Ledaig

Tobermory distillery is one of the oldest working distilleries in Scotland. Originally known as Ledaig, it is the only distillery on the Isle of Mull.

Ledaig (pronounced Letch-ick) means Safe Haven. The name is now given to the distillery's heavily peated single malt whisky.

The distillery is owned by Distell, a multinational brewing and beverage company based in South Africa.

Ledaig is a robust single malt with a smoky nose and a briny, maritime yet sweet character.

Tobermory divides its time between producing unpeated and peated spirits. For six months each year, it produces a peated Scotch whisky named Ledaig.

Malted barley sourced from the Port Ellen maltings in Islay is peated to 40 phenol parts per million.

Ledaig is produced using the same distilling equipment as the Tobermory. Fermentation takes place in Oregon pine washbacks and lasts between 48 and 100 hours. All four pot stills are fitted with boil balls to increase reflux. The more reflux, the lighter and fruitier the spirit.

Ledaig has been matured in a variety of casks. Bourbon barrels and hogsheads are common but other cask types Pedro Ximenez, Oloroso, Marsala and Red Wine have all been used to finish limited-edition releases.

Ledaig core range consists of the 10 and 18 y.o. Ledaig. In 2020, Ledaig Sinclair Rioja finish was added to the range. The series is named in honour of distillery founder John Sinclair.

All Ledaig releases are bottled un-chill-filtered at a minimum of 46.3% abv.

Since 2019, Tobermory distillery has also produced a gin.

There are claims kelp merchant John Sinclair established Ledaig in 1798. 

By 1837, the distillery had fallen on hard times and production ground to a halt for 40 years. It reopened in 1878. The distillery passed from owner to owner until it was taken over by DCL in 1916.

Ledaig closed again in 1930 and remained silent until the ‘70s. A joint venture between a Liverpool shipping company and sherry producer, Pedro Domecq, saw it renamed Tobermory and production restarted. The venture lasted just three years before closing again. A property firm then took over with the intention of selling the buildings off as holiday lets.

In 1993, the distillery was taken over by Burn Stewart. In 2007, they released a 10 y.o. heavily peated single malt under the original name of Ledaig. The brand now accounts for 50% of the distillery's output.

Burn Stewart was taken over in 2013 by Distell. In 2015, they released a 42-year-old Ledaig Dusgadh, using spirit distilled in 1972, the first year the distillery had opened since the 1930s. 

The new owners closed the distillery in 2017 for an upgrade to the visitor centre. Production resumed in 2019 and the number of releases is steadily increasing.