Uile-bheist Distillery, Inverness: The City’s Own Malt Again

Overview

Uilebheist (say “oola-vest”, Gaelic for “monster”) is Inverness’s own distillery and brewery. It stands on the banks of the River Ness beside the Glen Mhor Hotel. It is the first distillery in the Highland capital for nearly 40 years: the city’s last three, Glen Mhor, Glen Albyn and Millburn, all closed in the 1980s. It cost around £7.5 million, runs on energy drawn from the River Ness, and is designed as one of the lowest-carbon distilleries in Scotland. It is also a working brewery, so you can tour both.

Where it is

The distillery is on Ness Bank, on the east bank of the River Ness, about 5 minutes’ walk from the city centre and the castle. It is directly across the river from St Andrew’s Cathedral and Eden Court theatre, and about 5 miles from the end of Loch Ness.

The full history

Inverness’s lost distilleries

In the 19th century Inverness was a small whisky hub. Millburn, dating back to the early 19th century, stood on the eastern edge of town. Glen Albyn and Glen Mhor stood side by side at the entrance to the Caledonian Canal. Glen Mhor was where the poet and novelist Neil Gunn worked as an exciseman. All three closed in the whisky slump of 1983–85, and for almost forty years the city had no distillery at all.

A brewstillery by the Ness

The family behind the Glen Mhor Hotel on Ness Bank, named after the lost distillery, planned a combined brewery and distillery behind the hotel. Plans were announced in 2022 at about £6 million, and the final cost was about £7.5 million. The distillery opened to the public in 2023. It draws much of its energy from the River Ness, in one of the most sustainable designs in the industry. Its name refers to Inverness’s most famous local, the Loch Ness Monster. The first whisky is maturing, and the beers are already on sale.

How it’s made

Uilebheist makes Highland single malt alongside its craft beers. It follows the traditional principles of Scotch whisky production while using modern equipment and low-carbon heat from the river. Its first casks were released to private buyers while the single malt matures.

Clans, battles & the castle

• Inverness Castle, on the hill above the distillery, stands on the site of the medieval royal castle, which legend links with Macbeth. The present red sandstone building dates from the 1830s and is being redeveloped as a visitor attraction.
• The Battle of Clachnaharry, a clan fight at the western edge of the town. See Battle of Clachnaharry.
• Culloden, 1746: 5 miles east, the last pitched battle on British soil ended the Jacobite cause. See Battle of Culloden.
• The Frasers and Grants held the country west and south of the town, and the Mackintoshes of Clan Chattan held Moy to the south. See Clan Fraser and Clan Grant.

Churches, stones & lochs

• Clach na Cudainn, the “stone of the tubs”, set in the pavement by the Town House: Inverness’s lucky stone, where women once rested their washing tubs.
• Clava Cairns, 6 miles east: Bronze Age passage graves near Culloden. See our standing stones guide.
• The Old High Church on St Michael’s Mount, the oldest church site in the city, and St Andrew’s Cathedral, just across the river.
• Loch Ness, 5 miles south-west, and the Ness Islands, wooded islands in the river reached by footbridges, a 10-minute walk upstream. See our lochs guide.

Visiting

Uilebheist runs a range of tours of the brewery and distillery, with tastings of both beer and spirit. Book ahead on the distillery’s website. It is one of the easiest distillery visits in the north, on foot from anywhere in central Inverness.

Nearby distilleries

• Glen Ord, Muir of Ord (about 15 miles), with tours.
• Royal Brackla, near Cawdor (about 15 miles).
• Tomatin (about 16 miles), with tours.

The A9 Whisky Trail and the whisky hub cover the region.

Sources

• Inverness Courier: £7.5m new Inverness distillery and brewery opens.
• The Scotsman: Inverness welcomes Uilebheist.
• Visit Inverness Loch Ness.