Raasay Distillery — Islands Single Malt Whisky

Isle of Raasay Distillery is a Scotch whisky distillery located at Borodale House on the Isle of Raasay, in the Islands region of Scotland. It was founded by Bill Dobbie and Alasdair Day of R&B Distillers, with the site opening in 2017, and is currently owned by R&B Distillers. It holds the distinction of being the first legal distillery in the island's history, ending centuries in which Raasay whisky existed only as illicit spirit.

History

Raasay has a long association with illicit distilling, but no licensed distillery ever operated on the island until R&B Distillers, founded by former banker Bill Dobbie and whisky blender Alasdair Day, built one on the site of the former Borodale House hotel, overlooking the Sound of Raasay towards Skye. Construction began in 2016 and the distillery was commissioned in September 2017, using water drawn from Tobar na ba baine, a Celtic Iron Age spring, and from a borehole running through mineral-rich volcanic and sandstone rock. A visitor centre opened in January 2018 and quickly earned a 5-star VisitScotland rating. While the spirit matured, the distillery released a series of independently sourced "While We Wait" bottlings between 2017 and 2020, alongside an Isle of Raasay Gin launched in 2019. The first single malt distilled entirely on the island, matured in a combination of casks including Bordeaux wine casks, was finally released in September 2020. The distillery has since expanded its visitor offering with a six-bedroom hotel and, from 2025, a set of bothy-inspired guest cabins known as Na Bothain.

Quick Facts

• Region: Islands (Isle of Raasay, Inner Hebrides)
• Founded: 2017 (first spirit run)
• Owner: R&B Distillers Limited
• Status: Active
• Stills: One wash still, one spirit still

Core Range

The distillery's signature single malt is The Raasay Single Malt (The Dùn Cana / core expression), released using a distinctive six-cask maturation recipe combining ex-American rye, virgin Chinkapin oak, and ex-Bordeaux red wine casks, typically bottled at 46.4% ABV, naturally coloured and non-chill filtered. The core range also includes cask-strength and quarter-cask expressions, alongside the Isle of Raasay Gin (46% ABV), distilled with ten botanicals including juniper, rhubarb root and sweet orange peel.