Glen Ord Distillery, Black Isle: The Singleton of the North
Glen Ord at a glance
| Region | Highland (Muir of Ord, Black Isle) |
| Founded | 1838 |
| Owner | Diageo |
| Visitor centre | Yes — modern centre (2021) |
| Tours | Range of tours & tastings; private tasting room |
| Opening | Open to visitors, seasonal hours — check the website |
| Website | malts.com |
Overview
Glen Ord is the last surviving distillery on the Black Isle, and one of the biggest in the Highlands. It stands at Muir of Ord, west of Inverness, and has distilled since 1838. Today it has fourteen stills and a capacity of about 12 million litres a year. It supplies Johnnie Walker and makes The Singleton of Glen Ord, long sold mainly in Asia. Its 1968 maltings supply other Diageo distilleries. A modern visitor centre opened in 2021.
It also sits a few miles from Ferintosh, the most famous name in early Scotch whisky. For almost a century, Ferintosh whisky was made free of duty by royal grant.
Where it is
The distillery is on the western edge of Muir of Ord, on the A832, where the Black Isle meets the hills of Easter Ross. Inverness is about 15 miles away, around 25 minutes by the A9 and A862. Beauly is 3 miles south and Dingwall 6 miles north.
The full history
Ferintosh: the duty-free whisky
Whisky in this area goes back a long way. In 1689 Jacobite troops wrecked the Ferintosh distillery of Duncan Forbes of Culloden, a Williamite. In 1690 parliament compensated him with the right to distil on his Ferintosh lands, a few miles east of Muir of Ord, free of duty. Ferintosh grew into a small whisky industry and its name became a byword for whisky. Robert Burns mourned it when the privilege ended in 1784.
1838: the Ord Distillery Company
Glen Ord was founded in 1838 as the Ord Distillery Company, on land leased from Thomas Mackenzie of Ord, the local laird. The first licence holders, Robert Johnstone and Donald MacLennan, went bankrupt in 1847. A new licence went to Alexander McLennan and Thomas McGregor in 1855. In 1896 it was sold to James Watson & Son of Dundee.
Dewar’s, DCL and Diageo
The blenders Dewar’s bought Glen Ord in 1923. It came under Scottish Malt Distillers, part of DCL, in 1930. It closed during both world wars, in 1917–19 and 1939–46. Electricity arrived in 1949, and in 1968 a large mechanised maltings was built. In 2001 it became the first UK company to use a “Biobed” system to treat its waste water. In 2012 Diageo announced plans to double capacity, which gave the distillery its present fourteen stills.
The Singleton
Glen Ord is one of Diageo’s three Singleton distilleries, with Dufftown and Glendullan. The Singleton of Glen Ord (12, 15 and 18 Year Old) was designed mainly for Asian markets, where it is one of the best-selling single malts.
How it’s made
Glen Ord runs seven wash and seven spirit stills, with long fermentations and slow distillation for a fruity, spicy spirit. Process water is drawn from two hill lochs, Loch nan Eun and Loch nam Bonnach, in the hills behind the distillery. The maltings on site supply malt to Glen Ord and to other Diageo distilleries in the north.
Clans & the land
- Clan Mackenzie: the distillery stands on the old lands of the Mackenzies of Ord. The Mackenzie Earls of Seaforth ruled this country from Brahan Castle, 4 miles north, home of the legend of the Brahan Seer.
- Clan Fraser: across the River Beauly lies the land of the Frasers of Lovat. Simon Fraser, Lord Lovat, the “Old Fox” executed after the 1745 rising, was the last peer beheaded in Britain.
- The Forbeses of Culloden held Ferintosh. Duncan Forbes, later Lord President, worked to keep the clans loyal in 1745.
Churches, stones & lochs
- Beauly Priory, 3 miles south, was founded in about 1230 for Valliscaulian monks. It became the burial place of the Frasers of Lovat.
- Clava Cairns, about 20 miles east near Culloden, are Bronze Age passage graves among the trees. See our standing stones guide.
- The Black Isle: the Cromarty Firth, Fortrose Cathedral and the dolphins at Chanonry Point are all within half an hour. See our lochs guide.
Visiting
Glen Ord has a modern visitor centre (2021) with a range of tours and tastings and a private tasting room. Opening hours are seasonal, so book on malts.com. It’s an easy half-day from Inverness.
Nearby distilleries
- GlenWyvis, Dingwall (about 7 miles): the community distillery, in administration since October 2026.
- Teaninich and Dalmore, Alness (about 15 miles).
- Tomatin (about 30 miles), with tours.
- Royal Brackla, near Cawdor (about 30 miles).
- In the centre of Inverness by the river: Uilebheist, the city’s distillery and brewery
The Easter Ross Whisky Trail and the whisky hub cover the region.
Sources
- Glen Ord distillery — Wikipedia.
- Diageo / Malts.com.
- Historic Environment Scotland (Beauly Priory).