Islay Distilleries

Bruichladdich Distillery

Think of Islay and you'll probably think of malt whisky. The island's nine operating distilleries are home to some of the best and certainly to some of the most distinctive malts in Scotland. They are all discussed in more detail below, along with the distillery on neighbouring Islay. You can find out more about Making Malt Whisky from our series of feature pages showing the stages in the process. Most distilleries have a "silent season" when production closes to allow maintenance to take place. It is worth checking with individual distilleries for specific dates, which can depend on the work that need doing, but most Islay distilleries close down production for at least part of July and/or August.

Laphroaig Distillery Ardbeg Distillery ....From the Sea Jura from Bunnahabhain Distillery Bowmore Distillery

The South Coast Distilleries: The road from Port Ellen signposted to Ardbeg is your key to three of the islands distilleries:

Laphroaig: Usually available as a 10-year-old, Laphroaig is an extremely distinctive, almost medicinal, seaweed flavoured malt. Look out for the minor road to the right a mile or so out of Port Ellen leading to the small visitors' car park. Phone 01496 302418. Visit Laphroaig's own website. Silent season July into August.

Lagavulin Distillery

Port Ellen Distillery

Lochindaal, Port Charlotte

Bunnahabhain Distillery

Caol Ila Distillery

Lagavulin: Most commonly found as a 12 or 16-year-old, Lagavulin is a truly superb malt that sums up all that is best in the heavily sea-influenced whiskies of the south coast. You cannot miss the distillery, having to drive right past it on the road from Port Ellen to Ardbeg. Phone 01496 302749. Visit Lagavulin's own website. Silent season August.

Ardbeg: This distillery dates back to 1794, but only reopened a couple of years ago after 20 years of closure. The product is one of the most strikingly smoky and briny of the Islay malts: an acquired taste worth acquiring. It is found about four miles out of Port Ellen, a little beyond Lagavulin - you simply turn left past the farm when you see the road leading to the obvious distillery buildings. Phone 01496 302244. Visit Ardbeg's own website. Silent season in December.

Port Ellen: This is the most visible of the south coast distilleries, especially with its new coat of white paint and large black lettering, and overlooking the ferry terminal. Sadly, however, appearances are deceptive: Port Ellen closed as a distillery, probably for good, in 1983. The bonded warehouses are still in use, as are the nearby industrial maltings that serve other distilleries on the island.

The North Western Distilleries: Two malts are produced on the shores of Loch Indaal, a loch that bites deeply into the west side of Islay. These tend to be less strongly flavoured than their southern cousins, but are still extremely impressive. Meanwhile, this area is home to two new distilleries, one associated with an existing distillery, the other completely new.

Bowmore: The distillery is located in and dominates the seaward end of the village of Bowmore in the same way the village's round church dominates the landward end. You can find out more from our feature page for Bowmore Distillery. The product is one of the milder of the Islay distilleries, guaranteed to appeal to a wide variety of tastes. Phone 01496 810671. Visit Bowmore's own website. Silent season late July into August.

Bruichladdich: Reopened in 2001 after a long period of closure, Bruichladdich looks across Loch Indaal at Bowmore and is home to a wonderfully light coloured and flavoured malt that is about as far from being a typical Islay whisky as you can get. The usual product is a lovely 10-year-old, but its 17 and 21-year-old offerings are rated as some of the best scotch that money can buy. Bruichladdich are also reopening the nearby Port Charlotte Distillery, in the village of Port Charlotte, closed since 1929 and previously known as the Lochindaal Distillery. Phone 01469 850190. Visit Bruichladdich's own website. Silent season late July.

Kilchoman was established in 2005. It is a farm distillery and was the first new distillery to be built on Islay for 124 years. Phone 01496 850011. Visit Kilchoman's own website. No silent season.

The Sound of Islay Distilleries: Islay's last two distilleries lie close to Port Askaig, overlooking the Sound of Islay with Jura and its Paps beyond.

Caol Ila: The name is Gaelic for "Sound of Islay" and the distillery is found a short distance along a minor road and just north of Port Askaig. Phone 01496 302760. Visit Caol Ila's own website. Silent season late July.

Bunnahabhain: The distillery producing this light and sea-influenced malt lies some three miles north of Port Askaig, via a minor road that meets the A846 in Keills. Phone 01496 840646. Visit Bunnahabhain's own website. Silent season late July and early August.

And, finally.... Not on Islay, but on Jura, it would be a shame to omit the Isle of Jura Distillery from this page. This is found in Craighouse, Jura's main settlement. Phone 01496 820385. Visit Jura Distillery's own website. Silent season late July into August.