Journey To Campbeltown By Sea – Visiting Glen Scotia Distillery
If you’re a fan of Scottish whisky, then you need to make the journey to Campbeltown to visit Glen Scotia Distillery. You don’t have to make that journey by sea like I did, but if you enjoy an adventure then I’d highly recommend it!
There are few places more important to the history of Scottish whisky than the Wee Toon. Thanks to the ships that steamed across to Glasgow, it became the dominant distilling region in 19th century Scotland. It also happens to be an area that’s regularly overlooked by tourists, sadly including myself until now!
So, when Glen Scotia Distillery asked me to recreate this trip across the water to promote the Campbeltown Malts Festival, I couldn’t believe my luck. Even better, the whole thing was going to be filmed by the incredible Wandern Media. With a healthy dram for courage and some waterproof shorts, it was time for some serious fun.
This article is part of a paid campaign with Glen Scotia Distillery but all words and opinions are my own.
Where Is Campbeltown?
You can find Campbeltown in Argyll, on the east coast of the Kintyre peninsula. While geographically it’s not far from the busy Ayrshire coast, if you want to drive to Campbeltown then you’ve got a real journey ahead. Sticking to the mainland, it’s a long trip around Loch Fyne which would take over 3 hours from Glasgow.
It’s much quicker to travel to Campbeltown by sea, across the Firth of Clyde. In normal years, a ferry service operates from Ardrossan, however that’s been temporarily suspended for the 2024 season. If you want the quickest option of all, then you can always fly there from Glasgow!
When Campbeltown Was Whiskyopolis
Like most regions of Scotland, whisky was produced in Campbeltown for years before any official distillery opened. Kintyre was especially rife with illicit stills, but when the 1823 Excise Act made legal routes more attractive, the floodgates opened and whisky came pouring out!
Suddenly, dozens of distilleries were popping up to take advantage of the pure water and local knowledge. This tiny area became so packed that it was known as Whiskyopolis! The vast majority of the spirit was being exported from here straight across the waves to Glasgow in less than 12 hours.
The boom was all thanks to the safe harbour of Campbeltown Loch and easy reach of Glasgow by ship. Operations grew and grew, with dedicated access to a new reservoir organised by the Duke of Argyll. Hundreds of thousands of gallons were being exported around the world, cementing the town’s place as the Victorian Whisky Capital of the World!
My Journey To Campbeltown By Sea
For my visit to Glen Scotia Distillery, I was making the journey to Campbeltown by sea. That involved heading to the marina in Largs and meeting up with Wilson and Elaine from Sailaway Scotland. After a quick safety briefing aboard the Calico Moon, we navigated out into the open water to begin our adventure.
Although we didn’t start in Glasgow, we were covering most of the route that the steamships once followed. Since the weather wasn’t looking brilliant, we took the slightly more sheltered route, passing by the Isle of Bute before sailing through the Kilbrannan Sound. The clouds only added to the Isle of Arran’s dramatic beauty as I appreciated the chance to see Scotland in Miniature from the sea.
Sailing to Campbeltown changes your entire perspective of Scotland’s west coast. Suddenly, the rivers and lochs that you normally consider obstacles in the way are now highways to speed along. That made places like Kintyre and the islands far easier and safer to reach than the inland Highlands, accessed only on poor quality roads.
Touring Glen Scotia Distillery
Founded in 1832, Glen Scotia Distillery began life early on during the Victorian whisky boom. Where there were once dozens of distilleries in the town, now there are only three left to represent this entire whisky region! That’s why it’s so important to keep the town’s heritage in mind throughout the entire process.
Led by Iain McAlister, the team at Glen Scotia still follow the same traditions and techniques that have been passed down for almost 200 years. The result is a delicious, iconic Campbeltown whisky with a distinctly maritime flavour. There can’t be many better places to taste that than in an almost 200 year old dunnage warehouse!
Of course, some things have moved into the 21st century and the mash tun has thankfully moved indoors. Not all progress is bad and Glen Scotia do keep up with the times! However, lots of things stay the same and workers from the 1830s would immediately recognise their still room and warehouses.
If you’re lucky enough to be visiting Campbeltown, then you can book on a couple of different tours at Glen Scotia. Either take a guided tour through the distillery with a complimentary dram or do something more like I did with the 5-dram Dunnage Warehouse Experience!
Campbeltown Malts Festival
Glen Scotia might be one of the last distilleries from the whisky boom, but that heritage is still a strong part of the Campbeltown’s identity. The town’s whisky history is thrust back into the limelight during the Campbeltown Malts Festival every May. For four days, you can indulge in delicious drams in one of Scotland’s most important whisky regions.
There are tasting sessions, master blending experiences and explorations of Glen Scotia’s new make spirit. For a deep dive into what made Campbeltown such a special place for distilleries, you can even join a whisky history walking tour! While the days are currently split between Glen Scotia, Springbank and Glengyle, there are three new distilleries on the brink of opening in the region soon!
For anybody who has an interest in whisky history or just enjoys a few drams, this is a festival to mark in the diary.
Incredible Stories From Campbeltown
I couldn’t visit Campbeltown without mentioning at least a few of the amazing stories from the area! You can find evidence of the first tale on Campbeltown’s historic town cross. Look closely and amongst the Biblical characters and swirling patterns, you’ll clearly spot a Mermaid!
The cross dates back centuries, but in 1811 a local man called John McIsaac swore that he saw a mermaid sitting on the rocks. Oblivious to the crashing waves, John watched the creature for around two hours, terrified to get any closer. When questioned by the authorities, his story was backed up by several others who claimed to have seen her swimming around Kintyre.
The story of Whisky Galore on the isle of Eriskay is famous around the world, but did you know that Campbeltown has its own version? In 1857, a three masted ship fully laden from Glasgow, ran aground at Johnston’s Point just south of the town. You can’t blame the locals for liberating a fair few barrels of whisky from the wreckage!
Please always remember to drink responsibly!
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