Loch Lomond Distillery, Alexandria: The Versatile Giant
Loch Lomond at a glance
| Region | Highland (Alexandria, Vale of Leven) |
| Founded | 1965 |
| Owner | Loch Lomond Group |
| Visitor centre | No dedicated malt centre — tastings at the Luss gin distillery |
| Tours | Limited/off-site |
| Opening | Industrial site — check the website |
| Website | lochlomondwhiskies.com |
Overview
Loch Lomond is one of the most unusual distilleries in Scotland. It stands at Alexandria, at the southern end of Loch Lomond, and makes both malt and grain whisky on one site. When its grain distillery opened in the 1990s, it was the only distillery in Scotland doing both. Its stills are unique: straight-necked pot stills with trays inside the necks, which can make spirit of very different weights from the same equipment. That lets the distillery produce a whole family of whiskies, including Loch Lomond, Inchmurrin and Inchmoan. It is the official spirit of The Open golf championship.
Where it is
The distillery is in Alexandria, in the Vale of Leven, about 2 miles south of Balloch and the southern shore of the loch. Glasgow is about 20 miles away, around 35 minutes by the A82. The distillery stands on an industrial estate, but the loch, its islands and the Trossachs are minutes away.
The full history
Earlier Loch Lomond distilleries
The name is old. A distillery called Loch Lomond worked near Tarbet, at the north end of the loch, from about 1814. The Vale of Leven, with its rivers and mills, was an industrial valley of bleach fields and calico printing.
1964: the modern distillery
The present distillery was founded in 1964 by the owners of Littlemill, then one of the oldest distilleries in Scotland, which stood at Bowling a few miles away. Malt production began in 1965. In the whisky slump of 1984 it closed.
Glen Catrine and the grain still
In 1987 it was bought by Glen Catrine Bonded Warehouse, an independent firm based in Ayrshire. Glen Catrine reopened the distillery and in the 1990s added a grain distillery, making Loch Lomond the only Scottish distillery producing both malt and grain on one site. It became largely self-sufficient, even making its own blends.
Private equity and The Open
In 2014 a management buy-in led by CEO Colin Matthews, with the private equity firm Exponent, bought the business. In 2019 it was sold on with backing from Hillhouse Capital. New stills were installed in 2016. A 2020 rebrand launched a range of single malts from the Original to a 30-year-old, along with single grain whiskies. The company is the official spirit of The Open and also sponsors rugby league’s Wigan Warriors.
How it’s made
The distillery’s signature is its straight-necked pot stills with adjustable plates or trays in the neck. These let the distillers control how much copper contact and reflux the vapour gets, producing spirit up to about 90% abv, compared with about 70% from ordinary pot stills. Alongside these run conventional pot stills and a continuous grain still. Capacity is about 3 million litres of malt and 20 million litres of grain a year.
Clans of the loch
- Clan Colquhoun of Luss held the west shore from Rossdhu.
- Clan MacGregor, “the children of the mist”, massacred the Colquhouns at the Battle of Glen Fruin in 1603, west of the loch. Afterwards the MacGregor name was outlawed.
- The MacFarlanes held the head of the loch around Arrochar. Their war cry was “Loch Sloy!”
- The Earls of Lennox held the southern end. Their castle stood on Inchmurrin, the largest island in the loch, which gives the distillery’s Inchmurrin whisky its name. See Clan Stewart.
Churches, stones & the loch
- Luss Parish Church, on the west shore, stands on the site of St Kessog’s early church. In its kirkyard is a Viking-age hogback gravestone. See our Luss page and our standing stones guide.
- Loch Lomond: the largest loch in Britain by surface area, with more than 30 islands. Boats run from Balloch. See also our Loch Lomond & the Trossachs guide and the lochs guide.
Visiting
The distillery itself is not open to the public. Loch Lomond whiskies can be tasted around the loch and in Glasgow, and the brand runs experiences in the area. Check the official website for current options.
Nearby distilleries
- Auchentoshan, Clydebank (about 9 miles): triple-distilled, with tours.
- Glengoyne, Killearn (about 12 miles): with tours.
- The Glasgow Distillery and The Clydeside (about 18 miles).
- Ardgowan, Inverkip (about 25 miles).
- Deanston, near Doune (about 30 miles).
The Glasgow & Clyde Whisky Trail and the whisky hub cover the region.
Sources
- Loch Lomond distillery — Wikipedia.
- Loch Lomond Group, official site.