Ardnahoe Strana 1 z 1

Ardnahoe Distillery is the youngest and also the ninth operational distillery on the legendary Scottish island of Islay, which is world-famous for its peaty single malt whiskies.

Ardnahoe Distillery was founded by the family Hunter Laing & Co., an independent bottler and whisky merchant from Glasgow. The idea of building a distillery on Islay was carried by Stewart Laing, a long-time figure in the Scottish whisky industry, along with his sons Andrew and Scott. They began preparing the project in 2015 and after an investment of approximately £12 million, the distillery opened in 2019.

The name Ardnahoe comes from Gaelic and means “height by the hollow” or more loosely “place above the hollow lake” – the name relates to the location above the pond from which the distillery draws pure water for its production.

Ardnahoe is distinguished by its use of worm tubs, traditional copper spiral cooling tubes submerged in water troughs. This ancient method of condensing vapor gives the distillate a bolder, oilier character – which is very attractive to fans of Islay whisky as it enhances the peaty profile.

The distillery uses two large pot stills (copper, with a capacity of over 12,000 liters) and produces peaty malt whisky, which combines the typical smoke and sea from Islay with smoothness and an oily body. The production capacity is approximately 1 million liters of pure alcohol per year.

Ardnahoe was designed not only as a production distillery but also as a destination for tourists. The modern visitor center features panoramic glazing, offering a stunning view of the island of Jura and its iconic mountains “Paps of Jura.” In addition to tours and tastings, there is also a café and shop.

Ardnahoe is important not only because it expanded the number of distilleries on Islay, but also because it brought a family with a long-standing whisky tradition to the region. Hunter Laing is among the respected independent bottlers, and the opening of its own distillery on the iconic island symbolizes that Islay still retains the ability to innovate while remaining true to tradition.