Royal Brackla Distillery, Cawdor: “The King’s Own Whisky”
Royal Brackla at a glance
| Region | Highland (Cawdor, near Nairn) |
| Founded | 1812 |
| Owner | John Dewar & Sons (Bacardi) |
| Visitor centre | No — closed to the public |
| Tours | No public tours |
| Opening | Not open to the public |
| Website | royalbrackla.com |
Overview
Royal Brackla, near Cawdor, was the first distillery ever granted a royal warrant — earning the “Royal” prefix and the tag “the King’s own whisky” from William IV in 1835. It makes a rich, spicy, sherried Highland malt, chiefly for the Dewar’s blends.
The history
Royal Brackla was founded in 1812 by Captain William Fraser, and its quality so impressed the court that William IV granted it a royal warrant in 1835 — the first Scotch to be so honoured. It is now a Bacardi/Dewar’s distillery.
The water & the land
Royal Brackla draws on the Cawdor Burn, with the Cursack Springs used for mashing.
Royal Brackla had no founding clan of its own, but it stands on or beside the Cawdor estate, historic seat of the Campbells of Cawdor — the Cawdor of Macbeth fame.
Visiting
Royal Brackla is not open to the public — it is a working production distillery. Nearby Cawdor Castle, seat of the Thanes of Cawdor, is the great visitor draw in this corner of the Highlands.
Nearby & more whisky
- Highland — the region overview
- The Cawdor connection: Clan Campbell
- The whole picture: Scotch whisky — the full guide
Sources
- Royal Brackla distillery — Wikipedia.
- John Dewar & Sons.