Scotch Whisky Distilleries to Look Out for in 2025

There is a lot happening in the scotch whisky world this year. From anniversary celebrations to new openings to special releases, here are a few distilleries to keep an eye on in 2025.

Glasgow Distillery

Glasgow Distillery’s first whisky cask turns ten in March this year, so we are eagerly waiting for their first ever 10-year-old 1770 single malt bottling. I’m confident they will also celebrate the milestone in various ways. Meanwhile, make sure to sample some of their core range releases!

Glencadam

Glencadam is celebrating its 200th anniversary this year! They have been very secretive about their celebration plans, so it’s a distillery worth keeping tabs on. Glencadam Distillery will also open their brand-new visitor centre in the summer. To get into the celebratory spirit, I recommend trying their tasty 15-year-old single malt.

Lochranza Distillery

Lochranza Distillery on the Isle of Arran is celebrating its 30th anniversary in 2025. Keep an eye out for their 30-year-old bottling and some celebratory events.

Kilchoman Distillery

The Islay-based farm distillery Kilchoman is celebrating their 20th anniversary this year. I have been told there won’t be a 20-year-old whisky but other special anniversary releases. Make sure to keep an eye out for their socials for news about all the festivities and limited-edition bottlings. While we wait, I recommend trying their batch strength release from last year!

Isle of Harris

Isle of Harris Distillery is hosting the Hebridean whisky festival later on this year. It’s also their 10th anniversary so there is a lot to look forward to from the small island distillery. See my previous blog post for more about the distillery and the Hearach Single Malt.

Isle of Tiree Distillery

Isle of Tiree Distillery will release their first ever single malt in this week, 9^th of January 2025. The island is the most westerly of the Inner Hebrides of Scotland. Back in the day, Isle of Tiree’s economy was based on grain production. It was well-known for its fertile soil and long growing seasons, so it only makes sense for them to return to their whisky making roots.

Their first release is made with unpeated malted barley and distilled over a direct flame in small pot stills. The spirit was matured in American oak bourbon quarter casks and a 50-litre virgin oak cask before spending a further two years in first-fill oloroso sherry casks. These casks have been resting less than 100 meters from the North Atlantic Ocean.

Scapa

Scapa Distillery saw a major upgrade last year, which included a stunning new visitor centre and tasting room in the distinctive clifftop location overlooking the natural harbour of the Scapa Flow.

The Orkney-based distillery also debuted their new core range, with 10-, 16- and 21-year-old single malts in stunning new bottle designs as well. This feels like an exciting new era for the distillery and it’s therefore worth keeping an eye on.

The Orkney Distillery

If you happen to visit Scapa, make sure to also pop by Orkney Distillery. Not only do they make an excellent selection of gins, but they have also begun making whisky. You can book a whisky-making experience at the distillery or sample some of their blended malts at the distillery bar while we eagerly wait for their first single malt to be of age.  

Ardnahoe

A new core release from the new Islay-based distillery is expected in the spring of 2025, with a fresh Feis Ile bottling due in May and the 2025 expression of Infinite Loch after that. Another Society release can be expected, and with the distillery’s global brand partner Skerryvore celebrating their 20th anniversary in 2025, a special Ardnahoe bottling has been rumoured.

Stannergill Whisky

In November 2020, Dunnet Bay Distillers Ltd purchased Castletown Mill and are giving it a new lease of life through a £4 million project to conserve and revitalise the important Grade B listed building. The mill is one of the largest and most imposing 19th-century grain mills in the North Highlands of Scotland. Dunnet Bay Distillers are opening the new whisky distillery to visitors in summer 2025 and will begin production at the same time.

In the meantime, they are doing a series of ten limited-edition blended whiskies called Sagas, designed to raise funds for the conservation of Castletown Mill. The whiskies will feature images from the history of Castletown Mill, and the flavour profile of the blends matches the photograph on the front of the bottle.

The Clydeside Distillery

This Glasgow-based distillery is currently working on some refurbishments as they change their café into a whisky bar. The Clydeside Distillery was built in the old Pumphouse building, which once controlled all the comings and goings for the famous Queen’s Dock by pumping hydraulic power for the swing bridge. It will also make a stunning location for the new bar. The Clydeside Whisky Bar is expected to open in the spring. Perhaps there will be a new release to celebrate the occasion…

Other

See also Witchburn Distillery in Campbeltown, Kythe Distillery in Perthshire and Ardgowan Distillery near Glasgow, who are all gearing up to begin distilling this year. Witchburn will be a Net Zero carbon production distillery. It will be powered by 100% green renewable energy sources and the latest heat and energy recovery systems, making the distillery one of the most environmentally friendly in Scotland.

Kythe Distillery will focus on old-style brewing and distilling. They will have extra-long fermentation and use a wood-fired wash still and worm tub condensers. The eco-friendly Ardgowan Distillery is designed with state-of-the-art technologies and with the help of Heriot-Watt University and Hydrogen Green Power, the aim is to reduce their carbon footprint significantly, eventually achieving carbon neutrality.

Which scotch whisky distillery are you most excited about this year? Do you have your own list of scotch whisky distilleries to look out for in 2025?

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