Tamnavulin Distillery, Glen Livet: The Mill on the Hill
Tamnavulin at a glance
| Region | Speyside (Glen Livet, Moray) |
| Founded | 1966 |
| Owner | Whyte & Mackay (Emperador) |
| Visitor centre | No — festival access only |
| Tours | Special events only (Spirit of Speyside festival) |
| Opening | Not generally open to the public |
| Website | tamnavulinwhisky.com |
Overview
Tamnavulin — Gaelic for “the mill on the hill” — sits high in Glen Livet and makes a smooth, mellow, good-value Speyside malt, popular for its wine-cask-finished expressions. It is one of the more affordable ways into the classic Glenlivet-valley style.
The history
Tamnavulin was built in 1966 by Invergordon Distillers as a modern, efficient malt distillery. It was mothballed in the mid-1990s downturn and lay silent for over a decade before reopening in 2007; it is now owned by Whyte & Mackay.
The water & the land
Tamnavulin is made with water from the Easterton Spring in the hills above — spring-fed rather than drawn from the nearby River Livet.
Tamnavulin had no founding clan — it was a 1960s commercial build in Glen Livet, historic Gordon (Dukes of Gordon) estate country.
Visiting
Tamnavulin is not generally open to the public, with access mainly during the Spirit of Speyside festival; check the website. The nearby Glenlivet is the distillery to tour in this glen.
Nearby & more whisky
- The glen’s famous name: The Glenlivet
- Also in the uplands: Tomintoul
- The whole picture: Scotch whisky — the full guide
Sources
- Tamnavulin distillery — Wikipedia.
- Whyte & Mackay; Scotchwhisky.com.