Dornoch distillery information
Tucked into a converted 19th-century fire station on the grounds of Dornoch Castle in Sutherland, Dornoch Distillery is a compact, hands-on operation built by brothers Simon and Philip Thompson. The pair had already established a well-regarded whisky bar at the Dornoch Castle Hotel and an independent bottling business, Thompson Bros, before turning to distilling themselves. The venture traces back to 2013, when the brothers set up Black Isle Whisky Company as a bottler; planning permission to convert the old fire station into a distillery followed in 2015, and after a crowdfunding campaign the site began producing spirit in 2016-17.
The distillery occupies a modest 47 square metres, fitting in a semi-lauter mash tun, a bank of oak washbacks, and a compact pair of direct-fired copper pot stills imported from Hoga in Portugal. Production deliberately favours the slower, less efficient methods common in the 1940s-60s over modern high-yield practice: the Thompsons use older heritage barley varieties such as Plumage Archer and Maris Otter, floor-malted off-site, along with brewer’s yeast strains chosen for slow conversion. Fermentation regularly runs a week or more, aimed at building a fruitier, more complex new-make character. Maturation takes place on site in insulated shipping containers designed to mimic dunnage warehouse conditions.
Given the distillery’s modest scale, whisky is released in limited cask-strength batches through a ballot system rather than as a conventional standardised range, alongside independent bottlings and gin that make up the bulk of current sales while the whisky matures. The brothers have since announced Struie Distillery, a larger, purpose-built sister site nearby, as the next stage of the project.
Dornoch sits within the Highland whisky region, on the Sutherland coast not far from Glenmorangie and Dalmore.
Dornoch Distillery Whiskies
- Dornoch Single Malt – released in limited cask-strength batches via ballot system; age, ABV, and bottle counts vary by release (not a fixed standardised expression)
- SRV5 Blended Malt Scotch Whisky – core blended malt release, launched 2022
- TB/BSW Blended Malt Whisky – aged over 6 years, 46% ABV
Distillery info:
Detail |
Information |
|---|---|
| Name | Dornoch Distillery |
| Region | Highland |
| Country | Scotland |
| Logo |  |
| Status | Active |
| Founded | 2013 |
| Water source | source |
| Malting floor | No |
| Owned by | Dornoch Distillery Company Limited |
| Address |
Castle Close, |
| Visitor centre | No |
| Website | https://www.thompsonbrosdistillers.com |
| https://www.twitter.com/DornochDist | |
| https://www.facebook.com/dornochdistillery | |
| https://www.instagram.com/dornochdistillery | |
| https://www.linkedin.com/company/dornoch-distillery | |
| Map |
Distillery Setup:
Component |
Capacity |
Quantity |
|---|---|---|
| Mash tun | 0.3 | Semi-lauter stainless steel |
| Washback | 1,200 litres | 6 |
| Wash still | 1,000 litres | 1 |
| Spirit Still | 600 litres | 1 (copper, direct-fired) |
| Expected yearly output in LPA (Litres of pure alcohol) | 30,000 |
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. Dornoch Distillery is tucked into a converted 19th-century fire station on the grounds of Dornoch Castle in Sutherland. It was built by brothers Simon and Philip Thompson, who had already run a well-regarded whisky bar at the Dornoch Castle Hotel and an independent bottling business, Thompson Bros, before turning to distilling themselves.
The venture traces back to 2013, when the Thompson brothers set up Black Isle Whisky Company as a bottler. Planning permission to convert the old fire station into a distillery followed in 2015, and after a crowdfunding campaign the site began producing spirit in 2016-17.
The distillery occupies a modest 47 square metres, fitting in a semi-lauter mash tun, a bank of oak washbacks, and a compact pair of direct-fired copper pot stills imported from Hoga in Portugal.
Dornoch deliberately favours the slower, less efficient methods common in the 1940s to 1960s over modern high-yield practice. The Thompsons use older heritage barley varieties such as Plumage Archer and Maris Otter, floor-malted off-site, along with brewer’s yeast strains chosen for slow conversion. Fermentation regularly runs a week or more, aimed at building a fruitier, more complex new-make character, and maturation takes place on site in insulated shipping containers designed to mimic dunnage warehouse conditions.
Not in the conventional sense. Given the distillery’s modest scale, whisky is released in limited cask-strength batches through a ballot system rather than as a fixed standardised expression, with age, ABV and bottle counts varying by release. Independent bottlings and gin currently make up the bulk of sales while the whisky matures.
Struie Distillery is a larger, purpose-built sister site the Thompson brothers have announced near Dornoch, planned as the next stage of the project.
Dornoch sits within the Highland whisky region, on the Sutherland coast not far from Glenmorangie and Dalmore.
No, Dornoch Distillery does not have a visitor centre.