Scotland is by far the most well-known and renowned whisky country in the world. But even within Scotland, there are specific regions that can largely determine the style and flavour of a whisky. Scotland’s whisky regions are divided into areas that often impart a distinct character to the whisky.
Read more about the different Scotch Whisky regions below.

Scotland consists of 6 regions, each of which generally has its own style of whisky:

• lslands
• Speyside
• Highlands
• Islay
• Campbeltown
• Lowlands

Lowlands

The Scottish Lowlands are also known as the Gardens of Scotland. There is little peat, the characteristic ‘peat flavour’ often missing in the malts here. However, large quantities of good-quality barley are present. The Lowlands are responsible for light malts with fruity characteristics. Interestingly, in the Lowlands, a number of distilleries opt for triple distillation. This is quite unusual as double distillation predominates in Scotland. These include Rosebank and Auchentoshan. The latter, along with Glenkinchie and Bladnoch, is currently the only operational distillery in the Lowlands.

Highlands

The Highland region can be divided into 3 regions:

Central Highlands: The area bordering the Lowlands and reaching to the beginning of the Highlands. You will find malts with varying characteristics here. The southernmost distilleries tend towards Lowland malts, while the more northern ones have similarities with Speyside malts.

Northern Highlands: A mountainous and turbulent area, with many diverse water sources. The area stretches from lnverness to Wick, the northernmost point of the Scottish mainland. The malts produced are full-bodied and have a salty flavour. This is caused by the fact that many distilleries are close to the sea.

Western Highlands: The area between Oban and Fort William produces soft and full-bodied malts. It has always been a region where few distilleries could be found. Currently, only Oban and Ben Nevis are still operational.

Speyside

A region in the Highlands with the most distilleries per square kilometre, totalling almost 60! The region is named after the river Spey that runs through it. ln this region, there is less peat than elsewhere in the Highlands. Speyside malts are generally the ones with the smoothest flavour. Despite the large number of different distilleries located close together, the various malts still have a wide variety of characteristics, and are very complex in flavour.

lslands

These malts are produced on the islands of Mull (Tobermory), Skye (Talisker), Iura (Isle of Jura), Arran (Isle of Arran) and the Orkney Islands (Highland Park & Scapa). The characteristics are diverse: from fruity to peaty, with salty undertones of the sea.

Islay

Islay is a Scottish island, the southernmost of the Inner Hebrides. It lies just south of Jura. The main town is Bowmore; other towns of note are Port Ellen and Port Charlotte. lslay is known for the heavy malts produced there. Peat was the only fuel here for a long time, and this is reflected in the malts! They have a strong peaty, smoky, sometimes even medicinal (iodine) smell and taste. However, this does not apply to all malts. Laphroaig, Lagavulin and Ardbeg belong to the heaviest category of lslay malts. Bowmore and Caol Ila are somewhat lighter than the former, but still robust. Buhnahabhain and Bruichladdich are relatively soft and more fruity. As such, they are a strong contrast to their heavy brothers. The last distillery is Port Ellen, but it no longer produces whisky and supplies all distilleries on the island with malted barley.

Campbeltown

Campbeltown is a town on the Kintyre peninsula. It was once the centre of Scotland’s whisky industry, with more than 20 distilleries. Campbeltown whisky was very popular during the American Prohibition in the 1920s, and was widely smuggled. The heyday, however, was followed by economic decline.