Strathmill

Strathmill distillery stands in Keith, a town in Moray known as the heart of Malt Whisky Country. It is one of three distilleries in Keith, alongside Strathisla and Glen Keith. Unlike its neighbours, which belong to Chivas, Strathmill is owned by Diageo. The distillery mainly produces malt whisky for blends such as J&B. Its site originally housed a corn mill established in 1823 by A. G. Johnstone. The distillery’s history reflects the whisky industry’s boom between 1890 and 1899. It was converted from a corn mill to a distillery in 1891. In 1895, gin producers W. & A. Gilbey bought the site and renamed it Strathmill, meaning ‘shallow valley mill’ in Gaelic. The name change marked its shift from grain milling to whisky production. In 1962, International Distillers & Vintners acquired Strathmill to supply malt for J&B blends. By 1998, it became part of Diageo’s spirits division. Visitors find a working distillery with traditional features. It has two wash stills and two spirit stills, along with seven warehouses on site. Five of these are traditional dunnage warehouses, while two are racked. The distillery produces up to 1.8 million litres of pure alcohol each year. Most of its malt whisky goes into J&B blends. The site retains some of its original mill buildings, offering a glimpse into its past.