Glen Mhor

Glen Mhor (pronounced glen-vor) was a Highland distillery based in Inverness. The name translates as 'great glen' from Gaelic and refers to the nearby Loch Ness, the UK's largest freshwater lake by volume. It was to become one of the leading single malts used in the Mackinlay and Johnnie Walker blends from the early 20th century onwards. The distillery fell victim to the slump experienced in the Scotch whisky industry in the early 1980s and closed forever in 1983.

Glen Mhor was described as an 'aromatic, sweet and treacle-like malt that is perfect for dessert or after dinner' by the late Michael Jackson, the renowned whisky writer. Robust and savoury with hint of peat smoke, it was predominantly used for blending purposes.

Very few single malt bottlings exist, either currently or historically as a result. Independent bottlers are the most common route to market, with Gordon & Macphail the best bet. They purchased a number of casks upon the distillery's closure. The Scotch Malt Whisky Society (SMWS) and Signatory Vintage are also believed to be holding a small amount of casks. Diageo is believed to own some of the last remaining stock. Glen Mhor appeared in their Rare Malts series in the late 1990s. Otherwise, bottlings can only really be found via whisky auctions.

Due to the time since its closure, very little information remains about the production at Glen Mhor. Water was taken from nearby Loch Ness for mashing and cooling. The peat used during malting was taken from Dava Moor to the south east of Inverness near Grantown-on-Spey. Glen Mhor was a relatively small operation with just one wash still and one spirit still. These were converted from direct firing to steam heating in 1963, making it one of the first distilleries to embrace that new technology. It was also the first distillery to install a Saladin Box for malting in 1954. This new development was less time consuming and labour intensive than traditional floor malting. The equipment was closed in 1980.

Glen Mhor was founded in 1892 by Charles Mackinlay & Co. It was built on the banks of the Caledonian Canal in Inverness and designed by the leading Victorian distillery architect Charles Doig. James Mackinlay, a blender, and John Birnie, the former distillery manager at the neighbouring Glen Albyn, led the project. It was primarily built to supply whisky for the company's blends, mainly Mackinlay's. Bottles of this blend famously accompanied Ernest Shackleton on his failed trek across Antarctica to the South Pole.

The first distillation did not take place until December 1894. John's son, William Birnie, took control in 1920. He also purchased Glen Albyn and the two distilleries worked as a pair for half a century. In old age, Birnie sold both to Distillers Company Ltd in 1972, but their ownership lasted just over a decade.

Glen Mhor was closed in 1983. It was another casualty of the Scotch whisky industry slump and hard recession happening in the UK at the time. The buildings were demolished in 1986. A supermarket is now built on the site.