Isle of Raasay Distillery is aScotch whisky and gin distillery on the Inner HebrideanIsle of Raasay in NorthwestScotland.[1] The distillery is owned by R&B Distillers and was the first legal distillery on the Isle of Raasay when it opened in 2017.[2]
R&B Distillers was founded in 2014 by Bill Dobbie and Alasdair Day.[3] The company started its operations at the Isle of Raasay in September 2017 after receiving its distiller's license.[4] The water used during the distilling process in the production of whisky comes from a Celtic Iron Age well.[5] The water has a high mineral content derived from the island's volcanic and sandstone rock.[6]
The whisky is distilled in copper pot stills and is matured at the distillery on Raasay in a variety of oak casks. The distillery will produce approximately 200,000 litres of pure alcohol per year.[7] The distillery's flagship brand is Isle of Raasay Single Malt Scotch Whisky released since 2020. Since then, the distillery has also released a number of limited special and single cask whiskies.[8]
The distillery is based on the site of a former disused hotel called Borodale House on the southwest of the island.[9] The Isle of Raasay Distillery also has a visitors’ centre that opened in January 2018.[10] It was awarded 5 stars byVisitScotland as a tourist attraction in June 2018.[11][12] The distillery also features a six–bedroom hotel with views over theIsle of Skye.[13] In 2023, the distillery ranked third in a Cask Connoisseur ranking of the most popular whisky distilleries.[14]
In 2025, the distillery launched its visitor accommodation, incorporating five luxury cabins called Na Bothain, and six guest bedrooms inside the distillery itself.[15]
The first bottlings to carry the Raasay name were theWhile We Wait expressions, a series of fiveindependently bottled single malt whiskies that would indicate the future style of the distillery.[16] The first of these whiskies was released in 2017; the last in 2020. The final While We Wait release was subtitled Last Orders, in reference to the discontinuation of the brand.[17]
The first single malt to be distilled at Raasay distillery was released in September 2020, as a run of 7500 bottles. The whisky was matured inTennessee whisky casks and finished inBordeaux wine casks.[18] In 2025, a limited edition whisky was released in support ofSkye Live Festival.[19]
In addition to whisky, the distillery also make Isle of Raasay gin. The gin uses ten botanicals, includingrhubarb root andcubeb pepper.[20] It was launched in July 2019, pre-dating the first whisky release from the company.[21] The gin uses water from the distillery's historic onsite well, Tobar na Ba Bàine.[22]
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