillery with a visitors’ centre installed in 1989. The site includes the still house, warehouses and a tasting room where the whiskies can be sampled. The distillery overlooks the busy harbour and the surrounding hills of Argyll and Bute. Guided tours explain the traditional methods still used in production. The atmosphere combines industrial heritage with the maritime setting of the west coast.