The Glen Scotia Distillery, also affectionately known as The Scotia or Old Scotia, is a producer of Single Malt Scotch Whisky. It was founded in 1832 and is today one of only three distilleries in Campbeltown, the smallest whisky region of Scotland.
Glen Scotia is located in Campbeltown, a small town on the Kintyre Peninsula on the west coast of Scotland. This town, affectionately referred to as "Wee Toon," was considered the whisky capital of the world during the Victorian era. At its peak in the 19th century, there were 21 distilleries here.
The Glen Scotia Distillery, originally known as "Scotia," was founded in 1832 by Stewart & Galbraith and Company and was operated by them for almost 60 years. The notable industrialist Duncan MacCallum purchased the distillery in 1891 and built the grand facade that stretches along High Street.
After a series of ownership changes, the distillery was acquired by the Loch Lomond Group in 2014, which has made significant investments in the brand, increased capacity, opened warehouses, and developed a visitor center.
Today, the distillery retains many of its original design elements, including the mash tun, the still house, and the dunnage warehouse, dating back to the 1830s.
The distillery is operated by just eight employees: a distillery manager, deputy distillery manager, visitor center manager, and five distillery operators. The visitor center is open to the public and offers daily tours and tastings, and the Victorian-style shop sells whisky, branded merchandise, and other goods.
The Glen Scotia range has been reduced to five core Single Malt expressions, showcasing the typical Campbeltown flavor profile of toffee, maritime influence, and a hint of smoke. Each year, for the annual Campbeltown Malt Whisky Festival, Glen Scotia releases a special limited edition. In addition, there are special releases and other small batch bottlings.
The distillery sources its water from Crosshill Loch in Campbeltown. It uses unpeated, medium-peated, and heavily-peated malted barley for its whisky. Glen Scotia has a wash still with a capacity of 11,800 liters and a spirit still with a capacity of 8,600 liters. The copper pot stills are onion-shaped, with broad and short necks.
