Glen Ord Distillery: History, Owner and Visitor Guide
Updated: 23 hours ago
Glen Ord is a Highland distillery at Muir of Ord, on the Black Isle side of Ross-shire. It is owned by Diageo, it malts a large share of the barley for Diageo's northern distilleries, and its single malt is sold as The Singleton of Glen Ord. This guide covers where it is, its history through the Mackenzie, Dewar and DCL years, how it makes its spirit and how to visit.
In this guide
Summarise this guide with AI
Glen Ord at a glance
Distillery fact | Verified detail |
|---|---|
Location | Muir of Ord, Black Isle, Highlands |
Region | Highlands, Scotland |
Founded / established | 1838 |
Owner | Diageo |
Bottles documented | 3 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 Glen Ord 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 GLEN ORD COMMUNITY POLL · 4 QUICK QUESTIONS
Answer four quick questions to see real reader percentages. No account or email is required.
Glen Ord history, people and production
Where is Glen Ord distillery?
Glen Ord Distillery, Muir of Ord, Ross-shire, IV6 7UJ. ScotchWhisky.com classes it as a Highland single malt distillery and lists it as working.
Glen Ord history
The Black Isle has a long distilling past. ScotchWhisky.com notes that it was home to Ferintosh, where the Forbes family were allowed to distil duty free from 1688 to 1784 as a reward for backing the Hanoverian kings. By the early 19th century the area had become a heartland of distilling, with illicit distillers working alongside nine licensed sites.
ScotchWhisky.com says the distillery at Muir of Ord was built in 1838 by local laird Thomas Mackenzie, who leased it to a series of operators. Dates in the early story vary between sources, so treat the founding year as 1838 per ScotchWhisky.com.
Ownership then moved around. In 1847 Mackenzie put the distillery on the market. Robert Johnston and Donald McLennan ran it until 1855, then Thomas McGregor and Alexander McLennan. McLennan died in 1870 and his widow, with her new husband Alexander Mackenzie, took over the running. A new still house built in 1878 burned down almost immediately. The Glenoran name was registered for the whisky in 1882.
Things settled in 1896, when the Dundee blenders James Watson and Co took charge and expanded the site. They sold it to John Dewar and Sons in 1923. Two years later Dewar's became part of the Distillers Company Limited (DCL), and in 1986 United Distillers took over, followed by Diageo in 1997.
Who owns Glen Ord?
Diageo has owned Glen Ord since 1997. Before that it passed through United Distillers (1986 to 1997), DCL (1925 to 1986), John Dewar and Sons, James Watson and Son (1896 to 1923) and several families.
Maltings and expansion
ScotchWhisky.com says Glen Ord is one of only three distilleries that are self-sufficient in malt, alongside Roseisle and Springbank. The old floor maltings were replaced by Saladin boxes in 1961, and a large drum maltings was built in 1968.
It now produces malt for all of Diageo's northern plants and Talisker, and sometimes makes heavily peated malt for Islay. The site's own timeline also says malting stopped entirely in 1983, so check the current position before quoting it.
Stills went up to six in 1966. Rising demand led to two expansions. The first raised capacity to 5 million litres of pure alcohol a year, and a second, completed in 2014, took it to 10 million.
How Glen Ord makes its whisky
Water: Loch nam Bonnach and Loch nan Eun.
Malt: lightly peated, mainly made in house.
Mashing: a lauter mash tun with a grist of 12.5 tonnes.
Fermentation: 10 washbacks, eight wood and two steel, with a 75 hour fermentation and creamed yeast.
Stills: six, plain shapes, with shell and tube condensers.
Strengths: 63.5% filling strength and 66 to 68% new make.
Wort and distillation: clear wort and a high cut point, which ScotchWhisky.com credits for the grassy new make that Diageo uses as one of its main aroma groups.
The Singleton of Glen Ord
Glen Ord has been sold as a single malt since the 1980s under a muddle of names: Glen Ord, Glenordie, Ordie, Ord and Muir of Ord. Diageo settled on The Singleton of Glen Ord and promotes it heavily in Asia.
2002: Glen Ord 12 Year Old launched.
2006: first bottled as The Singleton of Glen Ord, as a 12 year old.
2010: The Singleton of Glen Ord 15 Year Old released in Taiwan.
2013: Trinité, Liberté and Artisan released in travel retail.
Current ABVs and the present-day range were not available from a source that loaded for this draft, so check the Singleton and Diageo pages before publishing.
Visiting Glen Ord
The visitors' centre opened in 1988. ScotchWhisky.com lists opening as Monday to Saturday 10am to 4pm from November to February and to 5pm from March to October, and Sunday noon to 4pm (5pm March to October). Phone +44 1463 872004. Check before travelling.
Official website
Glen Ord 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
The Singleton of Glen Ord 12 Year Old | 12 years | Check bottle | Oak matured single malt from Glen Ord |
The Singleton of Glen Ord 15 Year Old | 15 years | Check bottle | American and European oak |
The Singleton of Glen Ord 18 Year Old | 18 years | Check bottle | Extended maturation in oak |
Featured bottle: The Singleton of Glen Ord 12 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.
Frequently asked questions about Glen Ord
Where is Glen Ord?
At Muir of Ord, Ross-shire, in the Highlands.
Who owns Glen Ord?
Diageo, since 1997.
What is The Singleton of Glen Ord?
The single malt bottling from Glen Ord. It was first bottled under that name in 2006 as a 12 year old.
How many stills does Glen Ord have?
Six, per ScotchWhisky.com.
Does Glen Ord make its own malt?
ScotchWhisky.com says it is self-sufficient in malt and supplies Diageo's northern distilleries and Talisker.
Sources and photographic credits
Not confirmed: current ABVs, current range and visitor prices. malts.com distillery page returned 404 and The Single Cask has no Glen Ord guide.
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