Stories from the stillhouse
The restored Cask-It journal brings back original guides, history, reporting and first-person journeys from Scotland’s whisky roads.
Featured journal
Yes, Port Ellen Distillery is open again. The famous Islay ghost distillery reopened in March 2024, but it is not a casual walk-in stop. Here is how to book, what to expect, and how to fit Port Ellen into a proper Islay whisky trip.
10 minute read · Kevin White & Stewart Hunt
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12 minute read
The headlines have been brutal. One in five Scottish distilleries in financial distress. Diageo cutting 743 million pounds. Jobs at risk across the Highlands and Islands. Parliament launching a formal inquiry. Before you panic, here is what is actually happening and what it means for the industry you love.
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11 minute read
Most people know Lockerbie for one reason. But there is another story in this part of Scotland that almost nobody talks about. Dumfries and Galloway is home to three distilleries with histories that are, in their own way, just as extraordinary.
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10 minute read
Perched on a hill above Kirkwall on the Orkney Islands, Highland Park has been making whisky since 1798. It is the most northerly single malt distillery in Scotland, and in the opinion of Stewart and me, one of the most underrated. Here is why it deserves your full attention.
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9 minute read
On 24 July 2026, the United States removed all tariffs on Scotch whisky. It is the biggest trade win for the industry in years, and it comes on top of the India FTA that came into force earlier this month. Here is what happened, why it matters, and what comes next.
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12 minute read
Islay is the most concentrated whisky island on earth. Eleven working distilleries on one island, each with its own character, its own story, and its own dram. This is how to visit them in one trip.
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7 minute read
Ardnahoe is the youngest distillery on Islay, built on a dream that took Stewart Laing 60 years to realise. The Bholsa is their second core release and it is a genuinely impressive peat-and-sherry dram. Here is everything you need to know.
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8 minute read
Age statements, NAS, cask finish, ABV, non-chill filtered, natural colour. A Scotch whisky label tells you everything about what is in the bottle. Here is what every number and word actually means.
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6 minute read
Stirling Distillery sits at the foot of one of Scotland's most famous castles and produces whisky for the first time since 1852. With only 320 bottles in its debut release, this is one of the most compelling distillery stories in Scotland right now.
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10 minute read
First distillery tour? Here is exactly what happens, what you will see, what you will taste, and how to make the most of the experience - from a couple who have done it dozens of times.
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9 minute read
Speyside, Islay, Highlands, Lowlands, or Campbeltown - each region offers something completely different. Here is how to choose the right one for your first Scotland whisky trip.
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8 minute read
Everything you need to know about getting to Islay - CalMac ferries from Kennacraig, Loganair flights from Glasgow, and how to get around the island once you arrive.
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7 minute read
Most whisky lovers can name the distillery, the region, and the cask type. Very few have stood at a viewing gallery and watched a master cooper rebuild a 200-litre barrel by hand. We did. Here is what we saw.
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10 minute read
Fourteen miles north of Glasgow, Glengoyne Distillery offers the Malt Master Experience -- three hours of nosing, tasting, and blending five single cask whiskies to create your own 200ml bottle. Here is everything you need to know before you book.
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14 minute read
Scotland's whisky visitor centres welcomed 2.7 million visits in 2024. With Bowmore 21 named World's Best Single Malt and 152 distilleries open to visitors, 2026 is the best year yet to plan your whisky tour. Here is the complete guide.
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12 minute read
You do not need to spend a fortune to drink well. These 10 bottles prove that the best Scotch whisky under £50 can match expressions costing twice as much.
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11 minute read
Single malt is the most searched whisky question on Google, and the answer is simpler than most people think. Here is everything you need to know about what single malt actually means, how it is made, and why it matters.
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11 minute read
Peated whisky divides opinion more than almost anything else in the whisky world. Some people taste it for the first time and never look back. Others never understand the appeal. Here is everything you need to know about what peat actually is, how it gets into whisky, and which bottles to try first.
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10 minute read
Cask strength whisky is the most honest expression of what a distillery actually makes. No water added. No dilution. Just the spirit exactly as it came out of the cask. Here is everything you need to know.
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9 minute read
Scotland is opening more new distilleries in 2026 than at any point in the last decade. From Islay's 11th distillery to a net-zero Highland project backed by £1.57m in government funding, here is every new opening worth knowing about.
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5 minute read
Forbes Cameron Duthie writes, composes, and records everything himself. Two bands, two distinct sounds, three albums out, and a fourth on the way. This is what Scottish independent music looks like when someone does it properly.
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7 minute read
On 30 April 2026, President Trump announced the removal of all US tariffs on Scotch whisky. For an industry that has spent seven years fighting this battle, it is a significant moment. Here is the full story, the real numbers, and what comes next.
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12 minute read
We drove up from Glasgow on a grey Stirlingshire morning, four of us, and what we found at Deanston was one of the best days we have had together. A converted cotton mill, a vaulted stone warehouse, copper stills that fill a room, and a sign on the wall that said everything you need to know about the place.
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8 minute read
If you have not been to the Pot Still in Glasgow, you need to fix that. 700 whiskies, a gantry that tells the whole story of Scotch, and on a Friday night with a sherry cask expression in your hand, there is nowhere better on earth.
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9 minute read
The Puffer sits on the canal in Kirkintilloch, and it is exactly the kind of pub you want to find when the evening calls for something more than a quick drink. Stewart knows it well. That tells you everything.
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7 minute read
The Kincaid is closed now. That still does not sit right with me. Cold nights at the foot of the Campsie Fells, Anne and Liz on the wine, and the real whisky waiting back at Stewart and Liz's house. Some places earn a proper send-off.
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6 minute read
Some of the best things in life start in the worst moments. Cask-It™ came from grief, a conversation between two men who loved the same woman, and a bottle of something very good. This is the real story.
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12 minute read
Féis Ìle is the week that Islay belongs to the world. Nine distilleries, thousands of whisky lovers, live Gaelic music, and the finest peated drams on the planet. Here is everything you need to know to plan your 2026 trip.
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9 minute read
Bowmore 21 Year Old Sherry Oak Cask took the top single malt crown. Ballantine's 23 Year Old leads the blended category. Here is every major 2026 award winner, what makes each one exceptional, and where to find them in Scotland.
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8 minute read
You've heard the stories. You've seen the amber liquid in the glass. But where do you start? This guide cuts through the noise and gives you everything you need to begin your Scotch whisky journey with confidence.
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10 minute read
There are whisky trips, and then there's Islay. A remote island off Scotland's west coast with ten distilleries, a population of 3,200, and a reputation that draws whisky pilgrims from every corner of the world. Here's how to do it properly.
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7 minute read
The Malt Whisky Trail winds through the heart of Speyside, connecting nine distilleries and the Speyside Cooperage. It's the world's greatest whisky road trip, and here's how to make the most of every mile.
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82 minute read
From illicit Highland stills to a global industry worth billions, the history of Scotch whisky is the history of Scotland itself. Here's the story of how a simple spirit became one of the world's great drinks.
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6 minute read
At the very top of Scotland, on an island shaped by Viking history and Atlantic storms, Highland Park has been making whisky since 1798. It's one of the world's great distilleries, and here's why.
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9 minute read
Scotland has over 150 active distilleries, five officially recognised whisky regions, and thousands of miles of spectacular scenery. Planning a whisky holiday can feel overwhelming. Here's how to do it right.
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7 minute read
Helen Cumming ran an illegal still on a Speyside hillside, outwitted government excisemen with a red flag and a pot of tea, and went on to found Cardhu Distillery in 1824. Her malt became the backbone of Johnnie Walker Black Label. This is her story.
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