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Islay Distilleries

“The island hath the liberty of brewing whisky, without being under the necessity of paying the usual excise duty to government. We have not an excise officer in the whole island. The quantity therefore of whisky made here is very great.” Claimed the Kildalton Church Minister in 1794.

Scottish Duties and taxes were collected by contracted taxmen often the local laird. After Parliamentary Union with England in 1707 the Crown took responsibility for collecting all duties and taxes in Great Britain - except Islay owing to an clerical error. This tax ‘exemption’ led to 20 distilleries being built. But by 1840 there were 12, 1887 there were 9 and today there are 7½.

Ardbeg, LVMH, France - Market Capitalisation £26 Billion

Laphroaig, Fortune Brands, America - Market Capitalisation £ 7 Billion

Lagavulin Diageo Britain - Market Capitalisation £23 Billion

Caol Ila, Diageo, Britain - Market Capitalisation £23 Billion

Bunnahabhain, CL Financial, Trinidad - Assets £5 Billion

Bruichladdich, Bruichladdich, Scotland - Profit £0.4 million

Islay is one of the four original whisky regions created in the early nineteenth century.
Islay, Campbeltown, Highland and Lowland were designated for the administration of distilling licences reflecting distilling concentration, not stylistic differences. Campbeltown’s collapse (32 to 2 distilleries) and Lowland’s demise (33 to 2 distilleries) were not anticipated.

Find information on the many lost distilleries on Islay which include Achnevoir disillery (1816 - 1818), Ballygrant (1818 - 1821), Freeport (c 1847), Glenavullen (1827 - 1832), Octovullin (1816 - 1819), Upper Cragabus (c 1841) and Torrylin.