Royal Lochnagar Distillery, Deeside: The Queen’s Neighbour

Overview

Royal Lochnagar is the distillery next door to Balmoral. It stands on the Abergeldie estate in Royal Deeside, below the mountain of Lochnagar, about a mile from the royal family’s Highland home. It was built in 1845 by John Begg, and has held a royal warrant since Queen Victoria and Prince Albert visited in 1848. It received its fifth royal warrant in 2022. It is the smallest distillery Diageo owns, and most of its whisky goes into Johnnie Walker Black and Blue Label. It also has a well-known visitor centre.

Where it is

The distillery is on the south side of the River Dee near Crathie, between Ballater (about 8 miles east) and Braemar (about 9 miles west). Balmoral Castle is across the river. Aberdeen is about 50 miles east, around 1 hour 15 minutes by the A93.

The full history

Fires and smugglers

Upper Deeside was smuggling country, and the first legal distillers here were not popular. Earlier distilleries on or near the site were burned in 1824, 1826 and 1841. The first fire was suspicious, and the later ones were reportedly started by illicit distillers who resented a legal competitor.

1845: John Begg’s “New Lochnagar”

John Begg built a new distillery in 1845. Three years later, in 1848, Queen Victoria and Prince Albert leased the neighbouring Balmoral estate, which they later bought. Begg sent a note inviting Albert to visit. The next day the Queen, the Prince and their three eldest children arrived, and Begg gave them a dram. A royal warrant followed, and within a few years the distillery was renamed Royal Lochnagar.

DCL and Diageo

The Begg family ran the distillery until 1902, when it became a limited company. In 1916 it was bought by the Distillers Company (DCL), and it is now run by Diageo under a lease from the Abergeldie Estate. Most of its output goes into Johnnie Walker. The 12 Year Old single malt is bottled at 40%, and in 2022 a Balmoral platinum edition marked Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee.

How it’s made

Royal Lochnagar is tiny by Diageo standards: one wash still of 6,700 litres and one spirit still of 3,720 litres, with a capacity of about 450,000 litres a year. Water comes from springs in the Lochnagar hills. The spirit is rich and fruity, and much of it goes into blending.

Clans, kings & queens

• The royal family. Balmoral Castle was bought by Prince Albert in 1852 and rebuilt in Scottish Baronial style. It has been the royal family’s private Highland home ever since. Its grounds are open in spring and summer.
• The Gordons of Abergeldie. Abergeldie Castle, a 16th-century tower on whose estate the distillery stands, was a Gordon stronghold.
• The Farquharsons. Upper Deeside around Braemar was Clan Farquharson country. In 1715 the Earl of Mar raised the Jacobite standard at Braemar, where a cairn now marks the spot.
• The Stewarts. Queen Victoria’s love of the Highlands helped make Deeside fashionable. For the older royal line, see Clan Stewart.

Churches, stones & lochs

• Crathie Kirk, just across the Dee, is where the royal family worships when at Balmoral. Queen Victoria laid its foundation stone in 1893. Her servant John Brown is buried in the kirkyard.
• Loch Muick, about 10 miles away up Glen Muick from Ballater, lies below Lochnagar. Queen Victoria built the Glas-allt-Shiel lodge on its shore. A path circles the loch.
• Lochnagar (1,155 m), the great mountain celebrated by Byron in “Dark Lochnagar”. Its northern corrie holds a small loch below the cliffs. See our lochs guide.
• Tomnaverie stone circle, near Tarland, about 20 miles east, is a fine recumbent stone circle. See our standing stones guide.

Visiting

Royal Lochnagar has a visitor centre with classic tours, warehouse tastings and fill-your-own bottles. Opening is seasonal, so book ahead on malts.com. Combine it with Balmoral, Crathie Kirk and a walk at Loch Muick.

Nearby distilleries

• Tomintoul (about 30 miles over the Lecht).
• The Glenlivet (about 35 miles), with tours.
• Fettercairn (about 35 miles over the Cairn o’ Mount), with tours.
• Glencadam, Brechin (about 45 miles).
• Glen Garioch, Oldmeldrum (about 50 miles).

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

Sources

• Royal Lochnagar distillery — Wikipedia.
• Diageo / Malts.com.
• Historic Environment Scotland (Tomnaverie); Balmoral Estate.