Campbeltown

The fact that one town has its own dedicated region testifies to the historical importance of Campbeltown to Scottish whisky. Situated on the eastern coast of the Kintyre peninsula, Campbeltown was once whisky making paradise: with a deep natural harbour, a local coal seam, and 20 maltings in the vicinity working with local barley and others brought in from Ireland, what more could you want? There were distilleries crammed into every alleyway and side street, with as many as twenty in operation at one point. Yet, by the end of the 1920s, only one was in operation, and even that fell silent in 1934, when today’s survivors Springbank and Glen Scotia reopened.

There are many theories as to why 17 distilleries failed. Overproduction, the closure of the local coal mine, and even the difficulty of getting rid effluent (from free-ranging pigs who had developed a taste for ale) have been proffered as reasons for the wide-scale closure of this town’s once powerful distillery population. However, no one single factor is responsible – it was just an unfortunate storm of reasons. The final nails in the coffin, so to speak, was that by the end of the 1920s, Scotland’s big blenders had settle on their style, which precluded the need for the smoky, oily style of Campbeltown whisky. Add in the decline of consumption following World War One, the significant increases in duty of 1918 that had to be shouldered by the producer, and prohibition in the USA, and you have a climate of disaster.

Today, thankfully, Campbeltown has once again become a powerhouse of whisky, but on a much smaller scale. Springbank Distillery, home to the three brands Springbank, Hazleburn and Longrow, is the undisputed champion of Campbeltown, making some of the most sought-after whiskies in the world. Mitchell’s Glengyle, also owned by Springbank, is home to the Kilkerran brand which, unsurprisingly, is also fantastic.