Arbikie

Arbikie Distillery, nestled on the east coast of Angus in the 2,100-acre estate owned by the Stirling family, has a rich farming heritage dating back to the 1920s when Bill Stirling settled in the area. Today, the estate is managed by three brothers - John, Iain, and David. Their vision of producing the finest malt whisky in Scotland led to the establishment of the distillery, with a unique focus on a farm-to-bottle process. They are deeply involved, owning not only the distillery but also the fields and water source.

This is not the first instance of distilling at Arbikie, as records suggest a distillery in the area as far back as 1720, with documented evidence dating to 1794. In 2013, the Stirling brothers embarked on an 18-month project to construct a small distillery within an existing cattle shed, employing the skills of the farm's mechanics and blacksmiths to assemble the CARL stills imported from Germany.

The distillery's inaugural spirit was a potato vodka using locally grown Maris Pipers and King Edwards, followed by the release of Arbikie Gin in August 2015. By the following month, master distiller Kirsty Black had begun producing single malt spirit, destined for a minimum of 14 years of maturation before becoming whisky. In August 2021, the distillery initiated a partnership with EcoSpirits to reduce carbon emissions related to packaging and distribution. Furthermore, in December 2021, Arbikie Distillery secured a £3 million grant through the Green Distilleries Competition to develop a hydrogen power plant on-site.