Glen Scotia distillery

Glen Scotia is a single malt Scotch whisky distillery in Campbeltown, a small town on the Kintyre Peninsula on Scotland’s west coast. Founded in 1832, it is one of only three distilleries still operating in Campbeltown, once known as the ‘Wee Toon’ and the Victorian Whisky Capital of the World. At its peak in the 19th century the town had 21 distilleries and Scotland had 129. The distillery still uses original equipment from the 1830s, including the mash tun, stillroom and dunnage warehouse. The distillery has changed hands several times, from Stewart & Galbraith to Duncan MacCallum, then Bloch Brothers, Hiram Walker and A. Gilles. In 1987 it was bought by Ian Lockwood and later by Loch Lomond Group in 2014, which restored the site and opened a visitor centre. Glen Scotia’s whiskies have won top awards, including World’s Best Whisky at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition in 2021 and Best Scottish Whisky Distillery the same year. Visitors find a working distillery with eight staff, a Victorian-style shop and daily tours and tastings. The stills are onion-shaped copper pots, fed by water from Crosshill Loch. The core range includes Double Cask, 15-year-old and Victoriana, each showing Campbeltown’s signature flavours of toffee, sea air and a touch of smoke. Special releases mark local events and the annual Malt Whisky Festival, with limited editions like the 2023 white port finish.