Glengoyne Distillery: History, Owner and Visitor Guide
Updated: 21 hours ago
Glengoyne sits on the Highland Line at Dumgoyne, north of Glasgow. The stills stand in the Highlands and the casks mature in warehouses across the road in the Lowlands. It has made unpeated malt since 1833, and it is owned by Ian Macleod Distillers.
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Glengoyne at a glance
Distillery fact | Verified detail |
|---|---|
Distillery / brand | Glengoyne |
Whisky region | Highland, Scotland |
Ownership (October 2026) | Ian Macleod Distillers |
History | Founded in 1833 as Burnfoot; later renamed Glengoyne. |
Expressions to explore | Glengoyne 12 Year Old and Glengoyne 18 Year Old |
Visiting / editorial note | The distillery is open year round with tours from a standard tour and tasting to warehouse and blending experiences, according to The Single Cask. |
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Where is Glengoyne distillery?
At Dumgoyne, Killearn, Stirlingshire, on the A81 about 17 miles north of Glasgow, at the foot of Dumgoyne hill with a waterfall behind the stillhouse. The Highland Line passes through the site. The stills are classed as Highland, and the maturation warehouses opposite are technically Lowland.
Glengoyne history
In the early 19th century heavy taxes pushed many producers into illicit distilling, and the hills around Dumgoyne gave good cover. After the Excise Act of 1823 the first illicit stills went legal. The record begins in 1833, when George Connell took out a licence for a farm distillery called Burnfoot.
Burnfoot passed through the McLelland family before the Glasgow blenders Lang Brothers bought it in 1876. They renamed it Glen Guin, usually translated as glen of the wild geese, and by 1905 the spelling had settled as Glengoyne, according to The Single Cask.
Lang Brothers stayed in charge until 1965, when the firm joined Robertson and Baxter, later Edrington. The distillery was rebuilt and modernised in the 1960s. In April 2003 Edrington sold Glengoyne to Ian Macleod Distillers, a price usually quoted at about £7.2 million.
Who owns Glengoyne?
Ian Macleod Distillers, a family-owned Scottish firm that also owns Tamdhu and the revived Rosebank.
How Glengoyne makes its whisky
Barley: never smoked. The distillery says its barley is only ever dried by air, so the malt is unpeated.
Stills: three, one wash still and two spirit stills. The distillery describes them as some of the slowest in Scotland, a claim The Single Cask calls a marketing statement.
Fermentation: long, with figures of up to about 56 hours quoted.
Capacity: typically quoted at about 1.1 million litres of pure alcohol a year.
Water: from the burn running off Dumgoyne hill.
Wood: the distillery says its casks take six years to prepare. It uses sherry-seasoned European and American oak and has an Oak Masters Series using virgin oak, plus a Scottish oak programme.
Energy: the distillery says 100% of its power is renewable, and it has its own wetlands and beehives on site.
The Glengoyne range
The distillery's shop lists the core range as follows. Check ABVs and prices on the shop pages.
Glengoyne 10, 12, 15 and 18 Year Old, plus older 21, 25 and 30 year old expressions (The Single Cask).
Glengoyne White Oak.
Cask Strength batches, bottled without chill filtration (The Single Cask).
Oak Masters Series: whisky matured further in virgin oak casks sourced worldwide.
Teapot Dram: Batch No. 12 is first-fill European oak and 59.2% ABV, sold direct from Glengoyne.
Glengoyne and independent bottlers
Glengoyne's owner, Ian Macleod, is itself an independent bottler, so most of the make goes into the official range. The Single Cask says some casks escaped to brokers in earlier years and a few have reached independent bottlers recently, but they are hard to find. It has not bottled a Glengoyne cask.
Visiting Glengoyne
The distillery is open year round with tours from a standard tour and tasting to warehouse and blending experiences, according to The Single Cask. The West Highland Way passes nearby. Book ahead in summer, and check the visit page for current tours and prices.
Official website
Sources and image credit
Not confirmed: ABVs, stills detail from ScotchWhisky.com, and visitor prices.
Cover image: Wikimedia Commons.
2026 verified IWSC bottle awards
In the 2026 International Wine & Spirit Competition, Glengoyne 17 Year Old Scottish Oak Single Malt Scotch Whisky was one of the six Scotch whiskies awarded Gold Outstanding. The medal is specific to this 17-year Scottish oak release, not a blanket award for every Glengoyne bottling.
Glengoyne bottle range and expression comparison
Bottle / expression | Age | ABV | Cask maturation / notes |
|---|---|---|---|
Glengoyne 12 Year Old | 12 years | Check label | Producer and release specifications may change; consult official sources. |
Glengoyne 18 Year Old | 18 years | Check label | Producer and release specifications may change; consult official sources. |
Glengoyne Cask Strength | NAS / varies | Check label | Producer and release specifications may change; consult official sources. |
Bottle releases and visitor arrangements change over time; see original research and official sources.
More whisky distilleries to explore
Frequently asked questions about Glengoyne
Where is Glengoyne?
At Dumgoyne, north of Glasgow, on the Highland Line.
When was Glengoyne founded?
1833, as Burnfoot distillery, licensed to George Connell.
Is Glengoyne Highland or Lowland?
Highland. The stills are on the Highland side, while the maturation warehouses across the road are in the Lowlands.
Is Glengoyne peated?
No. The distillery says its barley is only ever air dried.
What did Glengoyne used to be called?
Burnfoot distillery, then Glen Guin before the modern spelling arrived by 1905.
Sources and latest checks
Whisky Clan has retained the original researched history and source notes above. The comparison table lists documented expressions, not guaranteed current stock. Please check the producer's current bottle labels for strength, cask details and availability.
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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. |
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