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Aberdeenshire

Fettercairn Distillery

A Highland distillery of 1824 at Fettercairn, at the foot of the hills in the Mearns, whose stills wear a cooling ring of running water, with tours and tastings in the summer.

Welcome

At the edge of the village of Fettercairn, where the farmland of the Mearns meets the first slopes of the Grampians, a distillery has made whisky since 1824.

The hills rise just behind it, with the old road over the Cairn o' Mount climbing away to Deeside.

Fettercairn does one thing like nowhere else. Around the neck of each of its copper stills runs a ring that trickles cold water down the outside of the copper as the spirit is made. It sends more of the vapour back down to be distilled again, and it gives Fettercairn's single malt its light, fruity, almost tropical character.

Through the summer the distillery opens for tours. The shortest leads through the stillhouse and into a warehouse full of casks before ending in the visitor centre with three drams, and a longer tour pours five. It is best to book, and children under eight cannot join the tours.

Close byThe Arch Café and BistroA cosy café and bistro by Fettercairn's royal arch, with gluten-free baking and a Friday chippy night.1 min by roadSee itThe tall stone Royal Arch over the street in Fettercairn.
Before you go

Tours run through the summer season, not in winter, and are best booked ahead; no children under eight on tours.

The Taste of Fettercairn tour is £20 with three drams.

Where
Distillery Road, Fettercairn AB30 1YB.
Tours
Summer season; from £20; book ahead.
Where it is

On the edge of the village of Fettercairn in the Howe of the Mearns, at the foot of the Cairn o' Mount road.

Close byFettercairn.
  1. The North Esk tumbling through its wooded gorge among autumn leaves.Edzell Blue Door WalkThrough a blue door to the gorge of the North Esk.4 miles 6 min by road
  2. Walker in yellow coat balances on frosty rocks beside a riverRiver North EskStretching 47 kilometres from Scotland’s eastern coast, just north of Montrose, to the Water of Lee in the Cairngorms5 miles 8 min by road
  3. Sinclair's Larder's purple shopfront and planted terrace on Edzell High Street.Sinclair’s LarderA bright café bistro on Edzell's High Street, with fresh seasonal food, home baking and good coffee, open seven days a week.5 miles 8 min by road
  4. Edzell Castle's red ruin and its walled garden seen from the air.Edzell CastleThe Lindsays' red sandstone castle and its walled garden of 1604.6 miles 10 min by road
  5. The granite tor on the top of Clachnaben in snow, under a deep blue sky.Clachnaben Walk, Glen DyeA hill walk to a granite tor over the Cairn o' Mount.9 miles 12 min by road
Directions
The tall stone Royal Arch over the street in Fettercairn.CafeThe Arch Café and Bistro0.4 miles
Westerton Farm, AberdeenshireCafeWesterton Farm6.6 miles
A jar of Castleton jam beside a scone with cream and berries.CafeCastleton Farm Shop & Cafe8.8 miles
The pale stone ring of the White Caterthun on its hilltop, Strathmore beyond.AttractionsThe Brown and White Caterthuns9.8 miles
A stone farmhouse covered in climbing ivy stands behind a gravel drive, seen through overhanging pine branches.Glen DyeCuttieshillockSleeps 6 · 9.9 miles
A stone cottage with dormer windows sits behind a low blue gate, a rose-covered archway framing the front door.StrachanGamekeeper’s CottageSleeps 6 · 9.9 miles
A stone steading with a slated pyramid roof and a chimney stands behind a green nameplate sign, a chair visible through the window.StrachanNo 2 Steading CottageSleeps 4 · 9.9 miles
An aerial view shows a white harled farmhouse with multiple chimneys set beside a gravel courtyard and stone outbuildings.StrachanThe Coach HouseSleeps 12 · 9.9 miles
A mint-green sitting room has a cobalt-blue velvet sofa with orange and green cushions, two floor lamps with teal shades either side, a rustic wooden coffee table, and framed abstract and sunset prints on the wall above.StrachanThe Corner HouseSleeps 6 · 9.9 miles
The Daily for 20 October, from Scotland with love. The broken stone walls of a lochside castle rise from a small tree-covered island, autumn foliage glowing orange against the dark water and forested hillside beyond.

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Stay nearby

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

Timber cabin with metal roof and decking surrounded by woodland treesNorth Lodge and River Cabin
  • Sleeps 6
  • In Banchory
  • 8 miles from Fettercairn
Free 29–30 OctA stone farmhouse covered in climbing ivy stands behind a gravel drive, seen through overhanging pine branches.Cuttieshillock
  • Sleeps 6
  • In Glen Dye
  • 8 miles from Fettercairn
Free 22–23 OctA stone cottage with dormer windows sits behind a low blue gate, a rose-covered archway framing the front door.Gamekeeper’s Cottage
  • Sleeps 6
  • In Strachan
  • 8 miles from Fettercairn
Free 22–23 OctA stone steading with a slated pyramid roof and a chimney stands behind a green nameplate sign, a chair visible through the window.No 2 Steading Cottage
  • Sleeps 4
  • In Strachan
  • 8 miles from Fettercairn
Free 12–13 NovPlaces to stayEvery stay in AberdeenshireAll our places to stay nearby, to search by date and by who is coming.See them all
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