Lowlands

A region conducive to the development of Single malts

The Lowlands, located in Scotland between the North Atlantic and the North Sea, is a region of hilly terrain and rugged coastline. A mild climate, two rivers that serve it with fresh water, and fertile land suitable for growing barley and wheat, all the ideal conditions for whisky making are met.

Lowland malts are generally dry and light and reveal floral and herbaceous aromas. Like the Irish whiskeys, they are often the result of a triple distillation which gives them an incomparable purity.

Distilleries through thick and thin

In the 18th and 19th century, the Lowlands were impacted by mass production, but also by the growing popularity of blends, which did not harm their neighbours in the Highlands.

Add to that the rise in taxes, the First World War and Prohibition in the United States, which dealt the final blow to many distilleries forced to close down or move towards grain whiskies.

Once the cradle of the Single Malt industry, the region has only a few distilleries still in operation today. These include Auchentoshan, the oldest in Scotland and the only one in the country to practice triple distillation, or the famous Glenkinchie, the only distillery in the Lowlands open to the public.