Hidden Scotland
Sign in
Dufftown's castellated clock tower rises above granite buildings on all four sides of the crossroads.
Morayshire

Dufftown

A granite Speyside town laid out in 1817 round its clock tower, the self-styled malt whisky capital, with six distilleries in and around it.

Welcome

Dufftown calls itself the malt whisky capital of the world, and few would argue.

Glenfiddich, Balvenie, Kininvie, Mortlach, Glendullan and Dufftown are all made in or around this small granite town in the glen of the Fiddich.

It was founded in 1817 by James Duff, the Earl of Fife, to give work to men home from the Napoleonic wars, and its four broad streets meet at a castellated clock tower, finished in 1839 and once the town jail. The clock is known as the clock that hanged MacPherson. It once hung in Banff, where in 1700, the story goes, the sheriff put it forward a quarter of an hour so a pardon would arrive too late.

The town is much older than its plan. Mortlach Church was founded by St Moulag in 566, and Balvenie Castle, where Mary Queen of Scots once stayed, stands close by. It is a fine base for the distilleries and the hills around.

Before you go

A town to walk at any hour; distilleries and shops keep their own hours.

Where
On the A941 south of Craigellachie.
Founded
1817.
Distilleries
Glenfiddich, Balvenie, Mortlach and more.

Did you know

A castellated clock tower with a Saltire flag stands at a crossroads in Dufftown.
Did you know

The clock that hanged MacPherson.

The clock in the tower once hung in Banff, where the sheriff is said to have put it forward so a pardon would arrive too late.

A street in Dufftown lined with granite shopfronts leads toward the town's castellated clock tower.
Did you know

Built for returning soldiers.

The Earl of Fife founded Dufftown in 1817 to give work to men home from the Napoleonic wars.

Ben Lerwill

From our guide to Moray

Often described as “the malt whisky capital of the world”, Dufftown was founded in 1817 by James Duff, the 4th Earl of Fife. Now a busy little market town, it’s home to various notable sights and attractions, including the much older Balvenie Castle, the world-famous Glenfiddich Distillery, and the end-point of the Keith & Dufftown Heritage Railway. Highland Games have been held in the town since 1892, on the last weekend in July.

Read more
What is on

What is new across Morayshire, day by day.

New places, news and stories, as we find them.

What is on in Morayshire
01 / 04
Where it is

On the A941 in Speyside, south-east of Craigellachie; the four main streets meet at the Clock Tower.

Close bySpeyside.
  1. BEINN Coffee & Books, MorayshireBEINN Coffee & BooksA coffee shop with a bookshop behind it on Balvenie Street in Dufftown, open every day from eight.Under a mile1 min by road
  2. Glenfiddich DistilleryGlenfiddich DistilleryThe distillery on the edge of town.1 mile3 min by road
  3. Dufftown station sign mounted on a wooden shed with railway carriage alongsideThe Keith & Dufftown RailwayThe heritage railway to Keith.1 mile3 min by road
  4. Sidings CafeSidings CafeA cafe in two 1950s railway carriages at Dufftown station, serving light lunches, home bakes and cream teas for the heritage trains.1 mile3 min by road
  5. Ruined stone castle atop a grassy mound beneath a cloudy skyAuchindoun CastleA lonely ruin up the glen.3 miles5 min by road
  6. Speyside CooperageSpeyside CooperageA working cooperage near Craigellachie, making and mending whisky casks since 1947, with a viewing gallery above the coopers at work.4 miles7 min by road
Directions
The Fiddichside Inn's name is painted in red across its whitewashed chimney gable.BarsThe Fiddichside Inn4.8 miles
A cast-iron arched bridge with castellated stone towers spans a rocky river gorge, pine-covered cliffs rising on the far bank.AttractionsCraigellachie4.9 miles
Concrete trig point overlooking layered hills at sunsetWalksBen Rinnes5.9 miles
War memorial with poppy wreaths in front of a stone church towerRestaurantsAberlour Hotel6.3 miles
Cardhu distillery building with pagoda roofs and red door under grey skyAttractionsCardhu Distillery12 miles
Long spinning frame with wound bobbins fills a stone-walled mill roomRestaurantsKnockando Woolmill13 miles
The Inveravon Pictish stones in their lit porch at the church, grey slabs carved with an eagle, discs and a crescent.AttractionsInveravon Pictish Stones13 miles
Turreted grey castle with ivy-covered wing and yellow flag against a blue skyAttractionsBallindalloch Castle and Gardens14 miles
The timber cabin lit at dusk against a pink sky, a hot tub steaming on the deck beside two chairs.MorayshireCallie BothySleeps 2 · 23 miles
Stay nearby

Places to stay near the town, and when each is next free.

The timber cabin lit at dusk against a pink sky, a hot tub steaming on the deck beside two chairs.Callie Bothy
  • Sleeps 2
  • In Morayshire
  • 15 miles from Dufftown
Free 16–18 OctThe Gatehouse, MorayshireThe Gatehouse
  • Sleeps 4
  • In Morayshire
  • 16 miles from Dufftown
Check datesA yellow-harled tower house with battlements flies a flag above conical yew trees and a lawn.Innes House
  • Sleeps 38
  • In Morayshire
  • 16 miles from Dufftown
Check datesA white harled farmhouse with a slate roof and chimneys stands amid greenery under a blue sky.Viewfield Farmhouse
  • Sleeps 8
  • In Morayshire
  • 16 miles from Dufftown
Check datesPlaces to stayEvery stay in MorayshireAll our places to stay nearby, to search by date and by who is coming.See them all
Hidden Scotland, the magazine

Scotland, in print.

Every photograph commissioned, every word written by somebody who went. Printed twice a year, made in Scotland.

Get Issue 13Read it here
Find out more

For further reading, before you go.