In 1763, a rental document of Sir Patrick Murray of Ochtertyre refers to Thurot Distillery, the earliest known name for The Glenturret. The Murrays of Ochtertyre were a Baronial family that owned extensive lands and property that they would rent out to tenants. This is the earliest record that we have of The Glenturret and it is this that gives us confidence to state that The Glenturret is Scotland’s Oldest Working Distillery.

In 1814, the Murray family sold Thurot Distillery to Thomas MacInnes, who renamed it The Hosh Distillery. It remained The Hosh until 1873, when The Glenturret name was introduced. Around this time, MacInnes’ uncle, Thomas McComish, also started to operate the nearby mill as a distillery. Both distilleries were similar in size, and it is likely that uncle and nephew worked closely together to run both operations, they were collaborators, competitors, but most of all, dedicated whisky-makers.

Seven years after purchasing the Hosh Distillery in 1825 local distillers and grain merchants John and Hugh Drummond secured the Ochtertyre Agreement, which granted the distillery explicit permission to use both water from Loch Turret and peat from the riverbank in its production. A marriage of land and spirit. Being passionate pioneers, securing the best quality ingredients, understanding the importance of the terroir and obsessive around detail the brothers were important in setting the foundations of the crucial elements that make our whisky today.

A tributary of the River Tay, the Turret Burn has always provided the distillery with an unparalleled source of water. In its Latin form ‘Torreglen’, Glenturret means land of the rushing stream. Several times in the distillery’s long history, great floods have pushed the river to breaking point, as was the case during the great storm of 1828, when the Perthshire Courier reported that the distillery was ‘completely inundated’ with water, and ‘the utensils were carried off and spirits destroyed.’

In November 1853, an advert in the Morning Advertiser announced the arrival of whisky from Glenturret to London society: ‘To Coffee-rooms or Parlours - the celebrated Hosh Scotch Malt Whisky, being an article unrivalled in London, may be introduced to great advantage.’

Famed chronicler of Victorian-era distilleries Alfred Barnard visited The Glenturret Distillery in the 1880s. Barnard commented: ‘Here are no new fads, appliances, or patents, but, like the buildings, the vessels are all of the ancient pattern.’ Even back then, The Glenturret was considered remarkably traditional, operated as it always had been – with time-worn experience and a respect for the craft.

By the late 19th century, two more brothers were at the helm of The Glenturret. David and William Mitchell were Scots-born whisky merchants with global ambitions. In 1886 they purchased Connswater Distillery in Belfast, one of the largest in the British Isles at the time, and in 1890, they added The Glenturret to their portfolio. Soon, this famed family of distillers, merchants, and blenders were exporting their whisky to Australia, the USA, and South Africa.

The Mitchell brothers passed the business on to their respective sons, who ran the distillery as a family business until the challenging times of the 1920s. High duty rates, alcohol prohibition in the USA, and a growing support for the temperance movement saw the virtual collapse of the Scottish whisky industry – and by 1923, production at The Glenturret had stopped. While the distillery was silent, it was reported that 96,000 gallons of whisky continued to mature in its warehouses. A small, dedicated team continued to look after this precious stock, whilst maintaining the distillery for future generations.

In 1957, James Fairlie purchased The Glenturret Distillery, which had been silent for over 30 years. Fairlie was a visionary with the ambition ‘to preserve the traditional methods of distilling and to grow the appreciation for whisky.’ He sought to bring back the magic of the past and reinstated the original distilling equipment. James Fairlie subsequently led the distillery for over 20 years as both Director and Master Distiller.

James Fairlie believed The Glenturret’s exceptional whisky-making heritage should be celebrated. In 1980, he established a distillery visitor centre, one of the first in Scotland. In the early years, one visitor described The Glenturret as ‘the nearest thing to a one-man distillery in Scotland.’ Fairlie’s dedication to preserving the work of Glenturret’s pioneers, and taking it to the modern world, was clear to one and all.

Just 11 years later, in 1991, The Glenturret welcomed its millionth visitor. While no longer owner of the distillery, Fairlie’s vision had truly been realised. While two years later, and now owned by Highland Distillers Ltd, The Glenturret welcomed British Prime Minister John Major as a visitor – underlining the distillery’s provenance.

In 2014, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge visited the distillery during an official tour of Scotland. Known as “the Earl and Countess of Strathearn” in Scotland, William and Kate enjoyed a dram – and also hand-filled and signed a bottle, which is now stored at the distillery in preparation for future auction.

In March 2019, The Glenturret Distillery was purchased by a joint venture led by The Lalique Group, a French luxury lifestyle company, and Swiss American, Hansjorg Wyss.

In September 2020, after more than 250 years of distilling, The Glenturret embarked on the next stage of its journey – bringing its exclusive single malt to thousands of whisky lovers worldwide. With a completely new range crafted by the highly respected Whisky Maker, Bob Dalgarno, including the first decanter in The Trinity Series, Provenance - this was an era-defining moment that united The Glenturret’s contemporary elegance with the distillery’s long-standing reputation for traditional craftsmanship.

In September 2022, decanter #1 of 150 of The Glenturret 50 Years Old Release, was auctioned off by Sotheby’s as part of their ‘Whisky in Lalique’ auction. The final auction price of the decanter and bespoke artwork from Matthew Draper sold for £63,000, presented in a bespoke black case with mother-of-pearl inlays.

The second in The Trinity Series, The Glenturret Prowess was released in December 2022. Created by Whisky Maker Bob Dalgarno, the whisky is drawn from two casks filled in 1987 and one filled in 1988, bottled in December 2022 at 33 years old. Presented in a beautiful crystal decanter designed by Marc Larminaux Artistic and Creative Director at Lalique, inspired by the many skilled hands that create the whisky at every step of its journey to bottling. Prowess celebrates the craft, commitment, and patience required to create a whisky of such depth and richness of spirit.

As Scotland’s oldest working distillery, The Glenturret takes pride in making whisky using time-honoured, traditional methods. This focus on heritage is further established by becoming Butterfly Mark Certified in 2023, in a commitment to ensuring that the organisation’s use of natural resources is sustainable for generations of distillers to come.