Clynelish Distillery: History, Owner and Visitor Guide
Updated: 51 minutes ago
Clynelish is a single malt Scotch whisky distillery near Brora in Sutherland on the north-east Highland coast. It is owned by Diageo and is one of the Four Corners of Johnnie Walker. Its history is tied to Brora, the original distillery that stood beside it.
In this guide
Summarise this guide with AI
Clynelish at a glance
Distillery fact | Verified detail |
|---|---|
Location | Brora, Sutherland, Highlands |
Region | Highlands, Scotland |
Founded / established | current plant 1967; original 1819 |
Owner | Diageo |
Bottles documented | 2 named expressions in Whisky Clan's bottle database |
Visiting | See visitor information in the original research below. Check official opening and booking details before travelling. |
Join the Clynelish whisky community poll
Which whiskies have you tried? What should Whisky Clan review next? Open the highlighted poll below, answer four quick questions and share your preferences with the community.
TAKE THE CLYNELISH COMMUNITY POLL · 4 QUICK QUESTIONS
Answer four quick questions to see real reader percentages. No account or email is required.
Clynelish history, people and production
The history of Clynelish
Diageo says the original Clynelish was founded in 1819 by the Marquess of Stafford, to give Highland tenants a market for their barley. The Single Cask names the founder as the Marquess of Sutherland, which was the same family title. When production began in 1820 to 1822 it made about 12,000 gallons a year, according to Wikipedia.
The distillery expanded around 1896 and The Single Cask names John Risk among its later owners.
In the 1960s more spirit was going into blends, so a new distillery was built beside the old one in 1967 to 1968. The two ran side by side as Clynelish A and B for a short time, and the older site then closed. Diageo dates the old site's closure to 1968.
In May 1969, when Caol Ila closed for refurbishment and peated malt was missing from Johnnie Walker, the old distillery reopened as Brora. Brora started at around 30 to 35 ppm and ran until July 1983. The Brora distillery was reopened as a working distillery in 2021. A 40 year old bicentenary Brora, released as 1,819 bottles, marked 200 years since first production.
Clynelish has had a strong connection with Johnnie Walker for many years and Wikipedia calls it the backbone of Gold Label Reserve. Diageo became its owner in 1997.
Owners over time
1819: the Marquess of Stafford (Sutherland)
Late 19th century: owners including John Risk (The Single Cask)
Mid 20th century: Distillers Company, later United Distillers
1997: Diageo
People behind the whisky
The Marquess of Stafford, who founded the original distillery
John Risk, named as a later owner by The Single Cask
Diageo's tourism investment led to a visitor centre in 2021 (see below)
How Clynelish is made
Water comes from the Clynemilton Burn, which has served the site since 1819. The Single Cask says the six stills are unusual because the spirit stills are larger than the wash stills, and that fermentation runs for at least 55 hours in eight wooden and two steel washbacks. The malt is unpeated and mainly produced in house. Diageo says the spirit is shaped by Northern Highland barley and the burn water.
Notable releases
The official 14 year old, matured mainly in refill casks (The Single Cask)
Brora bicentenary 40 year old, 1,819 bottles
Independent bottlers named by The Single Cask include Signatory, Gordon and MacPhail and Cadenhead. The Single Cask also bottled a 10 year old single cask, CLY01, at 58.8% from 145 bottles
Current core range and strengths
The core expression is the 14 year old. Strengths for the range were not shown on the pages that loaded, so no ABVs are listed here.
Visiting Clynelish
Diageo's page now says the Clynelish distillery is closed to visitors. Wikipedia explains that the visitor centre opened in April 2021 at a reported cost of 5 million pounds, and that in early 2026 Diageo confirmed it would close it because of low visitor numbers and difficulty finding staff.
Diageo points visitors to The Singleton of Glen Ord Distillery nearby, which is open seven days a week, and to Brora across the road, which reopened in 2021. The Single Cask guide, written in 2021, still describes the visitor centre as open, which is now out of date.
Clynelish whisky bottle range and cask comparison
Here are named expressions documented from producer or specialist sources, including the available age and ABV. A missing strength is deliberately left as 'Check bottle' rather than estimated.
Bottle / expression | Age | ABV | Cask maturation / notes |
|---|---|---|---|
Clynelish 14 Year Old | 14 years | 46% | Oak matured, waxy Highland single malt |
Clynelish Distillers Edition | NAS | Check bottle | Historic, vintage-specific secondary maturation |
Bottle range update: source-documented expressions are listed alongside the original research. Historic and limited releases are not live stock guarantees.
Rare, limited and historic releases
These special bottlings may be sold out or available only through collectors. They are separate from the standard distillery range.
Bottle / expression | Age | ABV | Cask maturation / notes |
|---|---|---|---|
Clynelish 12 Year Old Special Releases 2022 | 12 years | 58.5% | Official sherry-finished limited edition |
Featured bottle: Clynelish 14 Year Old
Regular and rare releases are distinguished in the Whisky Bottles database; a historical catalogue listing does not prove current availability.
More whisky distilleries to explore
Help improve this Whisky Clan guide
Have a verified source, bottle release or correction? Share it through the form below. Newsletter signup is optional and separate.
If the form is not visible, open the contribution form in another tab.
Frequently asked questions about Clynelish
Where is Clynelish distillery?
Near Brora on the Sutherland coast in the Scottish Highlands.
Who owns Clynelish?
Diageo.
Is Clynelish the same as Brora?
No. Brora was the original 1819 distillery, which operated under that name from 1969 to 1983 and reopened in 2021. Clynelish is the newer distillery built beside it in 1967.
Is Clynelish peated?
The Single Cask gives the malt as unpeated, while Brora's historical spirit was peated to about 30 to 35 ppm.
Where does the water come from?
The Clynemilton Burn.
Sources and photographic credits
Loaded and used: Diageo's Malts site (Clynelish page), The Single Cask Clynelish guide (published June 2021), Wikipedia. Attempted and not usable: scotchwhisky.com Whiskypedia (guessed page was a different distillery). Whisky Advocate, Whiskybase and Whisky Magazine pages for Clynelish were not loaded.
Unverified: current ABVs, the 95 percent blend share, capacity and washback counts (The Single Cask 2021), and whether the visitor centre will reopen. Tasting notes are deliberately not included.
Cover image: Wikimedia Commons.
Featured photograph: original credited image from the Whisky Clan distillery media library. If you own this image and would like the attribution updated, please contact Whisky Clan.
About the author
 | Filip Janczak Storyteller, drinker and explorer of all things whisky. Read more about the person behind Whisky Clan and explore additional reviews and distillery guides. |
Comments