Oban distillery Information
The Oban distillery was founded in 1794 by brothers Hugh, James, and John Stevenson in what later would become the town of Oban. The coastal town grew around the distillery, and is located in the Scottish Highlands. The brothers dealt in commodities and had purchased the site years before to quarry slate from. They had little experience distilling whisky, so they employed the help of a gentleman who had served as a distiller in the Lowlands. Ownership later passed to Hugh’s son Thomas, who had to throw in the towel when he hit financial trouble. Thomas’ son John takes over management, returning from Peru to help save the business. The Stevenson family remained in control of the distillery until 1866, when it was purchased by Peter Curnstie. In 1880, the distillery is connected to a railway.
New owners
In 1883, the Oban distillery is bought by James Walter Higgin, who declares it “the finest sma’ still whisky in the Highlands”. Between 1883 and 1887, the distillery is rebuilt. During the work, a cave is discovered behind the distillery. Excavation revealed Mesolithic remains. The cave has been sealed again now.
In 1898, at the height of the whisky boom of the late 19th century, Higgin sells Oban to the Oban and Aultmore–Glenlivet Distilleries Ltd; a partnership between Aultmore owner Alexander Edward and Glasgow merchants Wrigt & Greig, as well as FW Brickman, a merchant from Leith. Part of Oban was owned by the Pattison brothers at some point in time. When Pattison Ltd. went bust, it caused a major collapse of the whisky industry.
In 1923, following the lift of the wartime restrictions, Oban-Aultmore-Glenlivet Distilleries Ltd sold the distillery on to Oban Distillery Co Ltd., a subsidiary of John Dear & Sons Ltd. In 1925, it was transferred to Distillers Company Ltd (DCL), who passed it to Scottish Malt Distilleries Ltd (SMD) in 1930. The distillery was closed between 1931 and 1937, following the great recession, and the prohibition i the United States.
Renovations and modernisation
Between 1969 and 1972, the distillery once again closed for renovations. When it reopened, it had a brand new still-house, with the stills converted from direct coal-firing to steam heating. As much of the original distillery as possible was recreated. This was in order for it to resemble Higgin’s setup as much as possible.
In 1989, the former malting floor is converted to a visitor centre. In the same year, Oban 14 Years Old is added to the Classic Malt selection (along with Cragganmore, Dalwhinnie, Glenkinchie, Lagavulin and Talisker).
Oban Whiskies
There are three core expressions:
- Oban 14 Year Old — 43% ABV. The core, standard bottling and best-known expression; matured in ex-bourbon and sherry casks.
- Oban Little Bay — 43% ABV, no age statement. Introduced in 2014 as a more accessible entry point, matured across ex-bourbon hogsheads, refill casks and sherry casks.
- Oban Distillers Edition — 43% ABV. Double matured, finished in Montilla Fino sherry casks; part of Diageo’s annual Distillers Edition series but a standing member of Oban’s own range.
Distillery info:
Detail |
Information |
|---|---|
| Name | Oban |
| Region | Highland |
| Country | Scotland |
| Logo |  |
| Status | Active |
| Founded | 1794 |
| Water source | Two Lochs in Ardconnel |
| Malting floor | No |
| Owned by | Diageo |
| Address |
Oban Distillery |
| Visitor centre | Yes |
| Website | https://www.malts.com/en/oban |
| Community | Malts Club |
| Map |
Distillery Setup:
Component |
Capacity |
Quantity |
|---|---|---|
| Mash tun | 6.5 tonnes | 1 (Stainless Steel, full-lauter) |
| Washback | 30,000 litres | 4 (Euopean Larch) |
| Wash still | 18,800 litres | 1 |
| Spirit Still | 8,296 litres | 1 |
| Expected yearly output in LPA (Litres of pure alcohol) | 670,000 |
Frequently Asked Questions
Oban was founded in 1794 by brothers Hugh, James and John Stevenson, and the coastal town later grew up around it, in the Scottish Highlands. The brothers, commodity traders, had originally bought the site years earlier to quarry slate, and had little whisky-distilling experience themselves, so they brought in a distiller who had previously worked in the Lowlands.
Ownership passed to Hugh’s son Thomas, who eventually ran into financial trouble, prompting his son John to return from Peru to help save the business. The Stevenson family kept control of the distillery until 1866, when it was sold to Peter Curnstie. The distillery was connected to a railway in 1880.
In 1883, James Walter Higgin bought Oban and declared it “the finest sma’ still whisky in the Highlands”. During a rebuild between 1883 and 1887, workers discovered a cave behind the distillery, and excavation revealed Mesolithic remains. The cave has since been sealed again.
In 1898, at the height of the late 19th century whisky boom, Higgin sold Oban to the Oban and Aultmore–Glenlivet Distilleries Ltd, a partnership between Aultmore owner Alexander Edward, Glasgow merchants Wright & Greig, and FW Brickman, a merchant from Leith. Part of Oban was owned by the Pattison brothers at one point, and when Pattison Ltd went bust, it triggered a major collapse across the whisky industry.
In 1923, following the lifting of wartime restrictions, Oban-Aultmore-Glenlivet Distilleries Ltd sold the distillery to Oban Distillery Co Ltd, a subsidiary of John Dewar & Sons Ltd. It transferred to Distillers Company Ltd (DCL) in 1925, then to Scottish Malt Distillers Ltd (SMD) in 1930. The distillery closed between 1931 and 1937 amid the Depression and American Prohibition.
Between 1969 and 1972, Oban closed again for renovation, reopening with a brand new still-house and stills converted from direct coal-firing to steam heating. As much of the original distillery as possible was recreated during the work, aiming to keep it close to Higgin’s original setup.
Yes. In 1989, the former malting floor was converted into a visitor centre, and Oban 14 Years Old was added to the Classic Malt Selection alongside Cragganmore, Dalwhinnie, Glenkinchie, Lagavulin and Talisker.
The core range includes Oban 14 Year Old, the standard bottling and best-known expression, matured in ex-bourbon and sherry casks; Oban Little Bay, a no-age-statement entry point introduced in 2014, matured across ex-bourbon hogsheads, refill casks and sherry casks; and Oban Distillers Edition, double matured and finished in Montilla Fino sherry casks, part of Diageo’s annual Distillers Edition series but also a standing member of Oban’s own range.
Yes, Oban has a visitor centre.