Laggan Bay Distillery: Islay’s Eleventh Active Distillery (2026)

With the opening of Laggan Bay Distillery in April 2026, the Whisky Island has reached eleven active distilleries — an absolute record for such a small territory. After a couple of years of waiting and a few delays, the new arrival from Ian Macleod Distillers has finally fired up its stills, becoming the eleventh “home” of peated single malt on the island.

In this article, we tell you everything you need to know about Laggan Bay: who’s behind it, where it’s located, and what style of whisky it will produce.

Laggan Bay Distillery: Who’s Behind It?

We already gave it away in the intro. What we can add is that Laggan Bay is not a project from a large multinational, but from a solid Scottish family-owned company: Ian Macleod Distillers.

Founded in 1933, Ian Macleod is one of the few remaining independent players in the Scotch whisky industry. The company is still controlled by the Russell family and, over the years, has built a very interesting portfolio by acquiring and reviving historic brands.

Among the distilleries already in its portfolio are:

• Glengoyne (Highlands)
• Rosebank (Lowlands) — one of the most beautiful revival stories of recent years
• Tamdhu (Speyside)

With Laggan Bay, Ian Macleod Distillers enters the world of peated whiskies for the first time — and does so in style, with a brand-new distillery on the island of Islay. Leading operations on the ground is Malcolm Rennie, a true “ileach” (Islay native) and an experienced distiller who serves as Distillery Manager.

Where Is Laggan Bay Located?

The distillery is located in Glenegedale, on the western coast of Islay, right in front of the island’s airport. The location is highly strategic: it sits halfway between Bowmore (the island’s main settlement) and Port Ellen, and is literally adjacent to the airport. This means that anyone flying in from Glasgow or Edinburgh has the new distillery practically “on their doorstep” as soon as they land.

The name Laggan Bay comes from the beautiful sandy bay that stretches right in front of the distillery. It is an area of great scenic value, characterised by dunes, open sea, and that windy, wild atmosphere typical of Islay’s Atlantic coast.

An interesting detail is that Laggan Bay shares the same site with Islay Ales, the island’s craft brewery. This proximity is no coincidence: the project was born from a collaboration between Ian Macleod Distillers and The Islay Boys (the owners of Islay Ales).

The Birth of Laggan Bay

The Laggan Bay Distillery project began to take shape several years ago. In 2022, Ian Macleod Distillers obtained planning permission to build the new distillery at Glenegedale. The idea was ambitious: to create a modern distillery that respects the territory while being capable of producing a heavily peated single malt.

An opening was initially expected during 2025, but as often happens with major distillery projects, there were some delays. Construction continued throughout 2025, and the plant was completed in the early months of 2026.

The historic moment arrived on 2 April 2026, when the first cask of new make spirit was filled.

The symbolic act was carried out by: Leonard Russell, Managing Director of Ian Macleod Distillers, His son Tom Russel and Malcolm Rennie, Distillery Manager. With this first filling, Laggan Bay officially became the eleventh active distillery on the island of Islay.

The project did not come out of nowhere: Ian Macleod Distillers had already proven in the past that it knows how to revive historic brands (such as Rosebank). With Laggan Bay, the company wanted to enter the peated whisky segment on Islay — a natural step for a producer looking to complete its portfolio with a completely different style from its other distilleries.

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Technical Characteristics

Laggan Bay has been designed as a modern distillery with a soul deeply connected to Islay. The planned production capacity is 1 million litres of pure alcohol per year. The whisky style will be heavily peated, in line with the island’s classic tradition. Ian Macleod Distillers stated from the very beginning that Laggan Bay was created to produce single malts with an intense, smoky, and maritime aromatic profile — typical of Islay’s great whiskies.

A particularly interesting aspect of the project concerns sustainability. The distillery was conceived from the outset with a strong environmental focus: it includes the creation of dedicated wetlands (artificial wetland areas) to manage liquid production waste while simultaneously creating a natural habitat for local wildlife.

From a technical standpoint, the distillery uses two traditional copper pot stills and follows the classic double distillation process typical of Scotch whisky. The choice of Glenegedale, with its exposure to the wind and proximity to the sea, should help impart those salty and smoky notes characteristic of Islay whiskies to the new make spirit.

Leonard Russell: “We’re not here to replicate what Islay already has. We’re here to add something — a whisky shaped by its place, by our people, and by the choices we make from the very beginning.”

Malcolm Rennie: “Returning to Islay to help shape Laggan Bay single malt is something I’m truly proud of. It’s a rare opportunity to create a new whisky with a strong sense of place.”

Laggan Bay e le altre sorelle

With the opening of Laggan Bay, Islay now has 11 active distilleries in production. This is a record number for such a small island and confirms that the whisky sector is experiencing a period of strong growth on Islay. Here is the updated situation as of May 2026:

A First Visit to the Distillery?

The first opportunity to visit Laggan Bay Distillery will be during Fèis Ìle 2026. On Sunday, 31 May 2026, the distillery will open its doors to the public for the first time, in a joint event with Islay Ales.

During the day, the following will be organised:

• Free mini-tours of the distillery
• Cocktail bar featuring new make spirit
• Live music
• Food trucks and gastronomic stands

This is a soft opening, mainly intended to introduce the new facility to whisky enthusiasts visiting the island during the festival.

As for regular visits after Fèis Ìle, no official dates or tour schedule have been announced yet. It is likely that Ian Macleod Distillers will organise guided tours once production is fully up and running, but for now the only confirmed date remains 31 May 2026.

If you’re planning a trip to Islay for Fèis Ìle, don’t miss the chance to visit Laggan Bay!