Bladnoch distillery information
Bladnoch is Scotland’s most southerly distillery, sitting on the banks of the River Bladnoch near Wigtown in Dumfries and Galloway (the Annandale distillery lies closer to the English border, but a little further north).
Founded in 1817 by brothers John and Thomas McClelland, Bladnoch is the oldest Lowland distillery still producing today, predating Auchentoshan by six years and Glenkinchie by ten. Ownership changed hands repeatedly over the following century, passing through Dunville & Co of Belfast, Inver House Distillers, and Arthur Bell & Sons, before landing with United Distillers. In 1993, United Distillers mothballed Bladnoch, choosing to concentrate its Lowland production at Glenkinchie instead.
The following year, Northern Irish businessman Raymond Armstrong bought the site, initially intending to convert the buildings into holiday homes. He changed his mind, and after several years spent replacing the plant that had sat wrapped in plastic since the 1993 closure, production resumed in December 2000. The revival proved fragile: Armstrong’s company was placed into liquidation in 2014, and the visitor centre and tours closed with it.
In July 2015, Australian entrepreneur David Prior bought the site and began a full rebuild alongside master distiller Ian MacMillan. Much of the existing equipment was found to be beyond saving, and Bladnoch was effectively rebuilt from the ground up, with production resuming in 2017, the distillery’s 200th anniversary. The visitor centre reopened in 2019, and production has expanded steadily since.
Bladnoch whiskies
Bladnoch’s current range is organised into three collections.
- The Bold Collection is the everyday, no-age-statement range:
- Vinaya, Samsara, and Alinta (the distillery’s peated expression).
- The Galloway Collection is the age-stated range, currently spanning 8, 13, 16, and 19 years old.
A further Spirited Collection covers limited releases, single casks, and older expressions.
Distillery info:
Detail |
Information |
|---|---|
| Name | Bladnoch |
| Region | Lowland |
| Country | Scotland |
| Logo |  |
| Status | Active |
| Founded | 1817 |
| Water source | River Bladnoch |
| Malting floor | No |
| Owned by | Bladnoch Distillery Ltd |
| Address |
Bladnoch, |
| Visitor centre | Yes |
| Website | https://www.bladnoch.com/ |
| https://www.facebook.com/bladnochwhisky | |
| Community | The 1817 Club |
| Map |
Distillery Setup:
Component |
Capacity |
Quantity |
|---|---|---|
| Mash tun | 5.5 tonnes | 1 (stainless steel) |
| Washback | ? litres | 6 |
| Wash still | 13,500 litres | 2 |
| Spirit Still | ? litres | 2 |
| Expected yearly output in LPA (Litres of pure alcohol) | ? |
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. Bladnoch sits on the banks of the River Bladnoch near Wigtown in Dumfries and Galloway, making it Scotland’s most southerly distillery. The Annandale distillery lies closer to the English border, but a little further north.
Yes. Bladnoch was founded in 1817 by brothers John and Thomas McClelland, predating Auchentoshan by six years and Glenkinchie by ten, making it the oldest Lowland distillery still producing today.
Ownership passed through Dunville & Co of Belfast, Inver House Distillers, and Arthur Bell & Sons before landing with United Distillers, who mothballed Bladnoch in 1993 in order to concentrate their Lowland production at Glenkinchie instead.
Northern Irish businessman Raymond Armstrong bought the site in 1994, initially planning to convert the buildings into holiday homes. He changed his mind and spent several years replacing equipment that had sat wrapped in plastic since the 1993 closure, with production resuming in December 2000. The revival proved fragile, though: Armstrong’s company went into liquidation in 2014, closing the visitor centre and tours along with it.
Australian entrepreneur David Prior bought the site in July 2015 and began a full rebuild alongside master distiller Ian MacMillan. Much of the existing equipment was found to be beyond saving, so Bladnoch was effectively rebuilt from the ground up, with production resuming in 2017, the distillery’s 200th anniversary. The visitor centre reopened in 2019, and production has expanded steadily since.
Bladnoch’s range is organised into three collections: the Bold Collection, an everyday no-age-statement range covering Vinaya, Samsara, and the peated Alinta; the Galloway Collection, an age-stated range currently spanning 8, 13, 16, and 19 years old; and the Spirited Collection, covering limited releases, single casks, and older expressions.
Yes, Bladnoch has a visitor centre, which reopened in 2019 after the previous one closed in 2014.