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Whisky has long existed on the Isle of Arran. It’s an integral part of our culture and heritage. But this heritage was almost lost forever.  

In the 1640s, the Scottish Parliament caught wind of the fledgling whisky industry. Keen to capitalise on its growth (and payroll the army) they introduced heavy taxes on any sale of the spirit. For many people here on Arran, whisky was a birthright—a skill passed down through generations which gave them the means to make a living. They had never paid taxes on the whisky they made before, why now? 

Over the following centuries, illicit whisky-making became the norm: Savvy distillers disguised their spirit in ingenious ways to hide it from the excisemen and avoid paying taxes. But between the Excise Act in the 1800s, and a shift towards quantity over quality, Arran’s distilleries—both legal and illicit—dropped off one-by-one. 

In the later decades of the 20th century, things weren’t looking much better. After a boom in popularity during the 1950s, the Scottish whisky industry was now in a perilous state. Rising oil prices, economic downturn, and a cultural shift towards white spirits took its toll. And yet, when distilleries across the country were closing their doors, a D-Day Veteran and former Chivas Director called Harold Currie decided that was the time to open a distillery on the Isle of Arran. 

1991: The search begins

The search for our location was always largely driven by the quality of the water. At one point, Harold (or Hal, as we know him) even thought about opening a distillery in the Lake District. But after a fateful conversation at a dinner in Glasgow with Architect David Hutchison (whose family lived on Arran for generations) this small, Scottish island became the place to look.

We considered all corners of the island: Whiting Bay, Blackwaterfoot, Corrie and Sannox. But there was one that stood out above the rest: Lochranza. 

The water around the village of Lochranza in the north of Arran is ideal for making whisky. Loch Na Davie filters down six granite waterfalls through the Easan Biorach burn, surrounded completely by sprawling nature. It looked promising—but before we set our hearts on Lochranza, we needed proof. And so, the investigation began. The research team—including experts from Tatlock & Thomson labs and the geology department at the University of Glasgow—took samples of the water and the surrounding terroir. In the end, their findings were unanimous: Loch Na Davie has the purest water in all of Scotland. 

1994—1995: Building Lochranza Distillery

Not only did David Hutchison inspire Hal to build on the Isle of Arran, he also designed Lochranza Distillery. After years of working with the community to get planning permission, we broke the first ground on the 16th of December 1994. 

Construction began, and we were making good progress. But just weeks later, it all came to a grinding halt. A pair of eagles nested on a cliff near the building site, and as a protected species, construction was put on pause to give the birds the best chance to raise their young.

Once the eagles flew the nest, we were back in business. The build was fairly straight-forward, and by April 1995, our stills and washbacks took pride of place on our warehouse floor.

1995: We have whisky

The first mashing commenced on June 24th, and by Thursday, the 29th of June 1995, our new make spirit poured through the spirit safe, and history was made. Here, we distilled the first legal spirit on the Isle of Arran for 158 years. 

“I put a wee bit on the tip of my tongue and it was very sweet” commented our first Distillery Manager, Gordon Mitchell “I just can’t believe how well it has turned out. It’s full of character!”

We made four thousand litres on the first run and then paused production to finish the build before our official opening. On Thursday the 17th of August, our Founder, Hal Currie addressed hundreds of guests on a stage at the front of Lochranza—the distillery he dreamed of creating.

That day, two eagles were seen soaring in the clear blue skies above the distillery, their fly-past an auspicious omen of our future ahead. To pay tribute, we still have their image on every bottle of Arran Single Malt.

1997—1998: Days to remember

The next few years saw the first of many firsts here at Lochranza. On the 9th of August 1997, we welcomed our first guests to the visitor centre—including none other than Her Majesty, The Queen. She cut the ribbon and joined us on the first tour, before returning to the Royal Yacht Britannia to continue on a journey through the Western Isles on the way up to Balmoral. 

The next year, we opened the first casks of Arran Whisky, which had been maturing in our warehouse for the last three years (and one day). It was the 25th of July 1998, and we celebrated the occasion with Hollywood royalty, Ewan McGregor. Every glass, a toast to the resurgence of the Arran Single Malt. We've since worked with Ewan to raise money for Children's Hospices Across Scotland with Ewan's Cut. 

Arran Whisky exists because of people who decided to go against the tide. Like our founder, Harold, who opened a distillery when the entire Scottish whisky industry was on its knees. And the people of Arran who continued to practise their birthright of making whisky, even when the authorities made it difficult for them to do so. Without them, and their bravery, we wouldn’t exist today. For us, it is an honour to continue their legacy. 

“Destiny has brought us to where we are. This is not just whisky, it's more important than that. Some lost their lives in the fight to protect their families and what they believed in. I’m proud to represent my ancestors who themselves ‘worked’ the illicit and smuggling side of whisky on the Island. 1995 was the birth of a long held dream for us at Lochranza Distillery. We’ve achieved a lot, but always held strong to what we stand for. Being able to look back through the ages and appreciate our story in liquid format cements the family-feel and undying love that we have for the Arran Whisky.”  — Scott Bain, one of our wonderful Lochranza Tour Guides

Want to know more about our history and the history of whisky on Arran? Join us on a special ‘Journey Through the Ages’ tasting tour. Or step back in time and look through our Worth Reflecting On scrapbook of memories, created to celebrate our 30th Anniversary.