OUr Story
Guided by that irrepressible Galloway spirit
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STEEPED IN HISTORY
We’ve been distilling Lowland Single
Malt Scotch Whisky since 1817.
THE PUREST INGREDIENTS
Sourcing water from the Bladnoch River and malt from British growers – for Lowland Single Malt Scotch Whisky from start to finish.
THE MOST SOUTHERLY
Bladnoch is the southernmost distillery
in Scotland.
Always facing forward. Always innovating. Always drawing on past lessons to shape the future.
2015
Australian entrepreneur, David Prior acquired the company from Raymond and Colin Armstrong, and began an extensive refurbishment of the distillery.
DAVID PRIOR
THE OWNER
David Prior’s prodigious passion for Scotch Whisky, together with a strong desire to restore the heart and soul of the local community led him to purchase Scotland’s over 200-year-old Bladnoch Distillery in 2015.
His philosophy; “Early mornings. Deep stretches. The crash of a wave. The view from the clouds. The silence of thought. The noise of success. The rules broken. The limits pushed. Good company. And a great drink.”, is what brings enjoyment in his life and under his leadership, Bladnoch Distillery is enjoying a bold, powerful and exciting revival.
2017
After 2 years of renovations under the direction of Master Distiller, Ian MacMillan, Bladnoch Distillery resumed production. In 2017, Bladnoch celebrated its 200 year anniversary, making it one of the oldest and one of the largest privately owned Scotch Whisky distilleries.
2019
Highly acclaimed Master Distiller, Dr Nick Savage joined the Bladnoch team. Bladnoch launched its state-of-the-art Visitor Centre experience, gift shop and Melba Cafe.
NICK SAVAGE
THE MASTER DISTILLER
Dr Nick Savage joined Bladnoch Distillery as Master Distiller in 2019, hailing from The Macallan.
Having spent four years in Australia completing his PhD, Nick has a deep connection with Bladnoch Distillery’s Scottish and Australian roots. Throughout his career, Nick’s unwavering pursuit of perfection has led him to become an industry leader and this same drive ensures the excellence of Bladnoch Single Malts each day.
“The passion and drive that the Bladnoch team have for the ultimate quality is why I’m extremely excited to be a part of the amazing future of Bladnoch Distillery.”
TODAY
Bladnoch and its Bold Galloway Spirit celebrates its 208th anniversary
OUr HiStory
They’ve tried. Those ‘twists and turns of fate’ have been persistent; never letting us be. But despite the challenges, Bladnoch still is.
1817
Bladnoch’s rich history dates back to 1817, when John and Thomas McClelland were first granted a licence to distil Whisky on their Bladnoch farm in Scotland’s Lowlands.
For nearly a century, successive generations of McClelland family grew and modernised the distillery. At its peak, the site had six washbacks and annual production of approximately 230,000 litres of alcohol, which cemented its status as the “Queen of the Lowlands”
1905
Over the next 80 years, Bladnoch Distillery changed hands several
times and continued to produce fine Lowlands Whisky.
1956
In 1956, Bladnoch Distillery Limited was created and the stills which had fallen silent during the war were recommissioned. The stillhouse was expanded to four stills in 1966. Ian Gulline worked the stills at the time and used his new Cinefilm camera to capture these scenes of life at Bladnoch Distillery
1983
More recently, the distillery was owned by Arthur Bell & Sons (which would later become part of Guinness / United Distillers) between 1983 and 1993, a period during which the brand’s distribution was increased and a Visitor Centre was established. From 1993, the distillery was privately owned by Raymond and Colin Armstrong.
