Distillery:	Royal Lochnagar	Region:	Highland
Established:	1826	Status:	Active
Proprietor	Diageo
Stills:	1 wash still, 1 spirit still	Capacity:	400,000 litres of alcohol per year
Open To Visitors:	May to Sept- Mon to Sat, 10am - 5pm. Sun 12pm- 5pm. Oct- Mon to Fri, 10am – 5pm. Nov – Mar, Mon to Fri, 10am - 4pm.	Contact :	Royal Lochnagar Distillery Ballater Aberdeenshire AB35 5TB
Facilities:	Visitor centre, Reception, Shop, Audio-visual presentation, Disabled access
Water Source:	Springs in the hills of Lochnagar

Royal Lochnagar is one of the smallest distilleries in Scotland and one of the most traditional, with an open mash tun still being used. There were two original Lochnagar distilleries built close to Royal Lochnagar both of which were burnt down by illicit distillers. John Begg built the current distillery in 1845. A visit by the Royal Family, who owned the nearby Balmoral Castle, in 1848 prompted the use of the Royal warrant in the name after they enjoyed the whisky it produced. John Dewar & Sons bought the distillery in 1912 and later it changed hands to DCL in 1925 and then finally Diageo. The visitor centre offers an educational insight into how a traditional distillery works and is worth a look if you are in the area.