Craggy rocks, white-sand beaches and mountains that plunge into the sea. The Hebrides, an archipelago off northwest Scotland, is famous for its dramatic landscapes; less so for contemporary whisky.
While the island of Islay is densely populated with famous-name distilleries, legendary for robustly peated drams, the mainstay of production in the rest of the Hebrides has, for 200 years, rested with Jura on the eponymous island, Talisker on Skye and Tobermory (originally Ledaig) on Mull. A few others have come and gone, or produce whisky on a much smaller scale.
There must be something in the pure Hebridean water, however, as the past decade has seen these wild islands welcome a new wave of distilleries, together shaping a distinctly Hebridean identity.
A new era
In 2015, Anderson ‘Burr’ Bakewell founded Isle of Harris Distillery, the first legal operation ever built on the island. Eight years later, The Hearach Single Malt was released and sold out in a matter of hours.
Isle of Raasay Distillery was the next cab off the rank, opening in 2017, also marking the first legal distillation on its home island; its inaugural offering sold out before its official launch.
That same year, Torabhaig became the second licensed distillery on Skye – the first since 1830. Launching its Legacy Series in 2021, the distillery introduced new ways of thinking about the spirit, including hiring whisky newcomers directly into the team. The idea of the move is that, free from the constraints of tradition, creativity can flow more freely under the expert guidance of whiskymaker Neil Macleod Mathieson.
North Uist Distillery (located not on North Uist itself, but on the neighbouring island of Benbecula, on its west coast) fired up its stills in 2019; Benbecula Distillery (on its north coast) in 2024. Both revive heritage grains grown locally, with Benbecula incorporating foraged heather into its peat fires.
Each distillery produces drams that reflect its surroundings: coastal salt spray, wisps of smoke and heather join sweetness from the famously pure Hebridean water. Innovative cask finishes – such as red wine and oloroso Sherry – soften the edges of whiskies that are gentler than their Islay cousins.
Traditional techniques are blended with the new. Across the islands, modernist distilleries stand out from the rugged terrain. Among the varied releases, a new Hebridean whisky identity is emerging, as bold and surprising as its landscapes.
Want to know more?
You can find these single malts online or in good bottle shops. But why not make a trip to the annual Hebridean Whisky Festival in September or explore the year-round Hebridean Whisky Trail?
A Hebridean whisky to try…
Torabhaig The Legacy Series Cnoc Na Moine
Isle of Skye, Scotland
‘Tempered peat’ defines the house style of Torabhaig on the Isle of Skye. Flavours are sculpted for rugged elegance: aromas of brine, leather, smoked honey and bonfire meet charcuterie, cinnamon, candied coconut and heather. Alcohol 46%
