Isle of Raasay Distillery

R&B Distillers was founded in 2014 by Bill Dobbie and Alasdair Day with the ambition of building Raasay's first legal distillery on an island with a deep history of illicit production. The distillery licence was granted in September 2017 and production began immediately. The visitor centre opened in January 2018 and earned a five-star VisitScotland rating by June 2018.

While awaiting the legal minimum maturation period for Scotch whisky, R&B Distillers released the "While We Wait" series — five independently sourced single malts bottled between 2017 and 2020 — to build audience and fund growth. These releases drew considerable attention and established the Raasay brand before the first own-distilled whisky appeared.

The flagship Isle of Raasay Single Malt launched in September 2020, matured in Tennessee whisky casks and finished in Bordeaux wine casks. Subsequent releases developed the distillery's innovative six-cask maturation recipe, incorporating Bordeaux red wine, chinkapin oak, and American rye casks. In 2025, the Na Bothain luxury cabins opened in October, further expanding the distillery's accommodation offering.

Raasay operates one wash still and one spirit still, with an annual capacity of approximately 940,000 litres (around 200,000 litres of pure alcohol). Water is drawn from Tobar na Ba Bàine — a Celtic Iron Age well with notably high mineral content derived from the island's volcanic and sandstone geology, giving the water a distinctive character that feeds into the spirit. The six-cask maturation recipe used for The Draam is central to the distillery's identity, drawing on Bordeaux red wine casks, chinkapin oak, American rye, and more to build complexity. Isle of Raasay Gin is produced using ten botanicals, including rhubarb root and cubeb pepper, launched in July 2019.

The Draam — Raasay's signature expression — is lightly peated and matured using a unique six-cask recipe that produces rich, dark fruit character of considerable complexity. On the nose: dark berry fruit, a whisper of coastal smoke, and warm vanilla. The palate brings ripe plum, dark chocolate, leather, and spice from the chinkapin and rye casks, balanced by a gentle maritime influence. The finish is long and warming. Isle of Raasay Gin (46% ABV) is dry, zesty, and smooth, with the rhubarb root adding a tart brightness and cubeb pepper contributing an aromatic, peppery heat.

Tours run four days a week; advance booking is strongly recommended. The distillery offers standard production tours alongside premium tasting experiences. Accommodation is available within the distillery building — the only such arrangement at any working Scottish distillery. The newly opened Na Bothain luxury cabins (opened October 2025) provide further overnight options. A physical shop and online shop are both available. For current tour times and availability, see raasaydistillery.com.