Dalmore distillery

Dalmore distillery stands beside the Cromarty Firth near Alness in the Highlands, looking across to the Black Isle. Its buildings overlook the river Averon, which rises in Loch Morie high in the Northern Highlands. The site has been a whisky maker since 1839, when Alexander Matheson founded the distillery. In 1867 the Mackenzie brothers took over and introduced the 12-pointed Royal Stag emblem still used today. The distillery remained in family hands until 1960, when Whyte & Mackay bought control.

The water from the Averon gives Dalmore its smooth, floral Highland malt character. The stillhouse uses four wash stills, three holding 13 000 litres and one twice that size. Spirit stills have water-cooled necks and external horizontal condensers fed by a burn outside. Master distiller Richard Paterson selects sherry casks from Gonzalez Byass for part of the maturation. The range now includes 12-, 15-, 18- and 25-year-old expressions plus limited editions.

Visitors find the working distillery beside the firth with views of the Black Isle. Inside, the stillhouse shows the flat-topped stills and unusual condensers. The maturation warehouse holds American white oak bourbon casks alongside Paterson’s sherry casks. Bottles from the 62-year-old release to the Trinitas and Paterson Collection stand in the visitor area. The riverbank path offers a quiet walk beside the firth.