The Spirit of the Hebrides
Coming soon:
Our Island
Welcome to Benbecula Distillery, where this summer
the spirit flows from handmade stills on the Uists
for the very first time.
Our new multi-million pound distillery is on
the north of the island, where visitors can
savour the beautiful and uninterrupted views of
pale blue sea where the causeway crosses
into North Uist.
It is a stunning island paradise we are
proud to call home.
Our Island
Welcome to Benbecula Distillery, where this summer the spirit flows from handmade stills on the Uists for the very first time.
Our new multi-million pound distillery is on the north of the island, where visitors can savour the beautiful and uninterrupted views of pale blue sea where the causeway crosses into North Uist.
It is a stunning island paradise we are proud to call home.
Our Story
Benbecula Distillery is the realisation of a
long-held dream for local businessman
and crofter Angus MacMillan.
Angus has spent his life at the heart of this close-knit
Outer Hebridean community, where his family have
lived for generations.
He was one of the founding directors responsible
for South Uist, Eriskay and Benbecula’s historic
community buyout in 2006.
Angus’s entrepreneurial acumen has been
the driving force behind the distillery
you see today.
Our Story
Benbecula Distillery is the realisation of a long-held dream for local businessman and crofter Angus MacMillan.
Angus has spent his life at the heart of this close-knit Outer Hebridean community, where his family have lived for generations.
He was one of the founding directors responsible for South Uist, Eriskay and Benbecula’s historic community buyout in 2006.
Angus’s entrepreneurial acumen has been the driving force behind the distillery you see today.
Our Distillery
There are few places in the world more beautiful
than the island of Benbecula, lying between the
Hebridean islands of North and South Uist.
The island’s new distillery –
previously a salmon processing plant
– makes full use of this spectacular view.
A glass-walled extension in the form of
a lighthouse has been added to the building,
echoing the Stevenson Lighthouse on
the nearby Monach Islands.
It not only houses the distillery’s
handmade copper pot still but also commands
wondrous views of a wild, rolling landscape that
will captivate visitors to this new tourist landmark.
Our Distillery
There are few places in the world more beautiful than the island of Benbecula, lying between the Hebridean islands of North and South Uist.
The island’s new distillery – previously a salmon processing plant – makes full use of this spectacular view.
A glass-walled extension in the form of a lighthouse has been added to the building, echoing the Stevenson Lighthouse on the nearby Monach Islands.
It not only houses the distillery’s handmade copper pot still but also commands wondrous views of a wild, rolling landscape that will captivate visitors to this new tourist landmark.
Our People
Our History
To create the whisky of the future, Benbecula
will revisit traditional techniques not seen
in distilling in Scotland for hundreds of years.
They are closely related to Angus MacMillan’s
own family heritage, and the barley
planted on their croft for generations.
Called Bere barley, it has been grown on Uist for centuries.
To Angus, the croft plays a central role
in the planning and conception of the
future Benbecula Single Malt,
with Bere as its core building block.
The Bere barley grows on soil enriched with seaweed
collected from nearby beaches.
The harvested grain is then transferred
from the croft to the malting floors.
The first Bere barley harvest has already
been gathered and stored by Angus himself
and will make its way into the mix
as distillation begins.
This agricultural link between family croft
and distillery is extremely rare
in Scotch whisky production.
It guarantees the spirit created has
an utterly unique, and very distinct character.
Our History
To create the whisky of the future, Benbecula will revisit traditional techniques not seen in distilling in Scotland for hundreds of years.
They are closely related to Angus MacMillan’s own family heritage, and the barley planted on their croft for generations.
Called Bere barley, it has been grown on Uist for centuries.
To Angus, the croft plays a central role in the planning and conception of the future Benbecula Single Malt, with Bere as its core building block.
The Bere barley grows on soil enriched with seaweed collected from nearby beaches. The harvested grain is then transferred from the croft to the malting floors.
The first Bere barley harvest has already been gathered and stored by Angus himself and will make its way into the mix as distillation begins.
This agricultural link between family croft and distillery is extremely rare in Scotch whisky production.
It guarantees the spirit created has an utterly unique, and very distinct character.
Our Sustainability
The team at Benbecula will revive the ancient
and historic tradition of adding
foraged island heather to their peat fires
for kilning the bere barley.
This malting process creates a smooth,
gentle smokiness and sweet,
floral character to the spirit.
This ancient technique will be coupled
with a unique design and distilling process,
which will use low carbon technologies in its
whisky production to minimise
its impact on the environment.
Our Sustainability
The team at Benbecula will revive the ancient and historic tradition of adding foraged island heather to their peat fires for kilning the bere barley.
This malting process creates a smooth, gentle smokiness and sweet, floral character to the spirit.
This ancient technique will be coupled with a unique design and distilling process, which will use low carbon technologies in its whisky production to minimise its impact on the environment.
Our Whisky
Around 350,000 litres of whisky will be produced
at Benbecula Distillery annually, with bourbon and
sherry casks being used in the maturation.
The spirit produced at Benbecula Distillery
will be classically marine in style, smoky on
the nose with salty and sweetly peated notes.
This will be achieved using light to medium peated
malted barley, so that the smoke does not dominate,
and allows fruity and floral notes to shine through.
Each year a special batch of heather peated
bere barley will be produced – a process that
is both innovative and inspired by
traditions of the island.
Benbecula’s unique malting process
was first noted by famous 19th century whisky
historian Alfred Barnard during his tour
of Scottish distilleries in 1885.
Our Whisky
Around 350,000 litres of whisky will be produced at Benbecula Distillery annually, with bourbon and sherry casks being used in the maturation.
