Annandale Distillery: A Victorian Distillery Reborn in Burns Country
Annandale at a glance
| Region | Lowland (Annan, Dumfriesshire) |
| Founded | 1830 — revived 2014 |
| Owner | Annandale Distillery Co. |
| Visitor centre | Yes — restored, with the Maltings café |
| Tours | Guided tours daily |
| Opening | Open daily — check the website |
| Website | annandaledistillery.com |
Overview
Annandale, near Annan in Dumfriesshire, is a beautifully-restored Victorian distillery that reopened in 2014 after nearly a century of silence. It makes both unpeated (Man o’ Words) and peated (Man o’ Sword) single malts — the names a nod to Robert Burns and Robert the Bruce.
The history
Annandale was founded in 1830 and once belonged to John Walker & Sons of Johnnie Walker fame before closing in 1918. It lay derelict until David Thomson and Teresa Church bought and painstakingly restored it, resuming distilling in 2014 — one of the most complete Victorian-distillery restorations in Scotland.
The water & the land
Annandale takes its process water from the Middlebie Burn, with the Guillielands Burn for cooling.
Annandale has no clan link, but rich regional heritage: this is Robert Burns country — the poet farmed and worked as an exciseman nearby — in the old lordship of Annandale, once a stronghold of the Bruce family.
Visiting
Annandale is open daily with guided tours and the Maltings café — check the website. It sits just off the main route into Scotland from the south, making it an ideal first or last distillery of a trip.
Nearby & more whisky
- More Burns-country whisky: Lochlea
- Lowland — the region overview
- The whole picture: Scotch whisky — the full guide
Sources
- Annandale distillery — Wikipedia.
- Annandale Distillery Co.