Speyside Distillery: History, Owner and the Move to Glen Tromie
Updated: 2 days ago
Speyside Distillery was a Scotch whisky distillery near the hamlet of Drumguish in the Speyside region of Scotland, close to the village of Kingussie. It produced SPEY and Beinn Dubh single malts and Byron's Gin. It has now closed, and construction of Glen Tromie distillery is ongoing on the former site.
In this guide
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Speyside at a glance
Distillery fact | Verified detail |
|---|---|
Region | Speyside, Scotland |
Ownership | Harvey's of Edinburgh |
History | Historic Glen Tromie operations; verify relocation status |
Whisky and production | The SPEY brand is not the whole Speyside whisky region |
Named expressions | SPEY Trutina, SPEY Fumare, Beinn Dubh |
Visits | Verify public access, current tours and opening times with the distillery before travelling. |
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Speyside Distillery at a glance
Location: near Drumguish and Kingussie, Speyside, Scotland
Production began: 1990
Stills: two small copper pot stills
Water: the River Tromie
Brands: SPEY, Beinn Dubh and Byron's Gin
Owner from 2012: Harvey's of Edinburgh
Status: closed after the lease expired in 2025
History of Speyside Distillery
The site was originally an old barley mill built in the 1760s. George Christie bought it in 1962 and, with a stonemason called Alex Fairlie, slowly converted it over the next two decades. The distillery buildings were finished in 1987 and whisky production started in 1990.
Two copper pot stills of traditional shape were installed. Large scale production was never Christie's aim, so they have remained some of the smallest in Scotland. Even so, the distillery could produce 600,000 litres of alcohol per year. It was the second most southerly whisky distillery in Speyside and took its water directly from the River Tromie.
Harvey's of Edinburgh and the SPEY range
Harvey's of Edinburgh took on ownership in 2012 and prioritised exports to Taiwan, where more than one million bottles of SPEY are sold each year. Harvey's leased the distillery buildings to the Speyside Distillers Co, who operated the site.
The SPEY core range included Tenne, Trutina, Fumare, Chairman's Choice and Royal Choice. Limited editions included SPEY 10, 12 and 18 year old, and cask strength versions of Trutina and Fumare. Beinn Dubh was a single expression matured in heavily charred ruby port casks, named after Ben Macdui in the Cairngorms. The Christie family also produced Drumguish, Speyside and Glentromie bottlings, and blends such as Glen Hood and Scottish Prince.
The distillery also appeared on television as Lagganmore in the BBC series Monarch of the Glen.
Closure and what comes next
The lease expired in 2025 and the distillery is closed pending a move to a new distillery at Strathmashie. The mash tun, stills and washbacks have been removed and stored at Forsyths Ltd in Rothes while the new location is prepared. In May 2025 John Harvey McDonough, CEO of Harvey's, said the whisky from Speyside Distillery is now from a lost distillery.
Glasgow Whisky bought the Kingussie site in 2021 and plans a new distillery there called Glen Tromie, designed to be energy efficient and aim for zero carbon emissions.
Visiting
Whiskypedia lists the distillery as not open to the public. Its address is Speyside Distillery, Tromie Mills, Kingussie, Inverness-shire, PH21 1NS.
What makes Speyside distinctive?
The SPEY brand is not the whole Speyside whisky region
Speyside whisky bottle and expression comparison
Bottle / expression | Age | ABV | Cask maturation / notes |
|---|---|---|---|
SPEY Trutina | NAS / batch varies | Check bottle | The SPEY brand is not the whole Speyside whisky region |
SPEY Fumare | NAS / batch varies | Check bottle | The SPEY brand is not the whole Speyside whisky region |
Beinn Dubh | NAS / batch varies | Check bottle | The SPEY brand is not the whole Speyside whisky region |
This compares documented expressions, not live shop stock. Strength, age, casks and availability can vary by release; check the producer's bottle information.
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Frequently asked questions about Speyside
Is Speyside Distillery still open?
No. It closed after the lease expired in 2025.
Who owns the SPEY brand?
Harvey's of Edinburgh took ownership of the distillery in 2012.
What is replacing it?
Glen Tromie distillery is being built on the former site, and Harvey's plans a new distillery at Strathmashie.
Where is Speyside based?
Speyside region, Scotland; see article details.
Who owns Speyside?
Harvey's of Edinburgh
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Sources, image credits and official links
Further sources checked 20 October 2026: ScotchWhisky.com Whiskypedia entry for Speyside (history, timeline, owners, contact). Gaps: no official site page was read, so the current range and any visitor arrangements are unconfirmed.
Source: Wikipedia article on Speyside distillery. Not confirmed: the current status of the Strathmashie project, current SPEY availability and any official statements. Check against Harvey's of Edinburgh and Glasgow Whisky. Cover image: none set, the only image on Wikipedia is a generic still photo.
Original historical research and source notes are preserved in this guide. Producer details, distillery access and releases may change.
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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