Lost Distilleries
There are soonto be Eight operating distilleries on Islay today but there have been other locations where licensed distilling has taken place on the island. In some case these farm distilleries only ran for a few years in the early nineteenth century, others operated until well into the twentieth century. The following is a list of those former distilleries with some information about who distilled there, when and where remnants can still be seen today. The Information on this page has been provided by my good friend Graham Fraser who has spent many a fine day wandering over Islay finding out about the isles distillery history .Research into the history of Islay whisky distilling and the people involved is currently being carried out but as records are sketchy, if anyone has any information about the distilleries or distillers below please let me know (Leave a message on the forum) and i will make sure Graham gets the information. (The work of previous researchers: John Hume & Michael Moss; Charles Craig and Neil Wilson, is acknowledged)
Port Ellen

Established in 1825 by the McKay Family, ,it was operated by John Morrison & Co from 1831 to 1834.John Ramsay and later his wife ran the distillery from 1836 until 1920, during which time they greatly expanded the site. It was eventually acquired by the Distillers Company who mothballed it from 1929 to 1967 (it was said that when it closed there were 40 years worth of stocks in the bonded warehouses!). Production buildings were then rebuilt by DCL and the new distillery operated from 1967 until 1983 when it closed again during the whisky rationalisation of the 1980s. As DCL already had two Islay whiskies (Lagavulin and Caol Ila) to sell to blenders Port Ellen has since been thought of as surplus to requirements. Dismantled and vandalised the modern production buildings are imminently due to be demolished, although the remaining original distillery buildings and warehouses will remain, linked to the Port Ellen Maltings complex. A shame to lose such a respected distillery when its remaining single malt stocks are fetching premium prices.
Port Ellen 1978
Lochindaal/Port Charlotte/Rhins
Established in 1829 in Port Charlotte by Colin Campbell, it had a series of owners before being acquired by a subsidiary of the Distillers Company in 1929, when it was closed down. Many of its buildings were subsequently used by the Islay Creamery Company until recent times, others demolished, or converted into a Youth Hostel or garage repair premises. The bonded warehouses at the rear survived intact and remain in use as such today, now storing the new Bruichladdich Port Charlotte peated whisky.
Bridgend & Killarow
David Simson operated a distillery at Bridgend until 1766, then he moved his distillery to Bowmore. A second Bridgend Distillery was operated by Donald McEachern Jnr from 1818 to 1821 before he went bankrupt and a distillery called Killarow was run by a J MacFarlane around 1821. The locations of these three distillery sites remains the subject of speculation.
Ardenistle/Kildalton
The former twin site with Laphroaig which was operated from 1836 to around 1860 by James & Andrew Stein; John Morrison; John Cassels and William Hunter - now merged into the present Laphroaig Distillery.
Ardmore /Lagavulin 2
Partner distillery at Lagavulin which opened in 1817 and was operated by Archibald Campbell; John Johnston before being absorbed into the present Laphroaig site in the 1830s.
Daill
A successful farm distillery run by three members of the McEachern family between 1814 and 1834. The farm buildings between Bridgend and Ballygrant remain intact today.
Lossit
A small farm distillery which operated from around 1826 until the 1850s by Malcolm McNeill; George & John Stuart. Warehouses possibly used for bonding by Bulloch Lade & Co until the late 1860s . Some buildings survive at the site of the Lossit Kennels close by Loch Ballygrant near the village of the same name.
Malt Mill
Peter Mackies attempt to imitate Laphroaig when his company lost the agency rights to sell Laphroaig at the turn of the century. Of course, it failed to do so, but Malt Mill continued to produce a VERY peated whisky in the old Islay style from 1908 t0 1960. It had its own stills in a small distillery on the Lagavulin site and its tiny maltings building survives as a reception centre.
Mulindry
A small scale operation run by a John Sinclair only from 1826 to 1831 on the River Laggan in the centre of the Island. John Sinclair is thought to have then given up and emigrated to America.
Newton
Another small distillery run by Thomas Pattison from 1819 to 37 which was located just outside Bridgend, on the Port Askaig Road and today there appears to be one surviving, but modified building .
Octomore
George Montgomery-ran this distillery from 1816 to 1840 at his farm behind the Lochindaal Distillery at Port Charlotte. Many of the farm buildings, likely to be the site of the distillery, survive although some have just been converted into holiday cottages.
Scarabuss
A tiny single still farm operation which appears to have dipped its toe in the whisky distilling world after the Small Stills Act opened up licensed distilling to former illicit distillers. Operated by John Darrach & Co from 1817 to 1818. Farm is found off the Bridgend to Ballygrant road.
Tallant
A farm distillery that struggled on for may years without apparently being very profitable. Originally also named Bowmore, as it is only 3 or 4 miles outside that village. Run by Donald & John Johnston from 1821 to 1852, the distillery buildings are still there but in serious danger of collapse.
Other locations are thought to have operated as licensed distilleries but these have yet to be verified and include: Ballygrant (1818-21) / Freeport (c.1847) Glenavullen (1827-32) / Octovullin (1816-19) / Upper Cragabus (c.1841).