Stewart Bowman, Distillery Manager at Lochranza Distillery on the Isle of Arran.
Whisky wasn’t my original plan, I actually started out studying chemistry. But a good friend was studying brewing and distilling, and when I learned more about it, something just clicked.
Growing up near Clynelish, with both my Dad and Grandad working there, I suppose it felt like a natural move.
After switching from chemistry to brewing and distilling, I joined BrewDog as head brewer which was a brilliant eight years of learning and experimentation.
From there I moved into whisky, training at Cragganmore and later working at both Clynelish and Brora. A mutual contact told me Lochranza was hiring, and three months later my family and I were living on Arran. It’s been home ever since.
There’s a lot more paperwork than people expect! It’s not all nosing glasses and checking casks, there’s tax compliance, logistics, and plenty of operations planning.
But it all feeds into keeping the distillery running smoothly and making sure our spirit retains its Arran quality every step of the way.
It’s quite unique for an island distillery like ours to focus on non-peated whisky, but we’ve always wanted to stay true to ourselves and create a style that’s distinctly Arran.
For us, it’s all about those orchard fruit notes supported by a creamy, malty texture. The result is a whisky that’s fruity, clean, and vibrant. You can truly taste Arran in every glass.
I have tried various drams over the year years, but the first one I clearly remember tasting and falling in love with was Ardbeg Uigeadail in the early 2000s.
It absolutely blew my mind - smoky, rich, yet beautifully balanced. Still one of my all-time favourites.
Our new make is incredibly fruity and bright. When you nose it straight off the still, you get fresh apples, pears and even a touch of citrus.
It’s spirit-first, unpeated, elegant, and something we all take great pride in nurturing.
Last year was a special one for us. We celebrated three decades of Isle of Arran Distillers and released our first official Arran Single Malt 30 Year Old, a limited edition of just 300 bottles.
This year, we’ll be bottling it again, but this time as part of our core range, available in greater numbers and worldwide. There are also whispers that a much-loved old classic is set to return to the range, so it’s well worth keeping your eyes and ears peeled for news.
We finished the year in style when Lochranza Distillery took home Distillery of the Year at the Scottish Whisky Awards, proof of the passion, skill, and steadfast commitment from our amazing team. We're still riding high on this proud moment and eager to greet plenty of visitors in 2026.
On top of that, we’re continuing our Arran Signature Series, which has been an amazing project: hand-selecting casks with the team to create whiskies that are distinctly Lochranza, but with a sense of adventure.
We’ve already released Remnant Renegade, Barrel Bonfire, and Duero Discovery, and the final chapter is shaping up brilliantly. There will also be a second edition of the hugely successful Arran Barley Edition, first released in 2025 – a fantastic Arran Single Malt created using barley from Bellevue Farm in the south of the island.
I don’t really have a whisky “hero” as such, but I have huge admiration for James McTaggart, former distillery manager here at Lochranza.
Working alongside him showed me that whisky making is as much about instinct as it is about science - watching him nose casks and just know was incredible, and that quiet intuition is something I deeply respect.
Dave Broom is another great example. I was fortunate to spend time with him during a Malt Advocate tour a few years back, and I really loved meeting him.
He brings such a laid-back, cool, contemporary perspective to whisky. His knowledge is immense, and we even had a great chat about music, sharing our eclectic tastes and band recommendations that I’m still listening to this day.
Whisky cocktails are great. There’s room for both tradition and playfulness in whisky, with endless flavours to discover and some truly fantastic combinations to enjoy.
Maybe Ewan McGregor - approachable, Scottish through and through, and always up for a bit of an adventure.
Fruity. Honest. Balanced.
Curious. Grounded. Determined.
