Arbikie Distillery, Angus: Field to Bottle on the East Coast

Overview

Arbikie is a “field to bottle” distillery on a family farm on the Angus coast, overlooking Lunan Bay. The Stirling brothers, John, Iain and David, built it in a former cowshed, starting in 2013–14. Almost everything that goes into their spirits is grown on the estate’s roughly 2,000 acres, including barley, wheat, rye, potatoes and juniper. The first spirit was a potato vodka in 2014. Arbikie has since become known for rye whisky, a style almost lost in Scotland, and for experimental gins. Its single malt is maturing.

Where it is

The estate lies near Inverkeilor, on the coast between Arbroath (about 7 miles south) and Montrose (about 8 miles north). The distillery looks down over the sweeping sands of Lunan Bay. Dundee is about 25 miles away and Aberdeen about 45.

The full history

A distilling farm

The Stirling family has farmed for generations and came to the Arbikie estate in the 20th century. Distilling here is older still: a map of 1794 shows a distillery on the site, and the family believes there may have been one as early as 1720. The brothers decided to bring it back, but to grow every ingredient themselves.

Vodka, gin and rye

Arbikie was founded around late 2013 and built in about a year. The first product was a potato vodka made from the farm’s own potatoes in 2014. Gins followed, made with estate-grown juniper and botanicals. They include Nàdar, a gin distilled from peas, promoted as climate-positive because peas fix their own nitrogen. In 2015 Arbikie began distilling rye, a grain Scotch distillers had largely abandoned. Its Highland Rye releases are among the first Scottish rye whiskies in modern times.

The single malt

Arbikie also distils malt from barley grown on the estate and malted in nearby Montrose. Its single malt is maturing for release.

How it’s made

Everything starts in the fields: barley, wheat, rye and potatoes are grown and harvested on the farm. The grain is malted in Montrose. The spirit is made in copper stills in the converted steading and matured on site. Sources differ on the exact number of stills. The aim is a single-estate spirit with true provenance.

Clans, abbeys & castles

• Arbroath Abbey, 7 miles south, was founded in 1178 by William the Lion. The Declaration of Arbroath, the 1320 letter to the Pope asserting Scotland’s independence, was written there. See also our Arbroath guide.
• Red Castle, Lunan Bay: a ruined red sandstone tower on a mound above the beach, 2 miles from the distillery. A royal castle is said to have stood here in the time of William the Lion.
• The great Angus families: the Ogilvies, Carnegies and Lindsays held much of Angus, from Kinnaird and Airlie to Edzell. For the Stewart kings who granted their lands, see Clan Stewart.

Stones, lochs & the coast

• St Vigeans, on the edge of Arbroath: a small museum of Pictish carved stones, including the Drosten Stone, beside a church on a mound.
• The Aberlemno Pictish stones are about 12 miles inland. See our standing stones guide.
• Lunan Bay: 2 miles of sand and dunes below the distillery, one of the best beaches on the east coast.
• Montrose Basin, a huge tidal lagoon and nature reserve, is 8 miles north. See our lochs guide.

Visiting

Arbikie is a working farm distillery with tours and tastings by arrangement. Check arbikie.com and book ahead. Pair it with Lunan Bay, Arbroath Abbey and an Arbroath smokie on the harbour.

Nearby distilleries

• Glencadam, Brechin (about 15 miles), with a new visitor centre.
• Fettercairn (about 22 miles).
• Lindores Abbey, Newburgh (about 40 miles).
• Aberargie, near Perth (about 40 miles): another family farm distillery.

The North-East Whisky Trail and the whisky hub cover the region.

Sources

• Arbikie distillery — Wikipedia.
• Scotchwhisky.com: Arbikie.
• Arbikie Highland Estate, official site.