Bladnoch: Stories of Bladnoch, Chapter Two

Bladnoch is no stranger to reinvention. Founded in 1817 on the banks of the River Bladnoch in Dumfries and Galloway, the distillery has seen prosperity, closures, sales and revivals across more than two centuries. Today it stands as the oldest privately owned Scotch whisky distillery, often referred to as the Queen of the Lowlands. Under the stewardship of owner David Prior and master distiller Dr Nick Savage, Bladnoch has been brought back into focus, producing single malts that carry both the weight of history and the promise of modernity.

That tension between past and present sits at the heart of Loch Maberry: Stories of Bladnoch, a limited series of single malts shaped by people with a personal connection to the distillery. The name honours Loch Maberry, the water source that feeds the River Bladnoch and has sustained the site since its earliest days. Each release tells a story, pairing a cask with an individual whose ties to Bladnoch run deep.

The first chapter, unveiled in 2024, paid tribute to a lifelong admirer known simply as Mr Arnold. For the second, the distillery has looked inward, tracing its origins to the McClelland brothers who first established Bladnoch in 1817. Chapter Two has been created with Elizabeth Cobbett, the great great granddaughter of Thomas McClelland, in what has become a tale of rediscovery, family and the enduring pull of place.

Elizabeth’s connection had always been there in the background, a family story that never demanded much attention until later in life. A brief visit to the site in the 1990s satisfied her curiosity at the time, but it was only after her parents passed away that a box of old photographs in the attic reopened the story. There she found evidence of her grandmother, Margaret Tyrer, born Margaret McClelland in 1882, who had lived near the distillery before the family moved to Liverpool when Bladnoch was sold at the turn of the century.

Her quiet interest soon became fascination. She followed the distillery’s revival from afar as the stone warehouses and pagodas were restored, and when Bladnoch invited people to share their stories, she felt compelled to reach out. That invitation led her back to Dumfries and Galloway, to the banks of the river where her family had once worked.

At the distillery Elizabeth met Nick Savage, whose own career has been defined by an interest in both heritage and innovation. Together they tasted through casks before she selected one that spoke to her: Cask 450 from 2006, a sherry butt. Bottled at 48.6 per cent, non chill filtered and with natural colour, the whisky is delicious. The nose is rich and decadent, full of ginger, honey, rich dried fruit and baking spice. The palate is pleasantly drier than expected, which greatly appeals to me. It replicates the nose in many ways and fills your mouth with flavour. A sign of a good whisky is its complexity and how long the flavours linger. With this, I can still taste the whisky minutes after, which shows just how serious this is.

For Elizabeth, the experience reshaped her understanding of whisky altogether. “Despite my heritage, before my Scottish adventure to the distillery I knew very little about whisky and had never felt it was for me. My wonderful day at Bladnoch changed that. I discovered the skill of the master blender, the alchemy, and the subtlety involved in making whisky and learned to truly appreciate a glass of the water of life.”

She added that her great great grandfather and his brother would be proud to see Bladnoch alive once more, thriving with the same sense of dedication that had marked its founding years. Savage was equally struck by her story. “Elizabeth’s journey shows that, like whisky, connections take time and patience to mature. From initial uncertainty to writing her own tasting notes, her experience reminds us why we make whisky.”

Bladnoch has made much of this kind of connection since its revival. When Prior purchased the distillery in 2015, becoming the first Australian to own a Scotch whisky distillery, the task was more than just restoring production. It was about reintroducing Bladnoch to the world and making it relevant again. Savage, formerly of The Macallan, has shaped a house style that feels both bold and true to its Lowland character.

Chapter Two of Loch Maberry: Stories of Bladnoch was launched this week during the Wigtown Book Festival at an evening called Bold Spirit: Tales of Galloway. It would have been a fitting setting. Wigtown is Scotland’s National Book Town, a place where stories take centre stage, and Bladnoch’s 208 year old distillery lies just a few miles away. 

Available for £150 from Bladnoch’s website, the release is accompanied by letters from Elizabeth and Nick Savage, offering their reflections on the project. As with all good stories, it is as much about the people as it is about the whisky. For Bladnoch, Loch Maberry Chapter Two is a reminder that distilleries are kept alive by the stories that flow through generations.