The most beautiful distilleries in Scotland

It’s a question often asked:  Which is the most beautiful distillery in Scotland?  But if beauty is in the eye of the beholder, how does one assemble a definitive list of Scotland’s most beautiful distilleries that adequately captures all the subjectivity from amongst the whisky community?  And when it comes to distilleries – which are nothing more than factories to produce alcohol – what metrics do we use to define beauty?  Is it architectural flair?  Aesthetic lines and symmetry?  And how do we compare architectural and construction fashions across timelines?  Many would suggest that the classic, quaint, stone-built distilleries of the Victorian era have a romantic advantage, but purists are correct to assert there is beauty in the functional architecture of modern behemoths such as Roseisle or Dalmunach.

There are further complexities:  How much does the surrounding environment impact our assessment of a distillery’s beauty?  For example, Lagavulin is, in reality, just a clump of relatively plain, white-washed buildings nestled together.  However, put them in a coastal location on the water, add some colour from the local vegetation, and throw in the ruins of a medieval castle nearby for good measure, and you have one extremely beautiful distillery.

A further difficulty arises when you look at the many distilleries that have been bastardised over the years with unsympathetic expansions, often resulting in clashing, jarring visuals.  There are many such examples that mix their original old-world Victorian charm with 1960’s modernism or 1970’s brutalism.   

Following a poll that Whisky & Wisdom ran on Twitter a few weeks ago to gauge public opinion, we offer you – in no particular order – the following list of Scotland’s most beautiful distilleries:

Strathisla

The oldest licensed distillery in Scotland (1786) is frequently cited and held by many as being one of Scotland’s prettiest distilleries.  Repurposed after serving as a brewery, it is situated in the town of Keith in the north-east of Speyside and fashions itself these days as the home of Chivas Regal.  It’s just as well the distillery is suited for taking photographs of the exterior, because the interior is a rabbit’s warren of small, twisting, turning passages and spaces that use every square metre to pack in the production equipment whilst leaving just enough room to walk around!   Is it mere coincidence that the twin pagodas bear an uncanny resemblance to Whisky & Wisdom’s logo?

Lagavulin

Already mentioned above, Lagavulin is a clean, white-washed facility (like many of the other distilleries on Islay), but its location on the bay is stunning.  The ruins of Dunyvaig Castle out on the head of the bay add a touch of drama.  Built in 1816, its old malting floors now make up most of the visitor centre and admin areas.  The tunroom and stillhouse are in separate areas, and the stillhouse – which is surprisingly small for a distillery with such a global reputation – is testament to the fact that its owners, Diageo, are committed to quality and not quantity here.  The old dunnage warehouses onsite also round out the picture.

Edradour

Billed and marketed for many years as “Scotland’s smallest distillery” and a compulsory stop on every tartan and bagpipe coach tour of the Highlands, Edradour’s charm lies not just in its quaint size and attractive colours, but also in its local setting.  Nestled in the rolling hills above Pitlochry, it captures the essence of small-scale whisky production, which it’s been doing since 1837.   It’s almost as though time stood still for this small farm-style distillery, whilst all its siblings and contemporaries expanded and grew to become bigger commercial ventures.   Its visitor facilities and warehouses have expanded further up the hill in the last five years, but they’ve kept the architectural style consistent.  And the production building – which houses the mill, the mashtun, the washbacks, and two tiny stills – still looks little more than just a cottage from the outside.  Oh, and bonus points for still using wormtubs!

 

Glenmorangie

Perhaps a surprise entry here for some readers, Glenmorangie merits inclusion on this list not just for some aspects of its visual appearance, but also for the beauty of its design and functionality.  Converted from a brewery to a distillery in 1843, its main buildings are typical of the stone-built construction and architectural trends of the time.  A feature often overlooked by whisky fans, and chiefly ignored in LVMH’s marketing material, is that the distillery is right on the Dornoch Forth, with the warehouses on the water’s edge.  The stillhouse – featuring the tallest stills in Scotland – resembles something more akin to a barn on the inside, but there’s no doubt that the stills make for a striking image and a stark contrast to the more traditional pot stills seen elsewhere. 

