Nc’nean Distillery information
Nc’nean Distillery Limited was incorporated in March 2013, and after several years of fundraising and construction, the first spirit was distilled in 2017. Owner Annabel Thomas recruited a team that includes a seasoned distillery manager and two female distillers, and the distillery released its first whisky, Ainnir, in 2020.
The distillery takes its’ name from the Gaelic goddess Neachneohain; the queen of spirits, and protector of nature. The Western Highlands distillery creates a whisky that is completely organic, made from organically farmed barley and minimizing the footprint of the distillery.
Since that first release, Nc’nean has grown into a B Corp certified, net-zero whisky distillery, the first in the UK, and picked up Sustainable Distillery of the Year at the 2025 World Whisky Awards Icons of Whisky Global, with coverage in Forbes, the Financial Times, and The Guardian
Protecting nature is at the heart of the sustainable setup of the distillery. The stills are powered by biomass and green electricity. The bottles are made from recycled glass, and designed to be able to reuse. Water that is used during the cooling is recycled by using a cooling pond. This allows it to cool down naturally, and ensures it can be used time and time again. Lastly, the remaining pot ale is used as fertilizer, and the leftover draff from the malting is used to feed the cows on the nearby farm.
Not afraid to break away from the beaten down path, the distillery experiments with different yeast strains, rather than using the industry standard that yields the highest amount of alcohol.
Nc’nean Whiskies
- Organic Single Malt (flagship, numbered batches)
- Cask Strength Organic Single Malt
Apart from whisky, Nc’nean also offers Organic Botanical Sprit (not a whisky).
Distillery info:
Detail |
Information |
|---|---|
| Name | Nc'nean |
| Region | Highland |
| Country | Scotland |
| Logo |  |
| Status | Active |
| Founded | 2011 |
| Water source | Local spring |
| Malting floor | No |
| Owned by | Nc’nean Distillery Limited. |
| Address | Nc'nean Distillery, Drimnin By Lochaline (B849) PA80 5XZ Scotland |
| Visitor centre | Yes |
| Website | https://ncnean.com/ |
| https://twitter.com/Ncnean | |
| https://facebook.com/ncnean | |
| https://www.instagram.com/ncnean | |
| YouTube | https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsiTvDhbT_dRdk-Mhw4hTNQ |
| Map |
Distillery Setup:
Component |
Capacity |
Quantity |
|---|---|---|
| Mash tun | 1 tonne | 1 (semi-lauter) |
| Washback | 5,000 litres | 4 |
| Wash still | 5,000 litres | 1 |
| Spirit Still | 3,500 litres | 1 |
| Expected yearly output in LPA (Litres of pure alcohol) | 100,000 |
Frequently Asked Questions
Nc’nean takes its name from the Gaelic goddess Neachneohain, queen of spirits and protector of nature. The distillery incorporated in March 2013, and after several years of fundraising and construction, distilled its first spirit in 2017.
Owner Annabel Thomas recruited a team including a seasoned distillery manager and two female distillers. Nc’nean released its first whisky, Ainnir, in 2020.
Nc’nean, based in the Western Highlands, produces a completely organic whisky made from organically farmed barley, with the distillery designed to minimise its environmental footprint.
Yes. Nc’nean has grown into a B Corp certified, net-zero whisky distillery, the first in the UK, and won Sustainable Distillery of the Year at the 2025 World Whisky Awards Icons of Whisky Global, with coverage in Forbes, the Financial Times, and The Guardian.
The stills are powered by biomass and green electricity. Bottles are made from recycled glass and designed for reuse. Cooling water is recycled through a cooling pond, letting it cool naturally so it can be reused repeatedly. Leftover pot ale is used as fertiliser, and spent draff from malting feeds cows on a nearby farm.
Rather than using the industry-standard yeast strain that yields the highest amount of alcohol, Nc’nean experiments with different yeast strains to shape its spirit’s character.
Alongside its whisky, Nc’nean also makes an Organic Botanical Spirit, which is not a whisky.
The core range consists of the flagship Organic Single Malt, released in numbered batches, and a Cask Strength Organic Single Malt.
Yes, Nc’nean has a visitor centre.