Port Charlotte  or  Lochindaal

The Lochindaal Distillery, which was built by Colin Cambell 1829, is demolished. Other names were Port Charlotte, Rhinns and Rhins. Today there are still some bonded warehouses to be seen. One former warehouse is a Youth Hostel today ( see http://www.syha.org.uk), the others are used as bonded warehouses to mature Bruichladdich‘s Port Charlotte Malt. Lochindaal Distillery was closed in 1929. The water came from Octomore Spring and Garroch Loch. The buildings were used by Islay Creamery Company Ltd. from 1997 until 2000.

Now one of the most progressive distilleries on Islay, Bruichladdich developed a plan to revive the old distillery to produce malt whisky again. There are rumours from Bruichladdich Distillery to rebuild Lochindaal Distillery. They are also the owner of the grounds and the trademark. Bruchladdich offers Loch Indaal Malt distilled at Bruichladdich Distillery. They recovered equipment from the Inverleven Distillery in Dumbarton which was dismantled in 2003. Planning permission for a new „completey green“ distillery was granted but no activities have been seen yet by 2012.

Afred Barnard wrote when travelling to Islay in the 1880‘s: „...we reached Port Charlotte, a village of little importance and interest except for the large Distillery owned by Mr. Sheriff, which employs a number of the labouring class, and gives soma little life to the locality. At the back of the Distillery the ground rises into hills near the top of which are two beautiful lochs, the Garroch and Octomore, from whence the water supply to the Distillery is obtained.“

(The Whisky Distilleries of the United Kingdom, London 1887)

There is access to some areas by a foot path.

Please double-click and thumbnail  the photo to open the tour.

Thank you.