Glenglassaugh Distillery, Sandend: The Coastal Maritime Malt
Glenglassaugh at a glance
| Region | Highland/Speyside border (Sandend, Aberdeenshire) |
| Founded | 1875 — reopened 2008 |
| Owner | Brown-Forman |
| Visitor centre | Yes |
| Tours | Tours & tastings — book |
| Opening | Seasonal — check the website |
| Website | glenglassaugh.com |
Overview
Glenglassaugh, right on the coast at Sandend Bay near Portsoy, makes a distinctively maritime, coastal malt shaped by the sea air of the Moray Firth. Closed for decades and reopened in 2008, it is one of Scotch’s notable revival stories, sitting on the border country between the Highlands and Speyside.
The history
Glenglassaugh was founded in 1875, but had a stop-start life and was mothballed in 1986, seemingly for good. It was bought and reopened in 2008, and now belongs to Brown-Forman (alongside BenRiach and GlenDronach), who have restored its reputation.
The water & the land
Glenglassaugh draws on coastal springs near Sandend, and matures its whisky within sight and smell of the sea.
Glenglassaugh had no founding clan — it was a commercial coastal distillery on the Banffshire/Aberdeenshire shore, in historic Duff/Fife and Seafield country.
Visiting
Glenglassaugh has a visitor centre and runs tours and tastings — book ahead, as hours are seasonal; check the website. Its setting above Sandend Bay is one of the prettiest of any distillery.
Nearby & more whisky
- Speyside & the coast — the region overview
- Along the coast at Banff: Macduff
- The whole picture: Scotch whisky — the full guide
Sources
- Glenglassaugh distillery — Wikipedia.
- Glenglassaugh / Brown-Forman.