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Whisky has been flowing here at Dalmuir, close by the River Clyde, since 1800. Then it was in the countryside
now it’s attached to Glasgow, just a swift twenty minutes from the city centre and not too far from Loch Lomond.
Thriving with new investment and a bright and refreshing makeover for its buildings and its bottles. Hosting its very own whisky festival for the first time in August 2009. One of the few distilleries in Scotland to produce whisky
using a full triple distillation process and one of the few to brew its own beer. One of Scotland’s three operational Lowland distilleries.
Founded 1817 on the northern bank of the River Bladnoch in Wigtown, south west Scotland, the most southerly of Scottish distilleries.
Closed in 1993 BUT back in production again in 2000 thanks to the determination of it new owner Raymond Armstrong. A glorious setting in a gloriously green and tranquil slice of Scotland. A series of single cask 'forum' bottles are will worth looking out for.
The very first distillery to install a continuous still and so the first to produce grain whisky. Now a ginormous
complex residing on the banks of the River Leven in Windygates, Fife.
Back in 1813 it opened as a malt distillery and developed to produce both malt and grain whisky, but production of the former ceased many years ago. Today it manufactures grain spirit which flow into an array of products from
gin to vodka to sweetened spirits to grain whisky. A huge proportion of its grain whisky is shipped into blended whiskies with just a little into single grain whisky.
Established as a malt distillery between 1799 and 1804 on the north-east edge of Alloa just a short distance from
the northern shore of the River Forth. Converted to a grain distillery in 1852 in order to take advantage of the rising demand for blended whisky.
Closed in 1983 and most of the structure was demolished in 1992, however, the cooperage survived and continues to function. Production in 1886 was around one and a half million gallons which increased to twelve million gallons
by the mid 1960s, making it one of the largest distilleries in Scotland whilst it was operational.
Founded way back in 1825 as Milton distillery in the rolling East Lothian countryside.
Just two stills but the wash still is one of the largest in Scotland, and a round brick chimney and two big worm tubs fed by the Kinchie Burn, well worth a visit. Coal and barley and water and empty casks all to hand. Capital demand from Edinburgh, and exports through the port of Leith to quench the thirst of an empire.
St. Magdalene Distillery in Linlithgow was established during the late 1790s and all the whisky it produced during
the 1900s was destined for blending.
However, since closure in 1983 a limited quantity of maturing stock has been bottled as single malt whisky and marketed as either St. Magdalene or Linlithgow. Therefore, Linlithgow whisky is a product of St. Magdalene Distillery in Linlithgow. Growing older by the second.
Granted a licence in 1823 but established originally in 1772. Situated to the west of Bowling, Dunbartonshire by the north shore of the River Clyde and its harbours and on the main road into Glasgow.
Subsequent modifications during the 1930s resulted in a number of novel features including double ventilation towers which sat over a single drying kiln and pot stills with rectifiers rather than the traditional swan necks. The combination of pot and column still was designed to produce whisky which was expected to mature quickly. At the time of closure in 1992 it was the oldest working malt whisky distillery in Scotland; it was totally demolished in 2006.
Founded in 1885 by Andrew Usher, John M. Crabbie and William Sanderson on farmland to the very western edge of Edinburgh and commenced distilling two years later.
Since then the city has expanded ever outwards and now the distillery resides well within the city boundary in the Gorgie area. The site was very close to the rail network to enable transportation of materials and whisky, and also the Union Canal which provided water to the distillery. Now the only distillery in Edinburgh its three Coffey stills produce grain spirit at 94.5% alcohol and multi-million litres per year.
Port Dundas is an area of canal basins where the Monklands Canal joins the Forth and Clyde Canal in Glasgow.
Following the opening of the canals during the 1770s the area developed rapidly into an industrial complex with a wide range of industries and businesses, including three distilleries all named Port Dundas. The first was
established in 1811, the second in 1813 and the third operated for just a short period during the late 1830s. In 1877 they amalgamated and by 1886 a single distillery operated and developed into one of the largest distilleries in the world.
Converted in 1840 from the maltings of Camelon Distillery, Falkirk which was functioning as far back as 1798.
At the junction of the Forth and Clyde Canal, which flows through the very heart of Glasgow, and the Union
Canal, which flows through the very heart of Edinburgh. Magical Lowland whisky from the heart of Scotland. Mothballed in 1993; much of the copper distilling equipment was stolen in 2009.
Closed in 1983 and converted into private housing at the end of the twenty first century, a lost distillery. A real old bird established in Linlithgow during the late 1790s, next to Bonnytoun Distillery which was established around
1795, the two amalgamated during the 1810s.
St. Magdalene’s whisky went into blends during its working life, single cask bottlings are a modern development, they will not be around for ever.
Established in 1927 to produce grain spirit and commenced distilling the following year on a site which had previously supported the Albyn Mills in Moffat Street on the south bank of the River Clyde.
Water is piped from Loch Katrine to the north of Glasgow which was developed during the 1850s as a supply reservoir for the city to meet the needs of a rapidly increasing population and industries in the grip of the industrial revolution. Grain whisky is currently produced by two Coffey continuous stills with a further five producing neutral spirit. In 1957 Kinclaith Distillery was constructed within the Strathclyde plant.
The Location
For the purposes of whisky taxation during the eighteenth century, Scotland was divided into two parts by the United Kingdom Parliament; the part with the northern distillers and the part with the southern distillers. Quite simple! the Highlands and the Lowlands. The dividing line, its route, its re-routing and re-defining are part and parcel of the mystique and magic, the tales of the trials and of the tribulations of distillers, of the people of Scotland, of the extended and colourful history of Scottish malt whisky. Utterly unique. And in every golden drop, in every amber dram, in every single bottle it’s there to be unravelled. Illicit distilling and cross-border smuggling. By today’s standards the whisky was probably course, enhanced by foreign bodies, enhanced by foreign liquids and lacked a tax disc. Surprising angels managed to survive that century or two. 
Survivors
Within the Lowlands reside both Edinburgh and Glasgow, and a relatively high density population in the central belt. A good marketplace. Despite that, only four distilleries in the entire region are producing malt whisky. Four that is if we include the new farm size Daft Mill distillery near Cupar in Fife which began distilling in 2005 and will come of age later this year. And, that is if we include Bladnoch in Wigtownshire, the most southerly distillery in Scotland, which is something of a part-timer now. Which leaves just Glenkinchie south-east of Edinburgh near Pencaitland and Auchentoshan on the edge of Glasgow as the only real, long-term survivors. That said, bottlings of closed distilleries are to hand although, slowly ageing and slowly diminishing, they will be gone someday. At the head of that list, indeed in the top reaches of any malt list is Rosebank. Rosebank Distillery like St. Magdeline Distillery in Linlithgow benefited initially from close proximity to the Union Canal. The canal provided the means for transportation of bulky raw materials and bulky produce, a route to markets in both Edinburgh and Glasgow and also their ports and hence their colonies and our empire.
The Gateway
Perhaps the role of the Lowlands in the twenty-first century needs to be rewritten. Not a producer but a staunch supporter. International airports for us to jet in and out, deepwater ports for our cruise lines and international ferries to berth, a gateway into Scotland. An array of whisky merchant’s shops and the Scotch Whisky Heritage Centre by Edinburgh Castle on the Royal Mile are there to get us started, and then to move on and out. On and out to the Distillery visitor centres to sample and see.
