Originally, the distillery was known as Ledaig, which today refers to whiskies made from the peated spirit which the distillery produces six months of the year. That distillery was nigh-on mothballed after nearly 40 years of operation, the first in many closures that have marked a turbulent history for this island whisky maker.
There was a brief period in the late 19th century when the distillery operated again, before falling into the hands of the Distillers Company Limited in 1916. They shut it once more in 1930 and it, again, stayed closed for another 40 years.
In 1972 a consortium of players in the whisky industry reopened it as Ledaig but even with wealthy backers they managed to go bankrupt after only three years.
The site turned into holiday accommodation and a cheese storage in the 1980s, and really only came into its own with the purchase by Burn Stewart Distillers in 1993. They set about on a period of revival, which has seen the brand grow over the past 25 years.
A brief period of shutdown for two years in 2017 saw the distillery upgraded and the visitor’s centre made more modern by Burn Stewart Distillers’ parent company, Distell, which also owns Bunnahabhain and Deanston distilleries.
There are a number of releases from the company under both the Tobermory and Ledaig brand names, including a signature 12-year old.