Bladnoch distillery information

Bladnoch is Scottish most southern distillery (the Annandale distillery is closer to the English/Scottish border, but lies a wee bit more Northern), located in the remote area of Galloway. Its name comes from the nearby River Bladnoch, which is also its main source of water for its whisky.

Founded by Thomas McClelland in 1817, it frequently changed owners over the years, until in the 1980s it was purchased by Arthur Bell & Sons. Under their ownership, the distillery was modernized. A process that continued after Bells was acquired by United Distillers, who continued the modernization, but finally mothballed the distillery in 1993. Shortly after, it was reopened under private ownership by an Irish gentleman called Raymond Armstrong. Initially Armstrong intended to use the site for real estate development. He either ended up tasting the whisky, or changing his mind after a chat with the locals, and resumed production (though with a limitation in the amount of whisky he is allowed to distil, due to a clause in the purchasing agreement of the estate).

In March 2014, the distillery’s website announced that the visitors centre will be closed and all tours cancelled until further notice. This was followed by a note that a liquidator had been appointed to Co-Ordinated Development Services, the company operating the distillery.

The website states that the distillery was rescued by Australian businessman David Prior, and production has since resumed under the name Bladnoch Distillery Ltd.

Bladnoch whisky

Being a Lowland whisky, the whisky overall is light and flowerish. These are the different types of whisky commonly available:

  • 10 year old
  • Distiller’s Choice – Lightly peated. Not your typical Lowlands, but perhaps a look back to the past where most Lowlands whisky would have been peated.
  • 12 year old Sherry Cask
  • Distiller’s Choice – A whisky without an age indication, combined from different types of casks.

Distillery info:

NameBladnoch
RegionLowlands
Logo
StatusActive
Founded1817
Water sourceRiver Bladnoch
Owned byBladnoch Distillery Ltd
Address
Bladnoch Bridge
Newton Stewart
Wigtown, United Kingdom

+45 (0) 1988 402605

Visitor centreYes
Websitehttp://www.bladnoch.com/
Twitterhttps://twitter.com/bladnochwhisky
Facebookhttps://www.facebook.com/bladnochwhisky
CommunityN/A
Map

Distillery Setup:

Component
Capacity
Quantity
Mash tun?1 (stainless steel)
Washback40,000 litres6
Wash still13,500 litres1
Spirit Still? litres1
Expected yearly output in LPA (Litres of pure alcohol)250,000