However, the main reason for its inclusion here in this list is the beauty of its engineering design.  Sited on a gentle slope, the distillery was originally set out and designed to take advantage of gravity:  The entire production process, from start to finish, used downhill gravity to feed and flow the sequence.  The barley was delivered at the top of the hill and malted.  It fed into the next building downslope where mashing took place.  The wort then flowed downhill to the next building which housed the washbacks for the fermentation, and – you guessed it – this then flowed downhill to the stillhouse for distillation.  And, finally, the casks were filled at the bottom of the hill where all the warehouses sat.  Whilst the scale and nature of production today necessitates pumps and more automated, mechanical processes, the distillery’s outer appearance is little changed from its original configuration.

Tormore

In an architectural style all of its own, Tormore looks unlike any other distillery in Scotland.  Purpose designed by celebrated architect, Sir Albert Richardson, and built between 1958 and 1960, it is a heritage listed building these days.  The story goes that the pond out the front of the distillery was originally intended as an ice rink for curling to keep distillery workers active and entertained in the winter, however, the heat from the stillhouse evidently prevented the ice from freezing satisfactorily.

Located directly on the main road through Speyside and surrounded by green lawns, manicured gardens, and the cottages originally built to house distillery workers, it’s a striking sight from both directions as you drive past.  [Update: It seems that it won’t be for much longer that you’ll have to resign yourself to simply driving past.  Chivas Bros sold Tormore to Elixir Distillers in 2022 and the new owners plan to develop and build a Visitor Centre for the distillery!] 

Dalwhinnie

Your impression of Dalwhinnie will be heavily influenced by the time of year you visit.  In summer, it is a delightful distillery, sited on a flat plain and adjacent to the tiny village with the Cairngorms framing out the picture.  In winter, it is in a bitterly cold, snow-swept landscape, where you’ll crowd into the stillhouse to enjoy the warmth from the stills!  Often touted as the highest distillery in Scotland (but refuted by the good folks at Braeval, who apparently enjoy an extra 2.7m of altitude), it’s not only scenic, but also very “old school” – including the impressive wormtubs that sit out the front of the distillery and greet you as get out of your car.

Honourable mentions…

Arran, built in 1995 and cleverly displaying faux pagodas on the roof of both its production and visitor centre buildings, the distillery is in a stunning location and mixes modernity with tradition.

Knockdhu, built in 1893, is almost the stereotypical Victorian distillery in Speyside, set out in the traditional manner with the maltings floors and kiln at one end, which then fed into the production areas with the mashtun, washbacks, and stills all in adjoining buildings or rooms.  With a façade and appearance that’s largely unchanged from its original construction – complete with the old railway siding alongside the building – it’s a quaint yet informative insight into late 19^th-century whisky making.

Roseisle and Dalmunach are BIG distilleries.  Purpose built for bulk production and employing the latest state-of-the-art, energy-efficient kit and gear for mashing, brewing, and distilling, they are designed for volume and efficiency – not for visitors, nor for glamour pics on postcards.  And, yet, they each offer a different kind of beauty that fuses modern, striking architecture with raw power, flexibility, and scale.  (Click here for Whisky & Wisdom’s feature article on Dalmunach, or here for an article that discusses the technical aspects of Roseisle).

Ardnamurchan finds itself as a beautiful distillery on one very beautiful peninsula of Scotland.  A trek to get to, and a haven for midgies in the summer months, it’s worth the journey just for the welcoming visitor centre and the view out of the stillhouse upstairs.  Isle of Raasay Distillery also boasts an incredible view from the windows of its production area.  (For Whisky & Wisdom’s feature piece on Ardnamurchan, click here).

Glengoyne, built in 1833, is a distillery that benefits from its proximity to both Glasgow and also Loch Lomond and the Trossachs.  It thus finds itself with a healthy stream of visitors and coach tourists that enjoy its quaint setting, cut into the hillside.

The Glen Grant distillery is perhaps neither here nor there on a list of “most beautiful” distilleries, but there’s no doubt that a stroll around the Major’s gardens – located directly behind the distillery – is one of the more beautiful short walks you can do in Speyside.  (After you’ve seen around the stills and warehouses, of course!)

A recent entrant that was built in 2017, The Clydeside is an impressive distillery that has successfully blended the old and new in a stunning location, directly on the River Clyde.  The old pumphouse building from 1877 has been converted into the visitor centre, and the distillery is housed in a new addition with glass walls that let you see in and appreciate the action.   Difficult to capture in a photograph; perhaps you’ll just have to visit! 

Cheers,
AD

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Got any other suggestions for Scotland’s most beautiful distilleries?  Add them in the Comments section below.

PS…you might also like this other article we wrote: The Top Six distilleries to visit before you die