Glencadam Distillery, Brechin: The Cream of the Angus Glens

Overview

Glencadam is the last working distillery in Angus. It stands on the edge of the little cathedral city of Brechin, and it has been making whisky since 1825, which makes it one of the oldest working distilleries in the Highlands. Angus once had many distilleries. Glencadam’s neighbour, Brechin (North Port), only 200 yards away, closed in 1983, and today Glencadam is the only one left. Its whisky is clean, creamy and fruity. For most of its life it went into blends, especially Ballantine’s. It nearly closed for good in 2000, but was saved by Angus Dundee Distillers in 2003. A visitor centre opened in 2025, the first in the distillery’s two hundred years.

Where it is

Glencadam is on the north-eastern edge of Brechin, in the valley of the River South Esk, between the Angus Glens and the sea. Montrose is about 8 miles east, Dundee about 28 miles south-west (about 40 minutes by the A90) and Aberdeen about 40 miles north. Brechin itself is an old, quiet town with a cathedral, a round tower and a heritage steam railway.

The full history

1825: a merchant’s distillery

Glencadam was founded in 1825 by George Cooper, a local merchant. The Excise Act of 1823 had made legal distilling profitable, and Brechin had barley, water and a good road to the port of Montrose. From 1827 to 1837 it was run by David Scott, and through the 19th century it changed hands several times, like many small distilleries.

Gilmour, Thomson and the blenders

In 1891 the Glasgow blenders Gilmour, Thomson & Co bought Glencadam and ran it for more than sixty years. The Canadian giant Hiram Walker took over in 1954, and in 1956 the distillery was put under George Ballantine & Son. Its creamy malt became an important part of the Ballantine’s blend. Hiram Walker became part of Allied Domecq in 1988.

Mothballed and saved

In 2000 Allied mothballed Glencadam, and for three years it seemed the last Angus distillery would follow the others into history. In 2003 it was bought by Angus Dundee Distillers, a family-owned company that also owns Tomintoul in Speyside. The new owners brought it back into full production and, for the first time, made Glencadam a proper single malt brand. Its range includes 10, 15, 18, 21 and 25-year-old bottlings and finishes in port and oloroso sherry casks. In 2025 a visitor centre finally opened.

How it’s made

Glencadam has just one wash still and one spirit still, each of about 14,000 litres, with a capacity of around 1.5 million litres a year. Its lyne arms, the pipes from the top of the stills, are angled upwards, which sends more of the heavier vapour back into the still. This extra contact with copper helps give Glencadam its clean, delicate, creamy character. The whisky is unpeated. Most of the output still goes to blends, including Angus Dundee’s own.

Clans, kings & battles

• The Battle of Brechin, 1452. Just north of the town, the Gordon Earl of Huntly, fighting for James II, defeated the Lindsay Earl of Crawford, the “Tiger Earl”, during the Douglas rebellion. See Battle of Brechin and Clan Gordon.
• The Lindsays of Edzell. Six miles north, Edzell Castle, a Lindsay stronghold, has one of the finest Renaissance walled gardens in Scotland, the Pleasance of 1604.
• The Maules and Ramsays. Brechin Castle, beside the town, has been the seat of the Maule family, and later the Ramsay Earls of Dalhousie, since the 17th century. See Clan Ramsay.
• The Carnegies and Ogilvies held much of the rest of Angus, from Kinnaird Castle near Brechin to Airlie in the glens.

Churches & carved stones

• Brechin Cathedral and Round Tower: the 11th-century round tower, one of only two of its kind on the Scottish mainland (the other is at Abernethy), stands against the medieval cathedral, a few minutes’ walk from the distillery.
• Aberlemno Pictish stones, about 6 miles south-west: among the finest Pictish carvings anywhere. The kirkyard cross-slab carries a battle scene often linked to Nechtansmere (685).
• Arbroath Abbey, about 25 miles south, where the Declaration of Arbroath was sealed in 1320.
• See our standing stones guide for more.

Lochs & the glens

North of Brechin, the Angus Glens run up into the Grampians. Glen Esk leads to Loch Lee, a quiet hill loch with a ruined castle, and Glen Clova has the corrie lochs of Loch Brandy and Loch Wharral. On the coast, Montrose Basin is a huge tidal lagoon and nature reserve, famous for its pink-footed geese. See our lochs guide.

Visiting

Glencadam’s visitor centre opened in 2025, with guided tours and tastings. Places are limited, so book ahead on glencadamwhisky.com. Pair it with Brechin Cathedral, the Caledonian Railway steam trains and the Aberlemno stones.

Nearby distilleries

• Fettercairn (about 12 miles north), with tours.
• Arbikie, near Inverkeilor (about 15 miles), a farm distillery on the coast.
• Royal Lochnagar, by Balmoral (about 45 miles).
• Glen Garioch, Oldmeldrum (about 55 miles).

Our North-East Whisky Trail links them, and the whisky hub covers every region.

Sources

• Glencadam distillery — Wikipedia.
• Glencadam, official site.
• Historic Environment Scotland (Brechin Round Tower, Edzell Castle, Aberlemno).