The Borders Distillery: The First Legal Whisky in Hawick for 180 Years
The Scottish Borders went without a single legal whisky distillery for roughly 180 years, from the closure of the region's last one in 1837 until The Borders Distillery opened in a converted Hawick factory in 2018. The Three Stills Company, founded in 2013 by four Scotch industry veterans, built it specifically to end that drought.
The Borders Distillery at a glance
| Region | Hawick, Scottish Borders, Lowland |
| Operator | The Three Stills Company, founded 2013 |
| Planning granted | Late 2015 |
| Production started | 6 March 2018 |
| Investment | £10 million, capacity up to 1.8 million litres a year |
| Significance | First Borders distillery since the region's last one closed in 1837 |
History of The Borders Distillery
The Three Stills Company secured planning permission for a former Hawick factory in late 2015, and groundbreaking followed in August 2016 on what became a £10 million malt distillery with capacity of up to 1.8 million litres of spirit a year. Production began on 6 March 2018, and a small visitor centre opened to the public that May. The opening ended roughly 180 years without a legal distillery anywhere in the Scottish Borders, since the region's last one closed in 1837.
How The Borders Distillery makes its whisky
The distillery produces a Lowland single malt built around a deliberately light, fragrant, floral style. Long fermentation with cloudy wort gives the spirit a malty fruitiness, and the large lampglass stills add further fruit and floral character. Maturation runs mainly through ex-bourbon barrels, with some finished in Portuguese red wine and rum casks, and the site also produces a Borders gin using local botanicals alongside its whisky.
The Borders Distillery and independent bottlers
Because production only began in 2018, The Borders Distillery's whisky is still relatively young by Scotch standards, and independent bottlings of it remain uncommon so far. Most of what has reached the market has come through the distillery's own releases as its stock has gradually matured past minimum age.
The Borders Distillery and The Single Cask
We don't currently hold a Borders Distillery cask. If a Lowland character from a genuinely new distillery interests you, get in touch and we'll tell you what comparable Lowland stock we hold right now.
Plan a bottling inspired by The Borders Distillery
A region going 180 years without a legal distillery, then getting one back, is the kind of story that gives a bottling real narrative weight. If that appeals for your own project, start with our whisky casks available page, or read about buying a whisky cask and the four steps to bottling your own whisky. For something under your own name, our private label whisky service covers that end to end. For more on the Lowland region, see our guides to Daftmill and Kingsbarns.
We hold a wide range of casks to sell to independent bottlers and private customers, drawn from many different distilleries, finished in a variety of wood types from sherry and port casks to bourbon and rum, with real differences in yeast and production style from one distillery to the next. If you are an independent bottler looking for stock, or you have always wanted a cask of your own, talk to us about what we currently hold in the warehouse. Where we don't hold the exact distillery featured in this guide, we say so honestly, and we're usually able to point you toward something close in style from what we do have.
If you have questions about any of this, or about The Borders Distillery in particular, our contact page is the fastest way to reach us.
Frequently asked questions
Was there ever a distillery in the Scottish Borders before this one?
Yes, but the region's last legal distillery closed in 1837. The Borders Distillery, opened in 2018, ended roughly 180 years without one.
Who operates The Borders Distillery?
The Three Stills Company, founded in 2013.
When did The Borders Distillery start production?
6 March 2018, with a visitor centre opening to the public that May.
What style of whisky does The Borders Distillery make?
A light, fragrant, floral Lowland single malt, matured mainly in ex-bourbon barrels with some Portuguese red wine and rum cask finishes.
Does The Borders Distillery make gin too?
Yes, a Borders gin using local botanicals.
Does The Single Cask sell a Borders Distillery cask?
Not at the moment. Contact us for comparable Lowland stock.
Work with The Single Cask
Buy a whisky cask, bottle under your own label, or store casks in our HMRC approved bonded warehouse in Fife.
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