Glengyle
Revived under the direction of Hedley G. Wright, Glengyle Distillery returned to production in 2004 after almost 80 silent years. Frank McHardy, Springbank’s long-serving Production Director and master whisky maker, played a central role in rebuilding the distillery. Its whisky, bottled as **Kilkerran**, has since become an important part of Campbeltown’s remarkable whisky revival.
Glengyle & Kilkerran – The Revival of a Campbeltown Distillery
Glengyle Distillery represents one of the most remarkable chapters in the modern revival of Campbeltown whisky. Originally founded in 1872 by William Mitchell, a member of the same family closely associated with Springbank, the distillery ceased production in 1925. For decades, Glengyle remained silent while Campbeltown’s once flourishing whisky industry declined to only a handful of surviving distilleries.
Its revival began when Hedley G. Wright, chairman of J&A Mitchell and the driving force behind Springbank, acquired the former Glengyle buildings with the ambition of returning the distillery to production. Under his direction, the project was brought to life by Frank McHardy, the highly experienced whisky maker and long-serving Production Director at Springbank. McHardy played a central role in rebuilding and equipping the distillery, helping to shape its production methods and character. Glengyle finally returned to distillation in 2004, almost 80 years after it had fallen silent.
The whisky produced at Glengyle is bottled under the name Kilkerran, as the Glengyle name was already in use as a whisky brand. The name Kilkerran derives from the Gaelic Ceann Loch Cille Chiarain, referring to the original settlement from which Campbeltown developed.
Produced using traditional methods and closely connected to the people and expertise behind Springbank, Kilkerran has nevertheless developed a distinctive identity of its own. Its revival not only restored a historic distillery but also played an important role in securing Campbeltown’s future as an officially recognised Scotch whisky region.