The Glenturret Distillery

Illicit distilling in the hidden glen above Crieff is recorded from 1717. The first documented legal reference comes from 1763, when Sir Patrick Murray's rental document names a "Thurot Distillery" on the estate — the date The Glenturret adopts as its founding year. The Drummond family of Hosh Farm owned the operation in its early legal incarnation, and it passed through several hands including John McCallum (from 1845), who operated it as the Hosh Distillery until Thomas Stewart acquired it in 1875 and renamed it Glenturret.

After the First World War the distillery fell silent. The Mitchell Brothers operated it briefly post-war until 1921, after which it lay mothballed for decades. James Fairlie bought and revived Glenturret in 1957 — a crucial act of preservation that saved Scotland's oldest working distillery from disappearing. Cointreau purchased it in 1981, bringing continental ownership and investment. Highland Distillers acquired the distillery in 1990, followed by the Edrington Group in 1999.

In 2018 Edrington announced the sale to a joint venture between Lalique Group — the prestigious French crystal house — and Hansjörg Wyss, a Swiss billionaire. The deal completed in 2019 and triggered a dramatic transformation. A new Lalique restaurant opened on site, achieving Michelin-star status. The whisky range was entirely overhauled, and ultra-premium Lalique collaboration releases — including crystal decanters priced up to £11,800 — repositioned the brand at the top of the luxury single malt market. In November 2024 the distillery announced it would remove peat from production beginning in 2025.

Water is drawn from Loch Turret via pipeline from the slopes of Ben Chonzie, providing a clean, consistent source. The distillery operates a single wash still and a single spirit still — an unusually small configuration that limits annual output to approximately 340,000 litres of pure alcohol. This tiny scale, entirely hand-crafted and batch-by-batch, gives each release genuine rarity. The minimum maturation for blending purposes is three years; single malt expressions range from 8 to 30 years. Cask types include ex-bourbon barrels, sherry casks, and specialist wine-cask finishes for the extended range.

Glenturret produces a rich, full-bodied Highland single malt characterised by fruit, spice, and malt sweetness. The small stills and traditional approach tend towards oily, textured spirit that takes on cask influence generously. Core notes across the range include dried fruit, toffee, vanilla, warm spice, and a characteristic rounded sweetness. The Peat Smoked expressions add a campfire smokiness — especially distinctive given that smoke will be removed from production after 2025, making existing peated stocks increasingly rare. Older expressions (14, 15, 25, 30 years) develop rich dried fruit, leather, and deep oak complexity that justifies the premium price positioning.

The Glenturret is one of Scotland's premier distillery destinations. The visitor experience includes guided distillery tours, tastings, and the on-site Lalique Restaurant — which holds Michelin-star status and offers a curated menu in a stunning setting overlooking the distillery. The physical shop stocks the full Glenturret and Lalique range. Tours and restaurant reservations should be booked in advance via theglenturret.com. The online shop offers complimentary UK delivery on orders over £50.