Lochside Distillery — Highland Single Malt Whisky

Lochside Distillery is a Scotch whisky distillery that was located in Montrose, Angus, in the Highland region of Scotland. It was founded in 1957 and closed in 1992, with the buildings later demolished. Lochside was unusual among Scottish distilleries for producing both malt and grain whisky at the same site, much of which was exported to Spain to supply a sister brand.

History

Lochside occupied a site with a much older pedigree than its whisky-making years suggest: the buildings dated back to 1781, when they were established as a brewery, later operated by the Newcastle-based James Deuchar & Sons (a firm that went on to help form Scottish & Newcastle). In 1957 the site was converted into a distillery by Macnab Distilleries Ltd, a company in which whisky entrepreneur Joseph W. Hobbs was a shareholder. Macnab used Lochside to produce the "Sandy Macnab" blended whisky as well as single malt.

In 1973 the distillery was acquired by the Spanish drinks producer Destilerías y Crianza del Whisky S.A. (DYC). Under Spanish ownership, Lochside took on a distinctive dual role, running both malt stills and grain stills, with much of its output shipped to Spain to supply DYC's own whisky production. The distillery passed to Allied Distillers (later Allied Domecq) in the 1980s, and its ownership eventually transferred to Pernod Ricard, via subsidiary Chivas Brothers, following that company's 2005 acquisition of Allied Domecq's spirits interests.

Quick Facts

• Region: Highland (Eastern Highlands)
• Founded: 1957
• Owner: Chivas Brothers / Pernod Ricard (site no longer operating)
• Status: Closed
• Stills: 2 wash stills and 2 spirit stills for malt, plus grain distilling equipment (unused under DYC ownership)

Closure & Legacy

Lochside was mothballed in 1992 and never reopened. The distillery buildings stood derelict for over a decade before being demolished in 2004-2005; the site in Montrose has since been redeveloped for housing, so nothing of the original distillery remains today. Because production ceased more than three decades ago and the plant no longer exists, original Lochside single malt bottlings (including 10-year-old expressions matured in ex-bourbon casks) and Sandy Macnab blends are sought after by collectors as rare relics of a distillery that no longer exists, though they surface only occasionally at auction rather than through retail channels.