Ardnamurchan Distillery

Ardnamurchan [ARD•na•murkan] is a 50-square-mile peninsula in the Scottish Highlands. Jutting out into the Atlantic with sweeping views of Scotland’s western coastline, this remote and unspoiled landscape boasts the most westerly point in Great Britain, Corrachadh Mòr.

The namesake of this striking landscape, Ardnamurchan Distillery, is located in the small village of Glenbeg. To access this rural locale, one must take a ferry and then traverse a narrow, single-track road; this is a journey that begins with only one destination in mind.

The distillery broke ground in 2013 and officially opened in 2014. It is owned and operated by Adelphi, a company that has roots in distilling dating back to the 1800s but has firmly established its reputation through independent bottling. Seeking to expand its business through the production of its own single malt, Adelphi has built a true showpiece in Ardnamurchan Distillery.

All of the power and heat requirements for the distillery come from local renewables—the river that provides the distillery’s cooling water has a hydro-electricity generator and the biomass boiler is fueled by woodchips collected from local forestry. In addition, the by-products of the whisky-making process are recycled on the peninsula—the still energy-rich draff (what’s left in the mash tun) is combined with the pot ale to produce animal feed for use on the peninsula. These efforts ensure a light and sustainable footprint, befitting both the environs and a company that represents the vanguard of Scotch whisky distilling.