Royal Lochnagar History
Whisky distilling was once an essential part of farming life in Scotland and Ireland. Not only was the spirit used for medicinal and recreational purposes, but it was a great way of turning surplus barley into cash. Farms and castles had their own still-houses on-site, and it was an additional means of local employment.
Farm distilling and the sale of whisky was legal until 1780 when it was banned. People continued the practice in secret though, running illicit stills throughout the highlands and lowlands. Stills were hidden away in caves or secreted in isolated bothies. Often the whisky was stored underground, or amongst the thick shrubs of heather in the hills. Business was lucrative despite the ban. Subsequently, with the removal of the ban in 1823, a number of the illicit distillers resented the competition from those who bought licenses.
James Robertson was one who received a licence, and in 1823 he established a distillery at Crathie on the north-side of the River Dee. However, he soon fell afoul of those who had been distilling illegally, and his distillery was burned to the ground by arsonists in 1826. Robertson rebuilt the distillery near Mount Lochnagar (also known as Beinn Chìochan), but by 1841 it too was destroyed by fire.
In 1845 John Begg established a separate distillery, on the south side of the Dee. He named his distillery New Lochnagar. Circumstances were much more favourable for Begg, as by this time legal distilling was acceptable, and most fortuitously, in 1848 he gained powerful new neighbours. At Begg’s invitation, the new inhabitants of Balmoral visited his little distillery. Begg’s whisky turned out to be especially popular with her highness, and subsequently, Queen Victoria issued a Royal Warrant for its ongoing supply to the Royal Household. Begg quickly renamed New Lochnagar Distillery to Royal Lochnagar.
Visitors centre at Royal Lochnagar Distillery.
Alfred Barnard visited Royal Lochnagar in 1885-86, and noted (1):
Three Malt Barns of triangular shape, between 60-90ft in length and 30-40ft width, with two levels, each holding 2,700 quarters (34,291 kg) of barley. One Malt House (separate to the malt barns) 105ft long by 64ft wide, with stone floors and an ancient stone steep capable of wetting 30 quarters of barley.
A Mash Tun 10ft diameter and 4ft depth, along with a Mashing Machine with revolving stirring rakes powered by a waterwheel. The Wort Cooler between the Underback and the five Washbacks was 54ft long and 27ft wide. The Washbacks held 800 gallons / 3,028 litres each.
In the still house: two Pot Stills, each with a capacity of 1,362 gallons / 5,115 litres (wash still) and 899 gallons /3, 403 litres (spirit still). Square Worm Tubs with a constant flow from the Craignagall dam/reservoir.
Two duty-free warehouses. Most of the warehousing was in Aberdeen, where Royal Lochnagar had eight warehouses on the quay.
100 head of cattle on 130 acres of farmland. The cows are fed the draff and spent wash from the distillery.
All power is from waterwheels; there is no steam heating.
Output for the distillery year 1884-85 was 65,000 gallons / 246,051 litres of whisky.
Photograph of a framed sketch by Alfred Barnard of Royal Lochnagar when he visited around 1885-1887
Royal Lochnagar Distillery was shut down during both World Wars and later underwent a substantial reconstruction in 1963. The Mash Tun, Washbacks and Stills were all replaced although many traditional distilling methods were retained such as the use of worm tubs.
Notable differences between the Royal Lochnagar Distillery that Alfred Barnard visited in 1885-86 and now:
If Barnard correctly noted the capacity rather than the charge, then the stills held roughly 2,000 fewer litres when he visited than those used today. Annual production in 2016-17 is around 200,000 litres more than it was in 1884-85.
The worm tubs used water directly from the reservoir, via continuous stream, meaning it is most likely cold water. The use of hot water in the worm tubs today allows the spirit to remain as a vapour for longer. Subsequently, it continues to react with the copper, removing more of the heavier phenol properties, helping Royal Lochnagar to produce a ‘lighter’ spirit.
The Malt Floors are now used for Warehousing and storage as the barley is malted off site and trucked in.
Royal Lochnagar Distillery Cooperage
Where Is Royal Lochnagar Distillery
Royal Lochnagar Distillery is located in the eastern Highlands, in the middle of the Cairngorms National Park, off the A93/B976 (57.0346705,-3.2076434). The distillery is easy to find as there is a lot of prominent signage, even more than there is for Balmoral Castle!
Buses are available from Ballater and Braemar (the towns nearest and on either side of Balmoral) and are run by Stagecoach North Scotland. Both stop about 1 mile from the distillery.
Royal Lochnagar Tours and Bookings
Royal Lochnagar is a small distillery. Bookings for groups of 8 or more are highly advisable, but even with smaller groups, it pays to book ahead where possible. For bookings Tel: 013397 42700 or email: royal.lochnagar.distillery@diageo.com or book online via malts.com
£20 per person and approximately 60 minutes duration, includes a guided tour of the distillery, the filling store and the warehouse, followed by a tutored tasting of two (2) drams of Royal Lochnagar Whisky. Online bookings are available for the Essence Tour and Tasting. Children over 8 years of age may go on the Expressions Tour (£5). Tours are available 7 days a week at 10:30 am and 1:30 pm.
