A very small site (it only has two stills) that dates back to 1799 (founded as a brewery in 1794), Oban is unusual in being both a seaside
distillery and an urban one. Throughout the 1800s Oban's reputation grew but transporting whisky from this seaside port was difficult until 1888 when a railway line from Glasgow was completed. Oban survived the ebbs and flows of the two world wars, Prohibition and the downturn in the spirits world in the 1960s. One saving grace was becoming an early player in the single malt market - first releasing a 12 yr expression and then re-launching as a 14 yr expression. The result was (and is) a dedicated following in North America.