Ben Nevis Distillery Information
The Ben Nevis distillery was founded in 1825 by “Long John” McDonald (aptly named so due to his imposing 6 foot, 4 inch height). The distillery is located at Lochy Bridge in Fort William, just at the base of Ben Nevis, the highest mountain in Scotland (and the British Isles). Its water source, the Allt a’Mhuilinn originates on the mountain from two springs: Coire Leis and Coire na’Ciste. In 1826, McDonald was joined by Angus McDonnel, but their cooperation was shortlived, and ceased in 1831. Originally, the whisky was sold under the name “Long John’s Dew of Ben Nevis”. In 1847, Queen Victoria visited the distillery with her young son, later King Edward VII.
When Long John passed away in 1856, ownership of the distillery passed to his son Donald P. McDonald. In 1878, under his guidance a second distillery was established nearby, under the name Nevis Distillery. This was done in an attempt to keep up with the rising demand for whisky. The distillery is transferred to Long John’s Ben Nevis Distilleries Ltd in 1882, still operated by Donald P. McDonald. In the early years of the Twentieth century (1908 to be exact), the two distilleries eventually merged into one again. In 1910, the distillery is transferred once again, this time to D.P. McDonald & Sons Ltd.
In 1941, D.P. McDonald & Sons Ltd is taken over by Ben Nevis Distillery (Fort William Ltd). In 1955, the distillery officially switches to their ownership, under direction of Joseph Hobbs, who had a Coffey still installed, in order to also produce Grain Whisky at the distillery. Hobbs dies in 1964, and ownership passes to his son Joseph Hobbs Jr. In 1978, production at the distillery stops, and in 1981, it’s sold by Hobs Jr to Long John Distillers (A subsidiary of Whitbread & Co), who dismantle the Coffey still.
Between 1983 and 1984, the distillery is closed for renovation and reconstruction, resuming production again until 1986 when it’s once again closed. 3 years later, in 1989, Whitbread sells the distillery to Japanese firm Nikka Whisky, who reopen it in 1991, with a brand new visitor center. Production has been steady since, and the quality of the whisky has steadily improved over the years. In 2025, the distillery marked its bicentennial, 200 years after Long John McDonald’s original 1825 founding.
Ben Nevis Whiskies
The current core range consists of a number of Single- and Blended Malt whiskies:
- Ben Nevis 10 Year Old – single malt, non-chill filtered, natural colour; the long-standing flagship
- Ben Nevis Coire Leis – single malt, NAS, matured exclusively in first-fill bourbon casks; introduced as the entry-level expression in the distillery’s 2021 rebrand
- Ben Nevis Traditional – single malt, peated; originally a 2011 limited edition, now a permanent core expression; non-chill filtered, natural colour
- Glencoe 10 Year Old – blended malt (not single malt), non-chill filtered, natural colour; the Glencoe brand dates to the mid-to-late 1960s (Rory MacDonald) and was acquired and repackaged by Ben Nevis in the early 1990s
Distillery info:
Detail |
Information |
|---|---|
| Name | Ben Nevis |
| Region | Highland |
| Country | Scotland |
| Logo |  |
| Status | Active |
| Founded | 1825 |
| Water source | Allt a’Mhuilinn |
| Malting floor | No |
| Owned by | Nikka Whisky Distilling Co. |
| Address |
Ben Nevis Distillery |
| Visitor centre | Yes |
| Website | https://www.bennevisdistillery.com/ |
| Map |
Distillery Setup:
Component |
Capacity |
Quantity |
|---|---|---|
| Mash tun | 10 tonnes | 1 |
| Washback | ? litres | 6 (4 Stainless Steel, 2 Douglas Spar) |
| Wash still | 25,000 litres | 2 |
| Spirit Still | 20,000 litres | 2 |
| Expected yearly output in LPA (Litres of pure alcohol) | 2,000,000 |
Frequently Asked Questions
Ben Nevis Distillery was founded in 1825 by “Long John” McDonald. It sits at Lochy Bridge in Fort William, at the foot of Ben Nevis, the highest mountain in the British Isles.
Ben Nevis Distillery has been owned by the Japanese company Nikka Whisky since 1989, when Whitbread sold it to them. Nikka reopened the distillery in 1991 with a new visitor centre.
The distillery draws its water from the Allt a’Mhuilinn, which originates on Ben Nevis itself from two springs, Coire Leis and Coire na Ciste.
The core range includes the Ben Nevis 10 Year Old (the long-standing flagship single malt), Ben Nevis Coire Leis (matured exclusively in first-fill bourbon casks, introduced in the 2021 rebrand), Ben Nevis Traditional (a peated single malt), and Glencoe 10 Year Old, a blended malt rather than a single malt.
Ben Nevis offers an accessible starting point for newcomers: the Coire Leis expression was introduced as the entry-level whisky in the distillery’s 2021 rebrand, matured exclusively in first-fill bourbon casks for a smoother, approachable profile. From there, newcomers can work up to the flagship 10 Year Old or the peated Traditional expression.
Yes. In 1955, under owner Joseph Hobbs, a Coffey still was installed at the distillery to produce grain whisky alongside malt whisky. It was later dismantled in 1981 after Long John Distillers acquired the site.
Yes, the distillery has a visitor centre, rebuilt when Nikka Whisky reopened the site in 1991.
Yes, in 2025 the distillery marked its bicentennial, 200 years after Long John McDonald’s original 1825 founding.
Ben Nevis Distillery is located at Lochy Bridge in Fort William, in the Highlands, at the foot of Ben Nevis, the highest mountain in Scotland and the British Isles.