Whisky is...A Journey - The Lowlands

Whisky is an experience that uncovers over time. Each bottle, region and distillery tells a unique story. From smoky Islay notes to smooth Speyside drams, exploring whisky is a journey through people, history and landscapes. To celebrate Whisky is…A Journey, we are revisiting our past Whisky Month blog series on Scotland’s whisky regions, starting with the Lowlands.

The Lowland region sometimes feels like one of the most under-appreciated, certainly over the past 50 years, but as the home of The Scotch Whisky Experience, it has a very special pace in our hearts.

Once many of the smaller towns in the southern part of Scotland were home to their own distillery and the bustling cities housed dozens of stills (although some were on the illicit side!).  Then there came a time when, with the exception of a handful, the Lowlands were known only for their production of Grain Scotch Whisky used to create the famous blends.  Things have changed fast over the past decade and now more and more distilleries are sprouting up from the Kingdom of Fife to the Scottish Borders, the cities of Glasgow and Edinburgh to the faraway and remote south west coast.

Here are some facts to entertain and educate about five of the distilleries who find their homes in Scotland’s southern rolling hills and vibrant cities.

Five Lowland Distilleries

Glenkinchie

Pronounce         glen-KIN-chee

Meaning             Valley of the Kinchie burn

Fact                     Glenkinchie has the largest pot still in Scotland with a capacity of                                         21,000 litres.

Discover more about Glenkinchie on our whisky Distilleries page here.

Auchentoshan

Pronounce         OCH-un-TOSH-un

Meaning             Field of the corner

Fact                     Auchentoshan is the only Malt Whisky distillery in Scotland that triple                                   distils every drop of spirit using their 3 unique stills.

Kingsbarns

Pronounce         Kings-BARNS

Meaning             Reference to the ancient Kingdom of Fife, when Scotland’s capital was                               Dunfermline.

Fact                     The bottles are adorned with Scottish “doos”; doves or pigeons                                             representing the oldest building at the distillery, the Laird’s doocot.

Lindores Abbey

Pronounce         lin-DOORS

Meaning             Church by the water

Fact                     The distillery is built in the site of the ancient Lindores Abbey, famous                                   for its reference to the monks producing Aqua vitae as far back as                                       1494, Scotland’s first written reference to Scotch whisky.

Discover more about Lindores Abbey on our whisky Distilleries page here.

Bladnoch

Pronounce         BLAH-d-noch

Meaning             Place of Flowers

Fact                     Bladnoch is the most southerly distillery in Scotland

When to visit the Lowlands.

Due to the location close to Edinburgh, the distilleries of the Lowlands are some of the most accessible and therefore tend to be open year-round.  This means that whenever you fancy a city break to Edinburgh you can take in a distillery on a day drip or if you already live in the south of Scotland, make the most of these distilleries on your doorstep. Fife’s whisky festival takes place in end of February / early March so it’s the perfect time to expand your knowledge of the local whiskies.

Forth Road Bridges (taken by and copyright, Andrew Palmer)

Typical Lowland characteristics

The south of Scotland has long been known for creating gentle and soft single malts, perhaps mirroring the gentle rolling landscape.  Floral, grassy, cereal and citrus notes make up the classic description of these drams.  If you are tasting a range of single malts it’s best to start with the delicate Lowlands.

Read the next edition in the series: The Highlands