Royal Lochnagar Expressions Tour
£35 per person and approximately 60 minutes duration, includes a guided tour of the distillery, the filling store and the warehouse, followed by a tutored tasting of four (4) drams of Royal Lochnagar Whisky. Online bookings are available for the Expressions Tour and Tasting. Children over 8 years of age may go on the Expressions Tour (£5). Tours are available 7 days a week at 11:30 am, 12:30 pm, and 2:30 pm and 3:30 pm.
Royal Lochnagar Warehouse Tasting
£70 per person and approximately 60 minutes duration, does not include a tour, but does include a selection of four (4) rare Royal Lochnagar whiskies straight from the cask in the Duty Paid Warehouse. Online bookings are available for the Warehouse Tasting. Persons aged 18 years and over only. Warehouse Tastings are available 7 days at 11:00 am.
Useful Visitor Information
As with all Diageo distilleries, photos are also not allowed in production areas, which is most of the distillery. No, it’s not because they think you’ll try and steal their ideas or equipment design! Ethanol is highly flammable, and electronic equipment poses a potential source of ignition. As such, they’ve implemented a policy on all their sites – no electronic devices to be in use in production areas, or where ethanol is likely to be in higher concentrations (like warehouses).
Accommodation
The towns of Ballater and Braemar have quite a few options. We stayed in the tiny village of Tarland, a 30-minute drive from Royal Lochnagar, where there is a basic budget option at the Aberdeen Arms Hotel
Royal Lochnagar Whisky
Royal Lochnagar spirit is known for its light, fruity, nutty, grassy flavour. It is generally colour/caramel enhanced and chill filtered. Their whisky is predominantly used in Johnnie Walker blends, as well as Windsor (popular in Korea).
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A favourite of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, being conveniently situated close by Balmoral Castle. Royal Lochnagar was originally a key ingredient in VAT 69, but most production is now for single malts.
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Distilled in 2004, this 16-year-old Royal Lochnagar single malt has been matured in both American oak and European oak refill casks, before being bottled as part of Diageo's 2021 Special Releases. Aromas of orange zest, green apple, puff pastry, white grapes, mossy earth and spicy oak fill the nose. The palate offers notes of barley sugar sweeties, tart green apples, dry oak, white pepper and warming spices that linger in the finish. Also available as a 30cl sample.
Diamond Jubilee
Queen Elizabeth’s 60 year Diamond Jubilee celebrations included a special edition Johnnie Walker blend, crafted using whiskies from 1952 (the year she acceded to the throne). Royal Lochnagar housed two of the Jubilee casks in their warehouses. Exquisitely bottled and packaged in hand crafted cabinets, 60 bottles went on sale from £100,000 each in 2012.
John Walker & Sons Diamond Jubilee cask for Queen Elizabeth II's 60 year anniversary of her reign (1952-2012)
John Walker & Sons Diamond Jubilee cask for Queen Elizabeth II's 60 year anniversary of her reign (1952-2012)
Royal Lochnagar Distillery Photo Gallery
Still house exterior showing the square worm tubs. The water in the worm tubs is kept hot, which keeps the spirit as a vapor for longer, prolonging reactivity with the copper. This helps Royal Lochnagar achieve a light spirit even though the stills are quite short (which would normally produce a heavy spirit).
Formerly the malt stores and malt floors, the building is now used for warehousing.
Square Worm Condensers at Royal Lochnagar Distillery. The worm tubs use warm water to keep the spirit vapour reacting with the copper for longer.
Royal Lochnagar Stills - wash still on the left (red door seal) holds 7,410 litres. The spirit still is on the right.
Low wines / spirit safe with outlet pointing at the foreshots bowl
The Wash Still at Royal Lochnagar Distillery. It's capacity is 7,410 litres. The still is quite short and onion shaped, which would normally result in a heavy spirit, however, Royal Lochnagar crafts their spirit to be 'light' and grassy.
Low Wines / Spirit Still at Royal Lochnagar Distillery. Royal Lochnagar has only one pair of stills, producing around 450,000 litres per annum. The spirit still holds 5,450 litres but is generally only charged with around 4,000 litres of low wines at a time.
Royal Lochnagar Distillery Mash Tun - one of few open topped tuns still in use in Scotland
Washbacks at Royal Lochnagar Distillery. Washback No. 3 (pictured middle/left) is not in use and scheduled to be removed. As it hasn't been used in a while, the timbers have shrunk considerably and it is no longer water-tight.
S.R.W.V Spirit Receiver Warehouse Vessel at Royal Lochnagar
Royal Lochnagar has an unnusual feature: a duty paid warehouse. The warehouse is used by Diageo as a training acadamy.
Benrinnes 1985 cask in the Royal Lochnagar Duty Paid Academy Warehouse
Glenury Royal Distillery Cask from 1973. Glenury Distillery closed down for good in 1985. This cask can be found in the Royal Lochnagar Duty Paid Warehouse which is used for training Diageo Malt Advocates
References & Further Reading
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One of Amanda's favourite books. Around 1885, Alfred Barnard was secretary of Harper's Weekly Gazette, a journal dedicated to the wine and spirit trade. In order to provide his readers with the history and descriptions of the whisky-making process, Barnard decided to visit all distilleries in Scotland, England and Ireland. Accompanied by friends, he visited and sketched over 150 distilleries. This is a wonderful step back in time and a must have book for a whisky history geek.