Illicit Beginnings

Distilling took place on the remote Kintyre peninsula as early as the 16th century, as travellers from the nearby Irish coast of Antrim (just 12 miles away) brought their methods to Scotland by way of Campbeltown. Although unconfirmed, there's a likelihood that Campbeltown is where Scotch whisky began.

By the 18th century, the abundant peat, barley and water of the region, and the penchant for whisky of the locals, made the drink an everyday part of life. However, those further afield were keen to get their hands on the glorious liquid being produced in Campbeltown. As the bustling port of Glasgow was easily accessible by water, bottles and barrels were transported to the 'Second City of the Empire' to be exported around the world. Not yet legal, a massive 292 illicit stills were confiscated by exisemen between 1797 and 1799.

Opening Doors

Once the Exise Act lowered taxes in 1823, many distilleries took out a legal license and, over the next five years, 15 new ones popped up. (This date is why many distilleries are celebrating big anniversaries in the next few years!) Due to the lucrative market in Campbeltown - ships now even stopped in the harbour on their way home to pick up whisky - many more distilleries were established in order to capitalise on the trend.

Bubble Bursting

It was only a matter of time before local resources started running out, and competition began to be all too fierce to keep up with. No one dared to open up a new one for a whole decade, and some smaller distilleries shut their doors in the late 19th century. Distilleries were forced to ship barley all the way from Russia.

Golden Age of Whisky

Though, during this time the annual output of Campbeltown reached 10 million litres, with the 20 remaining distilleries making their millions with help from the Phylloxera epidemic which had decimated the French wine industry. Distillery owners were making their millions, as demand from blending houses continued to rise. Today, you only need to take a walk by the coast to see the wealth brought to the region, with its massive Victorian mansions. To the distillers, it looked like the glory days would never end.

20th Century Troubles

The death of Queen Victoria marked the beginning of the end for the Victorian whisky capital. The first sign of trouble was when Pattison's of Leith, a giant whisky blender, defaulted on its loans and brought down ten other firms with it. The excitable investors in the whisky industry suddenly became very reluctant to spend, but distillers had overproduced in better times. They were left with huge amounts of whisky with next to zero demand, causing the price to plummet.

To make matters worse, the First World War caused demand to slip even further, and grain was reserved for making food rather than whisky. Every distillery in Campbeltown ceased production during this time, with a few never opening back up. At the same time, Prime Minister David Lloyd George led a popular Temperance movement, increasing taxes on alcohol sixfold. In the USA, a major consumer of Scotch, Prohibition began in 1920 - decimating the export market. The final death knell was the Wall Street Crash of 1929, which brought forth the Great Depression.

Campbeltown's Fall From Grace

These calamitous worldwide events seemed targeted towards the distillers in Campbeltown, and so it's not a surprise that they began to cut corners to survive. The re-use of casks that should have been thrown out, and the lack of investment in upkeep of the premises, resulted in sub-par liquid which marred the region's glowing reputation for high-quality whisky.

Consequentially, blending houses chose to source their single malt from the newer region of Speyside whom produced sweet and fruity liquid suited to the more softer taste of the English upper class - now one of the only groups who purchased whisky altogether. Indeed, it was now easier to access due to the construction of the Strathspey Railway.

Two Together

In the 1920s, most distilleries sold their remaining stock and shut their doors for good, with just two remaining by 1935: Springbank and Scotia. The locals, who had relied on Campbeltown's primary industry, fled to Glasgow in spades to seek new opportunities. Duncan MacCallum, owner of Scotia distillery, committed suicide by drowning himself in Campbeltown Loch after a business deal imploded. If you visit Glen Scotia distillery today, you just might see his ghost - as others have.

Campbeltown's Resurgence

For the next 65 years, Springbank and Glen Scotia continued making top quality single malt in Campbeltown as the two to make it out of troubling times. Though, in 2000, The Scotch Whisky Association dictated that the region was no longer one of the six official whisky-producing regions, as only two distilleries were currently operational.

Hedley Wright, owner of Springbank distillery and descendent of it's founder, decided that Campbeltown - the former whisky capital of the world - would not be relegated to just another place. He purchased the mothballed Glengyle distillery, and began producing a brand-new single malt there - pushing the number to three and equal to the Lowland region. As a result, the SWA decided that this was enough for Campbeltown to keep the recognition.

Campbeltown Whiskies

Springbank

After being established in 1828 on the site of Archibald Mitchell's illicit still, the widely-known reputation of the distillery was only established in the 1990s after a spate of supremely high-quality bottlings turned heads across the world. This is perhaps because the distillery still employs traditional production methods and are involved in each and every step of the whisky making process – meaning the whisky is the most handmade in Scotland.

Longrow

Produced at Springbank distillery, Longrow is the most traditional whisky made in Campbeltown, as it is heavily peated and distilled twice.

Hazelburn

Also made at Springbank, Hazelburn is their only dram to be free from any peat and is triple distilled.

Glen Scotia

Glen Scotia is one of the smallest whisky distilleries in Scotland but one of the big names of Campbeltown. After being purchased by Loch Lomond in 2014, where they increased capacity and opened a visitor centre, the distillery still maintains much of its original design, including the fermenters, the stillroom, and the dunnage warehouse dating from the 1830s.

Kilkerran

Produced by Glengyle distillery, Kilkerran is the first single malt to be produced there since 1925. Demand for is often higher than the supply for all Kilkerran core expressions, which boast characteristic notes of citrus oil and smoky peat, so you will often find their bottles up for ballot on The Whisky Shop, or over on The Whisky Shop Auctions.

Explore all our Campbeltown whiskies, here.