Fettercairn Distillery

Fettercairn, Aberdeenshire
★★★

Scotland’s most inhospitable mountain range separates Fettercairn Distillery from the most of the rest of the Highland whisky region, so it perhaps comes as no surprise that this is an area often missed by fans of this golden nectar. Don’t make the same mistake! Though now owned by alcohol giant Whyte & Mackay, the distillery was founded in 1824 by local estate owner Alexander Ramsay; the bottled product is prominently adorned with that most Scottish of beasts – the unicorn – which was part of the old family crest. Photos of the production area weren’t permitted during our tour a good few years back, but this may have changed – there has been a major recent refurbishment.