Lochranza (Arran) Distillery: The Island’s Modern Revival

Overview

The Arran distillery at Lochranza, on the northern tip of the beautiful Isle of Arran, brought legal whisky-making back to the island after a gap of some 160 years. Set in a spot so unspoilt that golden eagles nest on the crags above it, it makes a bright, unpeated, fresh-fruited malt that quickly won a strong following.

The history

Arran had many illicit stills in the 18th century — its Arran Water was once famous — but no legal distillery for generations, until former Chivas director Harold Currie built the Lochranza distillery in 1993–95. It was one of the first of the modern wave of new Scottish distilleries, and its success led its owners to build a second, peated distillery in the south of the island at Lagg in 2019.

The water & the land

Arran’s water is the Easan Biorach burn (“the sharp waterfalls”), tumbling down from Loch na Davie, high in the mountains of northern Arran, over granite and through six waterfalls — about as pure a Highland water source as exists.

As a modern distillery, Lochranza has no founding clan. But Arran is steeped in history: the island was long the land of the Hamilton family, the Dukes of Hamilton, whose seat is Brodick Castle, and Lochranza itself, guarded by its ruined castle, passed in earlier centuries through the MacSweens, the MacDonald Lords of the Isles and the Montgomeries.

How it’s made

Lochranza runs two wash stills and two spirit stills to a capacity of around 750,000 litres a year, producing an unpeated house style matured mainly in ex-bourbon casks (American white oak) with a share in ex-sherry wood, and released across a wide range of ages from 10 up to 25 years. A separate peated expression, Machrie Moor, has been part of the range since 2010 — a taste of the heavier style now given its own home at Lagg.

Visiting

The Lochranza distillery has a visitor centre and the CASKS Café, and runs tours and tastings seven days a week in season — booking is advised. Hours are seasonal; check the website. Arran, reached by ferry from Ardrossan, is often called “Scotland in miniature” and makes a superb short trip.

Nearby & more whisky

• Arran’s peated sister distillery: Lagg
• Islands — the region overview
• Over the water in Campbeltown: Glengyle, home of Kilkerran single malt
• Planning a day of it? Our Kintyre & Arran Whisky Trail covers the hop from Campbeltown over to Arran.
• The whole picture: Scotch whisky — regions, distilleries & the oldest of all

Sources

• Lochranza distillery — Wikipedia.
• Isle of Arran Distillers.