Arbikie Highland Estate Distillery

The Stirling family has farmed at Arbikie on the Angus coast since the 1920s — with estate records suggesting possible connections back to the 1660s and historical evidence of whisky production on site as far back as 1794. Brothers John, Iain, and David Stirling — the fourth generation — built the modern distillery in 2013, with a visitor centre opening in May 2022. In 2014 the distillery produced Scotland's first commercial potato vodka, blending Maris Piper, King Edward, and Cultra potato varieties. The Highland Rye Whisky, released in 2020, became the first commercial rye whisky distilled in Scotland for more than a century — rye being a crop almost never grown in the country. In December 2021 Arbikie was awarded £3 million through the Green Distilleries Competition to develop a hydrogen power plant for the facility. B Corporation certification followed in 2025. The Nàdar Gin — a climate-positive spirit using peas instead of wheat as its base grain — attracted significant attention for its environmental innovation.

Equipment from Carl of Germany (CARL) includes both pot stills and column stills, allowing flexibility across grain types. The distillery runs one wash still and one spirit still. Annual capacity is 200,000 litres of pure alcohol. Barley, rye, and potatoes are grown on the estate; approximately 90% of all raw materials are estate-sourced. The master distiller is Kirsty Black, after whom Kirsty's Gin is named. Water is drawn from the estate. The hydrogen power plant project (funded 2021) aims to make Arbikie the first carbon-negative distillery in Scotland.

The Highland Rye Whisky is the signature expression and the most unusual in the Arbikie range: rye imparts bold spice, earthy grain, and a dry finish quite unlike anything else from a Scottish distillery. The Single Malt, when available, shows more conventional Highland character — orchard fruit, honey, and gentle oak. The gin range is built on estate botanicals: Kirsty's Gin features seaweed, carline thistle, and blaeberry; Nàdar Gin uses peas as its base grain for a lighter, more herbal profile. The potato vodkas (Tattie Bogle, Haar) have a characteristic oily richness from the estate tubers.

The visitor centre opened in May 2022 and offers multiple experiences: whisky tastings, gin and vodka tours, cocktail masterclasses, farm tours, and sustainability-focused visits. On-site accommodation is available for overnight stays. Free UK shipping on orders over £30. Book tours and shop at arbikie.com.