Glen Garioch distillery

Glen Garioch distillery stands on the edge of Oldmeldrum in Aberdeenshire’s Garioch valley, a place long known as the Granary of Aberdeenshire. Founded in 1797 by John and Alexander Manson, it is one of Scotland’s oldest whisky distilleries. The site once housed a brewery and tannery, using local barley to make malt whisky. Production stopped in 1968 because of water shortages, but a hidden spring on a nearby farm was found in 1972 and named The Silent Spring. After several closures and changes of ownership, the distillery reopened in 1997 under Morrison Bowmore, now part of Japan’s Suntory group. The distillery’s whiskies include the 12-year-old standard malt, the Founder’s Reserve, and the Virgin Oak expression finished in new American oak casks. Its Vintage releases feature single batches from years such as 1978, 1986 and 1990, each bottled in small numbers. The 15-year-old Renaissance expression highlights sherry-cask maturation. Morrison Bowmore restored the traditional stone buildings and brought back the original floor maltings in the 1990s. Visitors walk through the working stillhouse where copper pot stills shape the new make spirit. The old tun room holds large wooden washbacks still used for fermentation. A quiet courtyard leads to the bonded warehouse where casks age beside The Silent Spring’s water. The shop sells limited-edition bottlings and branded glassware. Beyond the distillery gate, the Garioch valley stretches out, its barley fields recalling the site’s original purpose.