Home of the Rare Malts Tasting, Royal lochnagar is a real highlight of the tour, breath-taking scenery, Royal heritage and top class single malts make this distillery a one of the very best in Scotland!
History
Royal Lochnagar is one of Scotland most exclusive and highly esteemed whiskies. Situated on the south side of the river Dee, just a stone’s throw from Balmoral Castle it is a must visit distillery for any single malt connoisseur.
The distillation of whisky on the site started legally in 1826 when local man James Robertson set up the Lochnagar Distillery on the North side of the river Dee (like most distilleries in Scotland illegal production started much earlier!) Unfortunately the distillery was burned down in 1841; many believe the fire was started deliberately by Robertson’s competitors. The distillery was rebuilt and remained operational until 1860.
Between 1841 and 1860 a man from Aberdeen called John Begg managed to get a lease for a 120 acre site on the south side of the river and started his own distillery, this became known as the New Lochnagar Distillery.
The Royal connection came when during their first visit to the new Balmoral Castle in 1848, John Begg invited Prince Albert, a keen enthusiast in machinery to visit the distillery. The very next day the Prince arrived joined by his wife, Queen Victoria and their three eldest children. The Royal Family where so impressed by the distillery and quality of the whisky that they issued John Begg a Royal Warrant of Appointment as supplier to the Queen, John Begg later changed the name to Royal Lochnagar and the brand went from strength to strength.
The distillery was passed down through generations of the Begg family before being sold to John Dewer Ltd. The distillery later closed during the Second World War. After it’s re-opening it underwent a series of modernisations before eventually being acquired by Diageo, who still operate the distillery to the same high standards and quality that earned it such a reputation and Royal Warrant all those years ago.
