Isle of Raasay Distillery

About the distillery

Isle of Raasay Distillery is located on the Isle of Raasay off the west coast of Scotland, and is the island’s first legal whisky and gin distillery. Here, the spirit is made entirely locally, and the site combines single malt, gin, a visitor centre, a restaurant and accommodation all in the same building. It is best known for The Draam, a lightly peated single malt with dark fruits and a distinctive six-cask recipe.

History

The story begins in 2013, when Bill Dobbie and Alasdair Day met and founded R&B Distillers with the ambition of building Scotland’s leading craft distillery. In 2015, they selected Isle of Raasay as the site, and the following year they received planning permission to transform Borodale House from the 19th century into a modern distillery, visitor centre and luxury accommodation. On 14 September 2017, the distillery opened, and the island’s first legal distillation took place. Since then, the site has developed into a significant place of work on the island and a central part of the local community. The signature whisky was launched in 2021 and, in 2025, was given the name The Draam, while the recipe remained the same. The distillery highlights that it produces, matures, bottles and ships the spirit directly from Raasay, and that the work is rooted in the island’s people, landscape and history.

Ingredients and production

Raasay works with 100% Scottish barley throughout production, and barley is also grown and malted on the island for future 100% Raasay releases. Malting the barley with Highland peat gives a rich, perfumed smoke, but the expression is deliberately lightly peated rather than heavily smoky. The water comes from the distillery’s own 60-metre-deep well, Tobar na Bà Baine, which is supplied by rainwater from Dùn Cana, filtered through volcanic rock and Jurassic sandstone. Fermentation lasts 3 to 5 days, and the distillation cuts are specified as 75 to 67 for the unpeated spirit and 75 to 65 for the peated spirit. The distillery works with both peated and unpeated spirit, which are later blended into the finished whisky. At the same time, Raasay has chosen a very local model, where the spirit is distilled, matured, bottled and marketed directly from the island.

Maturation and cask types

Maturation is built around three central casks: first fill ex-Rye Whiskey, virgin Chinkapin oak and first fill Bordeaux red wine. It is this combination that forms the basis for the signature whisky and its character of elegance, complexity and depth. The distillery also describes that the maritime Hebridean maturation helps shape the spirit in the distillery’s own warehouses on the island. Several releases build on the same idea with variations across the three casks, and work is carried out with both limited releases and single cask editions, where the type of cask itself is an essential part of the expression.

Whiskies

At the core is the signature whisky, which is now called The Draam, and which is the distillery’s clear reference point: lightly peated, dark-fruity, and bottled without chill filtration with natural colour. In addition, there is a cask strength edition, exclusive to Slàinte Club, as well as Dùn Cana, which builds on the same Raasay style but adds an extra dimension through maturation in PX and Oloroso sherry quarter casks after time in American rye casks. The range also includes series such as the Na Sia single cask releases, Marsala Cask, Rye Cask 3.4x Distilled Single Cask Release and the Oak Species Maturation Series. Overall, the portfolio shows a distillery that stays true to a distinct house style, but uses different casks and batch variations to expand the range.

Whisky style and tasting profile

Raasay’s consistent style combines lightly peated smoke, dark fruits and a distinct trail of spice. The signature whisky is described with dark fruits such as cherry and blackberry, tree smoke, cinnamon, black pepper and vanilla. Other descriptions point to heather smoke and a smooth, full-bodied character, while Dùn Cana adds a layer of sweetness and depth from sherry-influenced casks. The result is an expression where smoke and fruit do not compete, but work together to create a tight, rounded profile.

Visit the distillery

The distillery is open to visitors and offers guided tours, tastings, a shop and bar, as well as a restaurant and accommodation. Tours run from March to October, seven days a week, and pre-booking is recommended. During the same period, the shop and bar are also open seven days a week, with opening hours from 10:00 to 18:00 Tuesday to Wednesday and from 10:00 until late Thursday to Monday; in the shop, sales close at 18:00, but purchasing can continue in the bar until 22:00. The restaurant is open five days a week in summer, closed Tuesday and Wednesday, with lunch/bar food 13:00–17:00 and evening meals 18:00–20:00, and evening reservations are recommended. In winter, tours and visits are also possible with seasonal opening hours, and accommodation is offered in the same building as the working distillery.

The stated opening hours are March 2026 – October 2026: tours open 7 days a week; shop & bar open 7 days a week, Tuesday–Wednesday 10am–6pm and Thursday–Monday 10am–late; restaurant open 5 days a week, closed Tuesday–Wednesday, lunch/bar food 13:00–17:00 and evening meals 18:00–20:00. Winter: guided tours Wednesday–Saturday, shop & bar Wednesday–Saturday 10:00–22:00 with 14 Dec–5 Feb closed, restaurant Wednesday–Saturday with lunch 13:00–15:00 and evening meals 17:00–20:00.
See times and book a visit.

Philosophy and craftsmanship

Raasay’s philosophy is explicitly rooted in local production, provenance, quality and a willingness to do things differently. The distillery places emphasis on creating spirit shaped by the island, and on letting the island’s water, barley, climate and people be an active part of the result. At the same time, the idea is that every drop should be anchored in Raasay, from production to bottling.

Awards and recognition

• The World’s Best Scotch Whisky (2025, Winner, Cask Strength)

• Tourism Destination of the Year (Award winner)

• Best Brand Experience (Award winner)

• Scottish Whisky Distillery of the Year (Award winner)

• Craft Producer of the Year (2025, Award winner)

• Visitor Attraction of the Year (2026, Award winner)

Latest news

First legal distillation on Raasay – 2017-09-14

The distillery opened its doors on Raasay, and the island’s first legal distillation took place after an evening with music, fire, singing and dancing.

The Draam gets its name – 2025-01-01

The distillery’s signature single malt was officially named The Draam, while the recipe for the six-cask whisky remained unchanged.