Glen Scotia

Campbeltown is a very special place in Scotland, referred to as ‘the centre of the universe’ by some of its current residents. With an abundance of rich farmland, local barley, peat and fresh water, it was almost inevitable it would become a vital part of the history of whisky distilling. Distilling on the Kintyre peninsula dates back to 1609 with the granting of the first licence to produce ‘aqua vitae’. Scotia was established in 1832 by the town’s Dean of Guild James Stewart and Provost John Galbraith. By 1835 Scotia was one of the 29 thriving Distilleries in Campbeltown. Campbeltown’s boom in whisky production was due in part to steam navigation – this allowed whisky to be shipped directly to Glasgow in just 9 hours. In 1923 the Drumlemble Colliery closed ending cheap local fuel supplies. Meanwhile, the Great Depression and Prohibition were playing their part. By 1929 only three distilleries remained open in Campbeltown: Scotia, Springbank and Ri-Clachan. Then March 20 1930 saw the last production at Scotia before the distillery fell silent. The distillery changed hands a number of times, and in 2014 was bought by the Loch Lomond Group who have invested and developed this legendary brand, increasing capacity, opening warehouses and creating a visitor centre. Today, Glen Scotia continues to thrive at the heart of the “whiskiest place in the world”