Langholm Distillery was established in 1765, making it one of Scotland’s oldest whisky distilleries.

It was operating in 1915 but was badly affected by various factors associated with the war (see Whisky) and closed permanently in 1917.

Located just south of the town by the River Esk, it became a paper mill from 1795 to 1818 due to barley shortages but then reverted to being a distillery, producing up to 46,000 gallons of whisky per year.

From the early 1830s, the distillery was owned and run by the Connell family, the last owner being Arthur Connell (1830-1918).

Arthur Connell had St Thorwald’s house built on a hill overlooking Langholm in around 1863, which included a view of his distillery.

It made a single malt with a smooth texture, partly attributed to its water source from the nearby Whita Well, which was the scene of a near-riot in 1852 over a dispute between the distillery and the town about water rights.

Some of the building was demolished in 1929 but a substantial part of it is still standing.

Further details on the distillery can be found here.

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