Discover Royal Lochnagar

An iconic malt with a royal heritage

Royal Lochnagar is renowned for its outstanding flavour and incredible location. The smallest distillery in the Malts collection, Royal Lochnagar sits at the foot of the Cairngorm mountains, a mile from Balmoral Castle.

The first distillery to bear the name Lochnagar was established on the north side of the river in 1826 by a former illicit distiller, but his competitors soon burned it to the ground. From here, a second distillery was built by John Begg on the south bank in 1845, and it is this distillery that still stands today. John named the small craft distillery New Lochnagar but was granted the title Royal Lochnagar in 1848 following a visit, at the invitation of John, by Queen Victoria and Prince Albert.

Today, Royal Lochnagar retains its traditional distillery appearance with two pagoda kiln heads, as well as continuing the time-honoured process of using an open mash tun. Through this method, and the pure water of the nearby crystal clear Scarnock springs, Royal Lochnagar creates a golden and delicious Highland single malt Scotch whisky.

A bottle of Royal Lochnagar whisky sits on a wooden table with a dram glass next to it, containing whisky. Behind it, a fire roars in a fireplace
People walk towards a grey stone building with a wooden door with the name ‘Royal Lochnagar’ printed on. Next to the door is a wooden barrel. On the front of the barrel is written ‘Royal Lochnagar Distillery, est. 1845’.

Visit Royal Lochnagar

Book a distillery tour to experience the history for yourself

Royal Lochnagar distillery resides in the majestic heart of Royal Deeside, just one mile from Balmoral Castle. Sitting alongside the River Dee, famous for its spring salmon, Royal Lochnagar offers a softer, more gentle side of the Highland region which whisky fans flock to every year.

Book Now

Explore the world of Malts

Malts Club
JOIN US

Sign up to be the first to know about new product, collections, offers and more!