Whisky production returns to Inverness

Inverness, a city often referred to as the capital of the Scottish Highlands, once boasted three whisky distilleries. They were Glen Mhor, Glen Albyn and Millburn. All three fell victim to the overproduction crisis that literally cleared Scotland's distillery map in the 1980s. In the 1970s. Millburn survived the longest, and some of its buildings remain today, although they have long since ceased to serve as whiskey factories. Glen Mhor and Glen Albyn, located next door and in operation until 1983, had to give way in 1986 to a newly constructed shopping center. And practically a trace of them has disappeared.

Around the middle of last year, news broke of plans to launch a new whisky distillery in Inverness and restore the city's status as a malt whisky producer. The city, which was once such an important distillery center.

Uile-Bheist is the first malt whisky distillery to open in Inverness in 130 years. Its construction cost £7.5 million, and it was erected on the banks of the River Ness, which flows into the North Sea here. The plant is also a brewery, so it can be expected that the contents of the several hundred barrels of whisky produced here annually (the target is 500-600 barrels) will be at least partly the result of experimentation with different types of barley malt.

The new distillery boasts a minimal carbon footprint, and the water and energy needed to operate it comes largely from the River Ness, via an innovative system designed and built by German company Kaspar Schulz.

In addition to whiskey, the plant will also produce beer, available straight from the pouring machine at the distillery's Visitor Center. The top-notch experience, the distillery's creators say, is expected to attract about 100 people a day during the season. According to Jon Erasmus, the originator AND owner of the distillery, it is important to him that visitors, sometimes coming from very distant parts of the world and having a lot of experience, leave with the conviction that it was worth the trouble to drop by Uile-Bheist. Regular tours of the distillery will be available from April 1.

After Aberdeen, Inverness is the largest city in the northern part of Scotland, located at the mouth of the River Ness on the North Sea. In fact, the very name of the town means "mouth of the Ness." It is the northeastern end of the great valley (The Great Glen), in which the m.in. famous Lake Loch Ness, and which ends at Fort William on the southwestern edge of the. The city of about 50,000 people is an important tourist, cultural and industrial center. Before Uile-Bheist opened, the nearest distillery was Tomatin, located slightly south of Inverness.

As you know, we have to wait at least 3 years for the first whisky from the new distillery in Inverness. So, we won't be able to taste Uile-Beist whisky until 2026, or even later. Many young distilleries choose to bottle their products soon after the legal minimum has passed, but this is not the rule. Founded in 2005, Daftmill, located in the Lowlands, waited as long as 12 years to release its whisky. We are all still waiting for the releases of Hearach whisky from Isle of Harris distillery (zał. 2015), or the first editions of Ballindalloch (zał. 2014).


[08.03.2023 / photo: Uile-Beist]