The spirit produced at Benbecula Distillery will be classically marine in style, smoky on the nose with salty and sweetly peated notes. This will be achieved using light to medium peated malted barley, so that the smoke does not dominate, and allows fruity and floral notes to shine through.
Each year a special batch of heather peated bere barley will be produced – a process that is both innovative and inspired by traditions of the island.
Benbecula’s unique malting process was first noted by famous 19th century whisky historian Alfred Barnard during his tour of Scottish distilleries in 1885.
Our Members Club
The Benbecula 2024 Society
We want everyone to enjoy a taste of The Spirit of the Hebrides
and this is your chance to do so. We have formed
The Benbecula 2024 Society, allowing whisky lovers
across the globe to be involved in our distillery’s journey.
The Benbecula 2024 Society is open to all. For a one-off membership fee
of £289, you will receive the following benefits:
- Two bottles of the inaugural release (one to keep and one to drink)
- A sample of our new-make spirit, allowing you to taste
the wonderful base from which our whisky will mature - Unique membership challenge coin
- A personalised membership card
- 5% off all products available at the distillery
and online (excluding casks) - A free distillery tour for the member
and a guest - The opportunity to acquire exclusive membership-only bottlings
- Quarterly newsletter
TO JOIN OR GIFT A MEMBERSHIP TO
THE BENBECULA 2024 SOCIETY
Our Members Club
The Benbecula 2024 Society
We want everyone to enjoy a taste of The Spirit of the Hebrides and this is your chance to do so. We have formed The Benbecula 2024 Society allowing whisky lovers across the globe to be involved in our distillery’s journey.
The Benbecula 2024 Society is open to all. For a one-off membership fee of £289, you will receive the following benefits:
- Two bottles of the inaugural release (one to keep and one to drink)
- A sample of our new-make spirit, allowing you to taste the wonderful base from which our whisky will mature
- Unique membership challenge coin
- A personalised membership card
- 5% off all products available at the distillery and online (excluding casks)
- A free distillery tour for the member and a guest
- The opportunity to acquire exclusive membership-only bottlings
- Quarterly newsletter
JOIN OR GIFT A MEMBERSHIP TO
THE BENBECULA 2024 SOCIETY
Our Cask Buyers Club
The Benbecula Comunn
For the first three years since opening, Benbecula Distillery will release cask offerings for purchase so you can be a part of the Benbecula journey. This 2025 offering is the second of the three releases, leaving limited time to be a part of The Spirit of the Hebrides. To secure your cask, we require a £300 deposit.
Cask Options
Each cask will be filled at 63.5% ABV. Only 40 of each are available.
Palo Cortado Sherry Hogshead (250L) – £8,000
Our Master Distiller’s favourite, this rare and unusual sherry cask gives deep, rich complexity
Red Wine Barrique (225L) – £7,500
Fresh red fruits and accentuated black currant, with dark chocolate for a balanced sweetness
Bourbon Hogshead (200L) – £5,800
High-quality, heavily charred American White Oak that enhances the smokiness, gives a sweetness and clove spice
Cask Ownership Benefits
Cask owners will be automatically enrolled into The Benbecula Comunn, an exclusive members club for those choosing to invest in Benbecula Distillery 2025 single malt.
Additional benefits of ownership include:
- Seven years storage in our bonded warehouse
- Insurance cover for a seven-year period
- A specially bottled 25ml sample of our new make spirit, allowing you to taste the base from which our whisky will mature
- Cask certificate and unique membership challenge coin for the Benbecula Comunn
- Free distillery tours for life, including a guest of the cask owner
- 10% discount on all products purchased either online from the distillery or at distillery shop (excluding casks)
- Lunch at the distillery for the cask owner and a guest on their first distillery visit
- Access to limited and special release Benbecula Comunn members-only bottlings
- Quarterly newsletter
Click below for more details on our cask offering.
Our Cask Buyers Club
The Benbecula Comunn
For the first three years since opening, Benbecula Distillery will release cask offerings for purchase so you can be a part of the Benbecula journey. This 2025 offering is the second of the three releases, leaving limited time to be a part of The Spirit of the Hebrides. To secure your cask, we require a £300 deposit.
Cask Options
Each cask will be filled at 63.5% ABV. Only 40 of each type are available.
Palo Cortado Sherry Hogshead (250L) – £8,000
Our Master Distiller’s favourite, this rare and unusual sherry cask gives deep, rich complexity
Red Wine Barrique (225L) – £7,500
Fresh red fruits and accentuated blackcurrant, with dark chocolate for a balanced sweetness
Bourbon Hogshead (200L) – £5,800
High-quality, heavily charred American White Oak that enhances the smokiness, gives a sweetness and clove spice
Cask Ownership Benefits
Cask owners will be automatically enrolled into The Benbecula Comunn, an exclusive members club for those choosing to invest in Benbecula Distillery 2025 single malt.
Additional benefits of ownership include:
- Seven years storage in our bonded warehouse
- Insurance cover for a seven-year period
- A specially bottled 25ml sample of our new make spirit, allowing you to taste the base from which our whisky will mature
- Cask certificate and unique membership challenge coin for the Benbecula Comunn
- Free distillery tours for life, including a guest of the cask owner
- 10% discount on all products purchased either online from the distillery or at distillery shop (excluding casks)
- Lunch at the distillery for the cask owner and a guest on their first distillery visit
- Access to limited and special release Benbecula Comunn members-only bottlings
- Quarterly newsletter
Click below for more information and to reserve your cask.
Our News
For any queries
Contact us at info@benbeculadistillery.com
For bookings and tour queries, please contact tours@benbeculadistillery.com
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