Welcome to Aberdeenshire

Aberdeenshire is rich in beauty and heritage, from the inlandsummits of the Cairngorm National Park and Royal Deeside, to thestunning beaches, cliff tops and coves of the Banffshire, Mearns and

East Grampian coasts. The natural environment not only provides aperfect backdrop for our wonderful distilleries, but also ensures thatthere’s plenty to see and do whilst visiting the area.

In many ways Aberdeenshire is the epitome of what people expect toexperience when they visit Scotland – malt whisky, salmon and troutstockedrivers, over 50 challenging golf courses, barren moors, castles,Highland Games – all wrapped up in a warm welcome.With more historic castles than anywhere else in the UK, Aberdeenshireis home to Scotland’s only Castle Trail. The perfect complement to Aberdeen shire’s whiskies is our world renowned food which boasts some of the freshest and most flavor some produce in Scotland’slarder.Getting here:Aberdeenshire has excellent transport links with the rest of the UK andEurope. Whether flying, taking the train, catching the ferry or driving,reaching the region is very easy.

Why ‘Secret Malts’? The Speyside area is celebrated across theworld for being the centre of Scotland’s Malt Whisky Trail, with the largest number of distilleries of any of the whisky-producing areas of Scotland. Within an hour’s drive from Aberdeen, however, there are also a number of small and intimate distilleries that are less well known than their cousins “over the hill”. We call these the “Secret Malts” ofAberdeenshire.

  • Ardmore
  •  Fettercairn
  • GlenDronach
  • Glen Garioch
  • Glenglassaugh
  • Knockdhu
  • Macduff
  • Royal Lochnagar

Of the eight distilleries featured in this guide, most of them arerelatively small in scale but each has its own distinctive history, style and taste. Visitors can get a real insight into the science and art of the

Distiller, whose skills have remained almost unchanged for hundreds ofyears.Of the eight Aberdeenshire distilleries featured in this guide. Four of them have small visitor centers and shops offering regular toursof the distilleries, normally with very knowledgeable guides. Three of them are not officially open to the public, but will organize informal tours of the distillery, (often led by the Distillery Manager, who can offer a unique insight into how they make their whisky. Please contact them in advance to make an appointment. One of the Aberdeenshire distilleries, Macduff, is not able to offer tours or visits but has been included in the guide so that you can read a little about its history and seek out the whisky itself.We hope this guide helps you to explore the area and its distilleries and that you enjoy discovering the Secret Malts of Aberdeenshire.

It has taken well over 500 years for Scotch whisky to evolve into the rich variety of single malts, complex pure malts and distinctive Scottish blends that we know and love today. The history of each distillery as well as the nature of the landscape in which it sits and the method of production employed all play a part in the individual flavor andcharacteristics of the final product.There are no set rules or right or wrong way to drink whisky. As long as it’s enjoyed responsibly, there are many different ways to taste this revered spirit.

Working Distilleries
1. Ardmore, Kennethmont
2. Fettercairn
3. GlenDronach, Forgue
4. Glen Garioch, Oldmeldrum
5. Glenglassaugh, Sandend
6. Knockdhu, Knock
7. Macduff (not open to public)
8. Royal Lochnagar, Crathie

Lost Distilleries
1. Corgarff Castle, Corgarff
2. Glenugie, Peterhead
3. Glenaden, Old Deer
4. Glenury Royal, Stonehaven
5. Millfield, Turriff
6. Benachie (Jericho), Insch
7. Auchenblae
8. Banff