THE SOCIAL DISTILLERY

The Isle of Harris Distillery began with a simple idea.

Over the decades, our island has suffered from a long-term decline in population, our community's numbers having halved over the last fifty years.

As young people leave our shores to seek their fortune, few are able to return to find work, set down roots and build a life in the place they called home. We believe that a distillery, built for not just years but for generations, can be a way to help stem this tide.

In 2015, the distillery started life with just 10 people and an ambition to double in number over the next five years. Today, we're proud to say we employ over 50 permanent staff, a highly significant number in an island of fewer than 2000 inhabitants.

As a catalyst for positive change within our community, we continue to work with purpose, bringing new life to our island and supporting its aspirations to survive and thrive as we move forward together.

Our distillery can be found in the heart of the Isle of Harris, a small Outer Hebridean island off the far north-west of Scotland.

In a harbour village, just yards from the waters of East Loch Tarbert, a white and copper-clad building holds a family of local men and women dedicated to making beautiful island spirits with pride and provenance.

Inside, a burning peat fire is lit daily to welcome visitors and symbolise a deep sense of warmth and hospitality in the tradition of the generations which have gone before us.

Our doors are open to all, six days a week, with a true island welcome awaiting those who take the long road to see us.

Hear our stories, sample our spirits, shop for exclusive local wares, enjoy coffee or a cocktail, and relax among friends by our fireside.

Despite our many scattered villages we are a close-knit community, bound together by a love of this special place, traditions, history, language, and culture, as well as the confines of our shared geography.

We share an approach to life we love to bring to others, whether here in Harris or far from our shores. 

Those who join us at the distillery will always receive a genuine Outer Hebridean welcome as we seek to share our spirit and story and learn more about others in return.

And, for those connecting with us online we extend the same values of familiarity and friendship as we reach out to the wider world through our ambassadors, social media and online storytelling.

Come and visit us, join us at events across the world, follow us on social media, or join our weekly Journal to stay connected to our island community as our story continues...