Scotch Malt Regions

Highland Whisky is the biggest Whisky region in Scotland and has the widest ranges in styles.

Can often be powerful and have a rich flavour sometimes smoky although slightly less so than whisky from the Islands.

The word ‘glen’ is commonly used in the name of both Highland and Speyside distilleries and means ‘valley’.
 

Whiskies that are produced on the islands around the perimeter of the Scottish mainland, with the exception of Islay, which is considered a separate whisky producing region.

The islands are not a recognized whisky producing region as such, but are considered to be part of the Highland region.
 

The distilleries in the south of the island, Lagavulin, Ardbeg and Laphroaig produce the most strongly flavoured, phenolic whiskies in Scotland.

The distilleries to the north, Bunnahabhain, Bowmore, Caol Ila and Bruichladdich tend to be of a lighter character, some draw their water direct from springs before it has had time to pick up much peat. In spite of this, they still taste peaty!


 

The region, once having a number of whisky producers, now only has three operating distilleries: Glenkinchie, near Edinburgh; Auchentoshan, near Clydebank; and Bladnoch in Galloway.

At least six other lowland single malts are still available, but are no longer distilled, Rosebank, Kinclaith, St. Magdalene, Ladyburn, Inverleven and Littlemill.

Traditionally Lowland Single Malts are triple distilled (though this has not been true of all of them), often giving them a lighter taste.
 

Speyside Single Malts are distilled in Strathspey, the area around the River Spey in Moray and Badenoch and Strathspey, in north eastern Scotland.

With so many whiskies, there are few similarities across the region, though some of the whiskies which are considered to be the most refined and elegant are in Speyside.

The two best-selling single malt whiskies in the world, The Glenlivet and Glenfiddich, come from Speyside.

Strathspey has the greatest number of distilleries of any of the whisky producing areas of Scotland.