Blair Athol Distillery

Blair Athol Distillery, Pitlochry
©2022 Gazetteer for Scotland

Blair Athol Distillery, Pitlochry

Prominently located at the roadside in the tourist haven town of Pitlochry and 12 miles (19 km) south of Blair Atholl in Perth and Kinross, the Blair Athol Distillery was established in 1798, though the present building dates from 1826. It was enlarged in 1886 but closed in 1932 due to recession and the effects of prohibition in the USA. The following year it was acquired by Arthur Bell & Sons of Perth for £56,000, who went on to refurbish the buildings and plant, before re-opening for production in 1949. Two further stills were added in 1970 and a Visitor Centre was opened in 1987, which now attracts around 30,000 visitors per year. Arthur Bell's company was taken over by the Guinness Group in 1987, then merged into United Distillers and finally Diageo in 1997.

The distillery produces a 12-year-old single malt whisky, which is regarded as a Highland Malt, although the peat used in the distillation process actually comes from Orkney. This malt is also blended into the popular Bell's Whisky.


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