Duncan McCallum bought Glen Scotia Distillery in 1924 when Campbeltown was already collapsing—over a dozen distilleries had closed, more were failing. He believed quality and persistence could turn it around. By December 1930, he drowned himself in Campbeltown Loch. Official record says accident. Locals know better—failed deals, mounting debt, watching an entire region’s whisky heritage disintegrate.
Distillery workers still report strange occurrences at Glen Scotia after dark. McCallum’s ghost, they say. Probably superstition, but it’s a useful reminder that people bet everything on these businesses.
What Actually Happened
In the 1880s, Campbeltown had 20+ active distilleries. Alfred Bernard called it “the whisky capital of the world.” The Kintyre Peninsula’s isolation worked in their favor—hard for excise officers to reach, abundant resources, deep water harbors.
Then American Prohibition created massive illegal demand. Campbeltown producers rushed to meet it with shorter fermentation, inferior casks, premature bottling. When legitimate markets returned, their reputation was destroyed. Seventeen distilleries closed in the 1920s alone. By 1934, only Springbank and Glen Scotia survived. The region nearly lost its status entirely.
The Lowlands Took a Different Path
The Lowlands encompasses everything south of an imaginary line from Greenock to Dundee—more tradition than actual geography. Where Campbeltown faced isolation, Lowland distilleries operated near major cities. Less romantic, more industrially efficient.
Many use triple distillation (unusual for Scotland, common in Ireland), creating extra smoothness that makes them excellent entry points. Glasgow Distillery exemplifies the modern urban approach—solving logistical challenges, integrating with blending operations, proving approachable doesn’t mean boring.
Lowland whisky doesn’t demand attention. It offers finesse over power, light grassy flavors instead of smoke and maritime funk. The best expressions layer complexity without intimidation. They’re training wheels that serious enthusiasts never outgrow.
Tonight’s Lineup
Glasgow 1770 Triple Distilled (92 proof)
Thin color by bourbon standards. Nose: cherry candy, orange, grass. Palate: pepper, artificial lemon, finishes with pithy citrus bitterness—the white parts of any citrus fruit. This is elegance through restraint, harder to achieve than it looks.
Glen Scotia 15 Year (92 proof)
More color from age, same proof, completely different personality. Nose: saltwater taffy and caramel with citrus oils. Palate: spice-studded orange (like Christmas stovetop decorations), wood, slight medicinal notes. Finishes with smoke and oak. This is what perseverance tastes like.
Kilkerran Cask Strength
Significantly younger but intensely colored at cask strength. Needs a deep breath before diving in—jumping almost 20 proof points. Immediately smoky, earthy, caramel, dry red wine, leather. Palate is thick like homemade jelly, proof feels like pineapple eating your tongue (high acidity). Finishes with smoky grapefruit. This is Campbeltown’s distinctive funk—polarizing but worth preserving.
The Business Case for Revival
Hedley Wright’s 2004 decision to reopen Glengyle Distillery (producing Kilkerran) after 125 years wasn’t pure sentiment—it was sound business calculation that Campbeltown whisky could be profitable with proper investment. That brought the count to three active distilleries, securing regional status.
Wright passed in 2023, but family trust ownership ensures continuity. They’re not chasing growth for its own sake—they’re protecting something irreplaceable while remaining profitable. That’s the sweet spot: financial viability supporting cultural preservation.
McCallum didn’t live to see Campbeltown’s revival. He died believing the region’s whisky culture had vanished. But Glen Scotia survived 90+ more years. Glengyle reopened 74 years after closing. Today, Campbeltown’s experiencing genuine renaissance with new distilleries planned and international recognition growing.
McCallum was right about what mattered—the whisky itself was worth fighting for. He was just in the wrong timeline. Sometimes belief in quality takes generations to vindicate.
What We Learned
Whisky regions survive through different strategies. The Lowlands lost most distilleries but are experiencing urban revival. Campbeltown nearly vanished but held on through stubbornness. Approachable doesn’t mean simple. Distinctive regional character is worth preserving, even when it limits market appeal.
Every bottle reflects choices about production philosophy, target audience, and relationship with tradition. The contrast between urban versus rural, innovation versus tradition, accessibility versus complexity reveals whisky’s incredible diversity within a relatively small country.
Next Time: Independent bottlers who select exceptional casks outside corporate house style constraints—whisky curation. Finding the outliers, the special moments, the expressions distilleries might not bottle themselves.
