Ben Nevis Distillery, Fort William: At the Foot of the Ben

Overview

Ben Nevis distillery sits at the foot of Britain’s highest mountain on the edge of Fort William, one of the oldest licensed distilleries in the Highlands. Its whisky is robust, rich and old-fashioned, and it holds a special place in whisky history as a bridge between Scotland and Japan.

The history

Ben Nevis was founded in 1825 by “Long John” McDonald, a giant of a man whose nickname became one of the most famous whisky brands of the 19th century. The distillery worked through the ups and downs of the trade for over a century before being bought in 1989 by the Japanese company Nikka — whose own founder, Masataka Taketsuru, had learned to make whisky in Scotland in the 1920s. That gives Ben Nevis a genuine role in the story of Japanese whisky, and it still supplies malt for blending in Japan.

The water & the land

Ben Nevis has the highest process-water source of any Scotch distillery: the Allt a’Mhuilinn burn, rising from two mountain pools — Coire Leis and Coire na Ciste — high on Ben Nevis itself, piped underground from around 230 metres up the mountain.

Its founder “Long John” McDonald was described as a descendant of the old rulers of the little kingdom of the Isles — that is, of MacDonald / Clan Donald stock. The distillery stands in Lochaber, historically the country of Clan Cameron and the MacDonalds — a fittingly Highland setting under the highest of Highland mountains.

Visiting

Ben Nevis has a visitor centre (opened 1991) and runs tours and tastings, which should be booked. It generally opens Monday to Friday, plus Saturdays in season, around 10–5; check the website. It makes an easy, worthwhile stop for anyone visiting Fort William or climbing the Ben.

Nearby & more whisky

• The nearest west-coast distillery town: Oban
• Highland — the region overview
• The whole picture: Scotch whisky — regions, distilleries & the oldest of all

Sources

• Ben Nevis distillery — Wikipedia.
• Ben Nevis Distillery / Nikka.