Lochranza Distillery — Attraction in Isle of Arran

An absolute gem of a whisky distillery and one of the most picturesque distilleries there is around in the whole of Scotland, which is situated on the north side of Isle of Arran in the village of Lochranza. The distillery looks absolutely fantastic on the outside blending in well with the mountains in the background but is even better on the inside with a variety of stellar tours around the distillery learning about the process of whisky making and to tasting the different drams they produce. The range of tours are The Basic Distillery costing £15 lasting 1 hour where you walk through the distillery seeing the whiskey making process up close and personal and try a 10 year old single malt and Arran Gold Cream Liqueur and one of the other tours is the Lochranza Select Tasting lasting 90 minutes and looks deeper into the range of Arran Single Malts made at the site and allows people to try one of their cask strength and limited edition whiskies. The Lochranza Select Tasting costs £40 each. There are other tours besides the ones mention and these can all be viewed on their website to get further relevant information. The tours themselves are absolutely amazing where the whisky making process is discussed in absolute enthralling and informative detail by the tour guides who are very enthusiastic, friendly and knowledgeable about the subject matter well. As stated earlier on the tours you head right up into the distillery which can be very hot and noisy where the tour guides show the equipment used in the Whisky making process and how they aid in the process of whiskey process allowing you to have an idea and a full picture of how whisky is made. The distilling room in particular is an absolute awesome sight with the stills in particular being the standout with their imposing copper structures which do look great and are an iconic reminder of the whiskey making process. Another great aspect of the tour is the introductory video you watch about the history of the distillery how it started and how it is grown to being a top distillery and renowned for making the Arran Single Malt and this is further complemented by a nice interesting display the historical synopsis of the distillery and how it grew, which is housed in the downstairs area of the Visitor Centre and the display can be viewed prior to any of the tours starting and is a great way to wet your appetite for those tours ahead and get an idea of how the distillery has grown in size over the years. Another fantastic element of the distillery and the tours is the fact that the single malt is made from the purest methods used by any distillery in Scotland with natural freshwater coming from Loch na Davie which is located further up the valley from the distillery and the water comes down the stream which is located behind the distillery. The tasting at the end of the tour is excellent and you can get the great tastes of the renowned 10 year single malt and also the Arran Gold Cream Liqueur. There is a gift shop on the site selling a range of Arran Malts and also related merchandise at reasonable prices and also there is a cafe with a range of food and drink at affordable prices. The outside of the distillery offers some of the most breathtakingly picturesque views on Arran there is and also you can also see one of the stills from yesteryear on display and looks magnificent in the grounds. Overall this place for a fabulous and enjoyable day out to see the whisky making process up close and personal and also see one of the purest methods around for making it. Definitely an attraction worth visiting whilst on the...

Lochranza does not need recommending. It’s a must, once on Arran. The only place around to hear something about cream whisky make, since Edradour stopped welcoming visitors. Tour was very enjoyable and host entirely picture worthy. Minors can safely join the adults and photos are allowed everywhere throughout (if without flash!).

Beautifully overstocked distillery shop and welcoming on-site cafe with outdoors sitting amenities plus sufficient supply of the utmost worthy Arran ice cream. Place is overly busy during daytime hours but tours are limited and should be prebooked, subject to personal free cancellation up to 24 hrs in advance (confirmation email allows it). Staff on site superb. Distillery has been designed with sticking idea in mind, with numerous pagoda type roof elements (no kiln present or needed) and wash backs clearly visible from the parking.

While at Lochranza, it is HIGHLY recommended to travel to the tip of the Arran Lowlands and tour the sister distillery, LAGG. Picturesque site beyound words, tour guide and product superb! Lagg offers numerous tours during the day so chances to book instantly on a walk-in base are close to 100%. Tour host during our chosen day was one of the best I’ve encountered, presenting the info in a most comprehensive and well organized manner. While at Lagg, dining and shopping are also an option and the site is truly breathtaking. Pictures hereby are inclusive of...

Did a tasting and tour here on the 30th December - so off season for sure - but came because we were visiting Arran and I'd had the pleasure to have been introduced to Arran single malt earlier in the year, really enjoyed it, and wanted to sample their range. Turned out (off season and all) I was the only one on my tour. This didn't get cancelled or amalgamated. Instead my guide Mal was a superstar, flexing the your to accommodate my range of questions and we struck up a great rapport on our passion for the Arran quarter cask. Really big kudos to him for a great, very personal, tour and an informed tasting after. Thank you! I've done a number of distillery tours before, and they are on essence a set formula (you can only make Scotch whisky a certain way). The differentiator is how the distillery and guide makes you feel, and you can tell from Arran Distillery that is an independent and has that heart alongside quality in the tour production (and that is saying something, as many of the big branded distilleries also do excellent tours, backed by the endless resources they have on offer).

Also worth saying, I really think they have a brilliant whisky going on here, and one that prices amazingly given the quality. Shop was...