Glengoyne - Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky

Glengoyne Distillery is a whiskey distillery that has been in continuous operation since its inception in 1833 in Dumgoyne, north of Glasgow, Scotland. Glengoyne is unique in producing Highland single malt whisky, matured in the Lowlands. Glengoyne is on the Highland Line, the border between the Scottish Highlands and Lowlands. Glengoyne's stills are in the Highlands, while the casks of whiskey mature across the road in the Lowlands.

The distillery began distilling in 1833 and was then known as Burnfoot Distillery. It was originally owned by George Connell who built the distillery and leased the surrounding land on which a warehouse was built which is still in use today. In 1876 the distillery was sold by Archiball G. MacLellen to the Glasgow brothers Lang. It is said that the Lang brothers intended to name the distillery Glengoyne, but due to an employee's error it was incorporated as Glen Guin. Later the name was changed to Glengoyne, which comes from "Glenguin" or "Glen of the Wild Geese".

In 1984 the Lang brothers became whiskey suppliers to the then Queen Mother, the household of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth. The Royal Warrant has since been transferred to Ian Macleod and can be found on all Glengoyne products.

In April 2003, Ian Macleod Distillers Ltd. the Glengoyne Distillery and the brands 'Glengoyne Single Malt' and 'Langs Blended Whisky'. With the acquisition of Glengoyne Distillery, Ian Macleod became a fully integrated distiller, blender and bottler.

Glengoyne is regularly referred to as "Scotland's finest distillery" having been in continuous operation for over 175 years producing Highland single malt whisky, with a current distilling capacity of over a million liters of alcohol and over 35,000 visitors a year.

Glengoyne is one of only three distilleries left, along with The Macallan and Bruichladdich, using low-yield but high-quality Golden Promise barley.

Unlike many other malt whiskies, Glengoyne does not use peat smoke to dry the barley, preferring instead to use warm air. The Glengoyne single malts owe their clear and bright appearance and their unmistakable taste to this absence of peat smoke. This rare property is used in the marketing of Glengoyne with the advertising slogan "The authentic taste of malt whiskey untainted by peat smoke".

Due to the use of unpeated malt, Glengoyne has been described as stylistically closer to a Lowland single malt than a Highland single malt.