Isle of Harris

In September, Isle of Harris distillery released their first single malt in eight limited edition batches: The Hearach. This inaugural release was the first ever legal whisky to hail from the Hebridean Island, having been crafted by Harris's close-knit community. The distillery was built in 2015, with the intention to not only bring jobs and culture to an island with a waning population, but to revive the distilling traditions that were lost during the Pabbay clearances of the 1840s. Upon release, The Hearach was met with much buzz and acclaim, and so we are excited to see what is to come next from this remote isle of Scotland.

Dunphail

In Autumn, Dunphail distillery filled their very first casks for maturation, after opening their visitor centre during the Summer. The new distillery was founded by Bimber Distillery mastermind, Dariusz Plazewski, who has promised to bring traditional distillation methods back to Speyside. Their mission is to produce world-class full-bodied, fruit-forward single malt whisky using the full range of processes, each one shaped by generations of rich distilling heritage. A champion of sustainability, the site also generates renewable electricity entirely through the extensive use of solar power.

Port of Leith

The UK's first vertical whisky distillery opened on 11th October 2023. Port of Leith distillery is now inviting visitors to it's trendy location just outside of Edinburgh, to tour their nine stories - and visit their swish top-floor bar. The project has been undertaken by wine merchant, Ian Stirling, and finance director, Paddy Fletcher, after they began experimenting with whisky production in their back gardens. Going forward, they intend to mature their spirit in the different kinds of wine casks that have been imported into Leith for centuries.

Holyrood

In other news coming from Edinburgh, Holyrood distillery unveiled their own inaugural release in September, fittingly named Arrival. Established in 2019 in the centre of the capital's historic old town, the moniker was inspired by the distillery's location within the former Innocent Railway terminal. The limited edition whisky quickly sold out at The Whisky Shop, as only 8,188 bottles were made. Made using traditional distilling yeast, it is this ingredient that will be altered in their future releases as they shall be using a range of yeasts not typically used within Scotch whisky production.