Old Pulteney Distillery: History, Owner and Visitor Guide
Updated: 23 hours ago
Old Pulteney is made in Pulteneytown, Wick, on the far north-east coast of mainland Scotland. This is the story of a distillery that grew out of a herring boom, survived a dry town and a long silence, and is marking 200 years of distilling in 2026.
In this guide
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Old Pulteney at a glance
Distillery fact | Verified detail |
|---|---|
Location | Wick, Caithness, Highlands |
Region | Highlands, Scotland |
Founded / established | 1826 (sources also cite 1825) |
Owner | Inver House Distillers / International Beverage |
Bottles documented | 4 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. |
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Old Pulteney history, people and production
Where is Old Pulteney distillery?
Pulteney Distillery sits on Huddart Street in Pulteneytown, a planned district of Wick in Caithness. Whiskypedia lists the region as Highland. The distillery is no longer the most northerly on the Scottish mainland, a title that passed to Wolfburn near Thurso, but its position on the coast is central to how it presents itself.
The official site describes the whisky as the Maritime Malt, from Scotland's far north coast.
Old Pulteney history
Wick was the capital of the herring trade from the late 18th century until the First World War. Its harbour was built in 1808, and by 1860 more than 1,000 boats worked out of the port. In 1810 Thomas Telford laid out a new town on the south bank of the river and named it Pulteneytown after Sir William Pulteney, head of the Fisheries Board.
The growing population needed a distillery. James Henderson, who had been distilling out of sight of the law at Stemster, moved into Pulteneytown and began making whisky. Whiskypedia gives the founding year as 1826 in its timeline, while its history text says 1825. The official website says it has distilled in Wick since 1826, so 1826 is used here.
The Henderson family kept the distillery for almost a century. It was sold in 1920 to James Watson of Dundee. In 1922 Wick voted to go dry, and the town stayed dry until 1947. In 1924 the distillery passed to John Dewar & Sons, and it later came into the Distillers Company Limited. Distilling stopped in 1930 when the market fell away.
The distillery reopened in 1951 when local businessman Robert Cumming bought it. In 1955 he sold it and Balblair to the Canadian group Hiram Walker. Through a series of mergers it ended up with Allied, which sold it and Balblair to Inver House in 1995. Whiskypedia says it was in dire need of repair at that point.
Since then it has been renovated, a visitor centre has opened and the Old Pulteney brand has been built up.
How Old Pulteney is made
Whiskypedia's production data, which is third party and not from the distillery, gives these figures:
Stills: 2, a wash still and a spirit still
Wash still: small and squat with a large boil bulb and a flat, cut-off top
Spirit still: has a purifier pipe (Whiskypedia notes the purifier is not used) and a coiling lyne arm
Condensers: worm tubs
Malt: unpeated, mostly from Bairds
Mash tun: stainless steel, semi-lauter
Washbacks: 6 (5 corten steel, 1 stainless steel)
Fermentation: 52 hours
Water: Loch Hempriggs via The Lade
Capacity: 1.8 million litres of pure alcohol a year
Whiskypedia suggests the odd still shapes may echo the design installed by James Henderson, which contemporaries compared to smugglers' stills.
Who owns Old Pulteney?
Whiskypedia lists Inver House Distillers as the current owner since 1995, with International Beverage Holdings as the parent company since 2006. International Beverage Holdings bought Pacific Spirits UK, the owner of Inver House, in 2006 after Pacific Spirits purchased Inver House in 2001.
1826 to 1920: James Henderson and family
1920: James Watson & Co
1924: John Dewar & Sons
1925 to 1951: Distillers Company Limited
1951 to 1958: Robert Cumming
1958 to 1961: Hiram Walker & Sons
1961 to 1995: Allied Breweries, then Allied Lyons
1995 to present: Inver House Distillers
Whiskypedia's ownership list differs slightly from its timeline on when Hiram Walker took over (1955 or 1958), so treat that year as approximate.
The Old Pulteney range
The official site currently lists these releases. Strengths and prices change, so check the distillery shop before buying.
Harbour
12 Years Old
15 Years Old, marked as most loved on the site
18 Years Old
Huddart
25 Years Old
30 Years Old, limited to 1,000 bottles
50 Years Old, limited to 200 bottles
Port, Single Cask and Distillery Exclusive limited editions
200th Anniversary Distillery Exclusive, matured in Manzanilla and sherry casks
The 200th anniversary releases of the 30 and 50 year old are described by the distillery as among its oldest ever.
Visiting Old Pulteney
Whiskypedia lists the visitor centre as open Monday to Friday from 10am, closing at 4pm from October to April and 5pm from May to September, and on Saturdays from 10am to 4pm from May to September, closed on Sundays. Opening times change, so confirm on the official tours page before travelling. The distillery phone number is +44 1955 602371.
Official website
Old Pulteney 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
Old Pulteney 12 Year Old | 12 years | 40% | Matured in air-dried ex-bourbon casks |
Old Pulteney 15 Year Old | 15 years | 46% | American oak and Spanish oak |
Old Pulteney 18 Year Old | 18 years | 46% | American oak and Spanish sherry-seasoned oak |
Old Pulteney Huddart | NAS | 46% | Peated whisky cask finishing influences |
Featured bottle: Old Pulteney 12 Year Old
Regular and rare releases are distinguished in the Whisky Bottles database; a historical catalogue listing does not prove current availability.
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Frequently asked questions about Old Pulteney
Where is Old Pulteney made?
At Pulteney Distillery in Pulteneytown, Wick, Caithness.
When was Old Pulteney founded?
1826, by James Henderson. One part of Whiskypedia says 1825, so the date is not perfectly settled across sources.
Who owns Old Pulteney?
Inver House Distillers, part of International Beverage Holdings, according to Whiskypedia.
Is Old Pulteney peated?
The distillery uses unpeated malt, according to Whiskypedia. Huddart is listed by the distillery as matured in ex-bourbon and ex-peated casks.
Can you visit Old Pulteney?
Yes. There is a visitor centre on Huddart Street and tours are listed on the official site.
Sources and photographic credits
Official website: oldpulteney.com (home page loaded 20 October 2026).
ScotchWhisky.com Whiskypedia: Pulteney distillery entry (loaded 20 October 2026).
Also tried: Whisky Advocate and Whiskybase were not loaded for this post. Wikipedia was used in the earlier draft for the Telford and William Pulteney detail.
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. |
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