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Our Story
When Stewart Laing and his sons Andrew and Scott formed Glasgow-based Hunter Laing & Co. Ltd as a blender and bottler of scotch whisky in 2013, they knew it was finally time to also realise their long-held ambition of making their own whisky. With a family background in the whisky business dating back to the 1940s when Stewart’s father founded his own blending and bottling company, Stewart’s own experience in the industry dating back well over 50 years and whisky stocks from all around Scotland carefully acquired over 6 decades, they had a strong foundation from which to build.
With a strong affinity for Islay and a reverence for its distinctive, peated malt whiskies, there was no doubt that the fabled Whisky Isle had to be the site for their own distillery. In 2015 they located the perfect four-acre site by Loch Ardnahoe on the Northeast of the island, with access to the deep loch waters, and having purchased the ground and secured planning permission ground was broken for Islay’s ninth distillery in late 2016. First runs of distillation began in October 2018 with Cask number 001 filled on the 9th November that year. The realisation of a dream, and the beginning of an exciting journey.
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Our Team
The team at Ardnahoe share many things: passion, knowledge and a heartfelt desire to share the creation of this new and exciting distillery. Whether you are taking a tour of our distillery, tasting our fine range of whiskies, sampling the local produce in The Illicit Still Cafe or visiting the well-stocked shop, our team are guaranteed to make your visit a memorable one.
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Production Team
The production team at Ardnahoe have been chosen for their skill, experience and dedication to the art of distillation. Not only do they share a passion for the potential and eventual quality of the spirit, they are eager to ensure a perfect process from start to finish. That’s exactly the ethos at Ardnahoe; it’s the process that favours quality over quantity and taste over time to ensure the consistently high quality of spirit being produced at our distillery.
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Visitor Centre Team
The staff at our Visitor Centre look forward to welcoming you and sharing their experience and knowledge of whisky – from Islay and beyond. They all have in-depth knowledge of our whiskies, the process involved and the island itself. As well as an appreciation and passion for the great spirit, they have an enthusiasm for it that is utterly infectious.
