|
Campbeltown's
whisky revival continues with the rise
of Dál Riata Distillery which has just
been given the go ahead with the issuing
of building warrants on 5th June 2025
from Argyll & Bute Council.
Once known as the "Whisky Metropolis" of
the 19th century, Campbeltown was home
to over 30 distilleries at its peak. Its
natural harbour, proximity to coal, and
easy access to Glasgow’s blending houses
made it a thriving hub for whisky
production.
But by the 1920s, the golden era had
faded. American Prohibition, shifting
consumer preferences, and the economic
fallout of the First World War brought a
sharp decline. Most distilleries closed
their doors, leaving only two in
operation by the 1930s.
Fast forward to 2021: two whisky
enthusiasts, Ronnie Grant and Iain
Croucher, are walking past the site of
the long-closed Kinloch Distillery, just
steps from Campbeltown’s iconic
esplanade. With a shared dream of
building a new distillery in their
favourite whisky region, they spot a
promising plot of land—and within a
year, they’ve made it their own.
Planning permission was granted in 2023,
but like a fine single malt, some things
take time. Securing building warrants
proved a slower process, but patience
paid off. On 5 June 2025, Argyll & Bute
Council gave the green light:
construction on the Dál Riata Distillery
could officially begin. A vision, years
in the making, was finally becoming a
reality.
The distillery’s name draws on deep
historical roots. Dál Riata was the
ancient Gaelic kingdom that once spanned
Argyll, Islay, Jura, Mull, Ardnamurchan,
Cowal, parts of northeastern Ireland,
and the Kintyre peninsula—a fitting
tribute to a region steeped in cultural
and whisky-making heritage.
Today, Campbeltown is undergoing a
spirited renaissance. Its
whiskies—celebrated for their bold,
maritime character and rich
tradition—are once again in high demand.
And with the arrival of Dál Riata, a new
chapter in this storied town’s whisky
legacy is about to begin.
For Ronnie Grant it is the ideal
location "There is no better whisky town
in Scotland than Campbeltown. We are
getting to add to the wee toon’s rich
distilling history with the creation of
our own distillery Dál Riata"
Iain Croucher, owner of three-time
winning Independent Scotch Whisky
Bottler of the Year brand North Star
Spirits is equally enthusiastic about
the area. "Campbeltown is magnificent in
just about every way, I holiday here
twice a year with my wife and kids. Just
so happens it’s also my favourite Scotch
Whisky region"
Dál Riata Distillery Set to Make a Bold
Impact in Campbeltown
The Dál Riata Distillery is anything but
a modest endeavour. With an ambitious
production capacity of 850,000 litres of
pure alcohol per year, the project also
includes plans for an on-site bottling
facility and expansive
warehousing—marking a significant
investment in both scale and vision.
More than just a distillery, Dál Riata
represents a meaningful boost to the
local economy, bringing new employment
opportunities to a region that has long
felt the effects of industrial decline.
Now that both planning permission and
building warrant approval are in place,
construction is scheduled to begin
before the year’s end. As the groundwork
is laid, a bold new chapter in
Campbeltown’s legendary whisky story is
about to unfold.
You will find the current
range of Campbeltown whiskies available from specialist online whisky
shops such as
The Whisky Exchange
and
Master of Malt
|
